Air Products celebrates 40 years of service excellence
On March 12, this year, the people of Air Products took pride in celebrating the companys 40th year in business. After 40 years, the company is a vigorous, youthful entity, with an unflagging commitment to serving its customers. The question is: how has the company retained this level of energetic service? The answer is simple. At all times, the company focuses its efforts on customer service, and strives to develop ways of serving them better. Since 1969, this ethos has been inculcated into every Air Products person, past and present. It is often said in the company, that if one does not serve the customer directly, then one must provide a service to those who do serve the customers.
Innovation is the tool that has served the company for 40 years. It is this drive for innovation that has seen the company quadrupling in size since its inception.
Forty years ago, the company had a very sound and profitable long-term contract. Without too much effort, Air Products could have continued at this scale of operations. However, from the outset, the company has been served by people who have always delivered their utmost efforts in search of continuous improvement. The often repeated slogan that what was good enough for yesterday, may not be good enough today, remains as true now as it was in 1969.
From being a provider of an over the fence gas supply to one of South Africas industrial majors, the company has diversified. Today, it is a force to be reckoned with in the supply of Packaged Gas and also provides a Speciality Gas service that is of unmatched quality. While innovation is constantly applied to improving customer service, it has also seen the company developing revolutionary products such as “Freshline for the Food and Beverage market. This last innovation is currently changing the way food and beverages are packaged and marketed in a profoundly beneficial way.
An important strength in the company is the men and women who serve Air Products customers every day. When recruiting, Air Products selects the best, and once a person is employed, the company invests substantially to retain this individuals services for the extended benefit of the company. Through its history, Air Products has been lead by only three Managing Directors. The first MD was Geoff Prevett, who was, in turn, followed by Alan Cooper. Today, a man steeped in Air Products philosophy, Mike Hellyar, continues to lead the company forward. So as Air Products looks to the decades to come, it will be the commitment of its people and the strength of its leadership that takes the company through the current economic uncertainty and on to an every more prosperous future.
Published on March 12, 2009 in Company News, Spotlight |