Global restructuring for Sulzer

Sulzer has announced a reorganisation for 2014 that consolidates its business interests into a more unified Sulzer brand. Headline changes to the two major divisions - representing over E1 billion in sales - include making the Pumps Equipment division more market focused and moving the service aspect of the pumps business into a combined Rotating Equipment Services division to serve the customers as one company.

When asked ‘why make these major changes to the business’, Sulzer CEO Klaus Stahlmann said, “The worldwide business model for industry is changing, including the power and utility markets where we specialise and we have to adapt.

“Service and engineering departments (our customers) are under pressure and an increasing number of business decisions for large national and multinational organisations are being made based on the ability of a supplier to deliver integrated engineering projects. As an organisation we are already providing comprehensive turnkey solutions and our company structure has to reflect these market changes.”

Sulzer offers a large number of complimentary products and services - aspects of the business that the company wants its customers to be able to understand clearly and engage with more easily. The new structure allows the organisation to deliver more relevant services from a single point of contact, allowing it to increase sales by making the business more transparent and providing customers with a simpler, more streamlined interface.

The ultimate aim is to increase the convenience of working with Sulzer, thereby saving time and making the professional lives of those who work with Sulzer more efficient and effective.

Rotating Equipment Services

The process has led to a new set-up: a Rotating Equipment Services division and a water related business unit within the Pumps Equipment division. The water business unit is the first step in the implementation of a strategic decision to focus the company’s activities in three key markets - oil and gas, power and water. Integrating all services for rotating equipment for example means that a customer operating a power plant can turn to Sulzer for servicing, maintenance and repair of a turbine, plus the associated generator and ancillary power transmission equipment.

The third division in the new business structure is Chemtech, which sits alongside the other two larger divisions. The Chemtech division will continue to focus on static separation and mixing technologies and remains largely unchanged.

New Pumps Equipment division

The Pumps Equipment division portfolio ranges from highly engineered customised to configured products, spare parts and offers retrofit solutions. A dedicated focus on the equipment business, continued technology leadership, strong customer relations, and a global manufacturing including test bed network are seen to be key factors in serving the customers locally and globally.

Sulzer’s Pumps Equipment division designs, develops and supplies pumping solutions and related equipment worldwide in its key markets.

New Rotating Equipment Services division

The new Rotating Equipment Services division of Sulzer combines engineering services for large turbines, compressors, motors and generators, previously provided by Sulzer Turbo Services, with the services for pumps provided prior to the restructure by Sulzer Pumps.

The services division operates from around 100 service locations around the globe, providing truly global sales, engineering and logistical support. Moving forwards a combined sales force will now offer the full range of services for rotating equipment.

The effective long-term maintenance, repair and refurbishment of large rotating equipment require huge engineering expertise and a vast array of specialist electrical and mechanical engineering capacity. It is also vital to maintaining many essential services; from water and power supplies, to ocean going vessels and manufacturing industry. Sulzer is unrivalled in the depth of its engineering knowledge and resources. It can both repair, and provide pro-active maintenance and ongoing management for equipment as diverse as multi-megawatt steam and gas turbines, to the thrusters on a cruise ship or the generators at a hydro-electric dam.

The overriding objective of customers that operate this type of machinery is to achieve consistency of supply and reliable performance, this is only possible when the design, manufacture and commissioning of a project is carried-out with world-class care and attention to detail. These are precisely the attributes which Sulzer can deliver, on a global basis and is the driving force behind the changes to its organisation. The aim is to provide one Sulzer service, from one source to meet the exact needs of its customers.

The new Rotating Equipment Services division combines services for large turbines, compressors, motors and generators with the services for pumps, allfrom one access point.

Sulzer’s Pumps Equipment division designs, develops and supplies pumping solutions and related equipment worldwide in its key markets.

Edited by Elizabeth Corner

Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/gas-processing/19052014/global_restructuring-_for_sulzer/