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weird is that considering what we are both doing<br />
today? anyway after quickly agreeing that the<br />
pay for such a job in those days was scandalous<br />
and after acknowledging that the products on<br />
sale in a forecourt shops back then were limited<br />
to a few sets of windscreen wipers that nobody<br />
wanted, a rack of spray paint with all the popular<br />
colours missing and various out of date batteries,<br />
we swiftly moved on.<br />
Having graduated at University as a Mechanical<br />
Engineer, Peter is clearly driven by the nuts and<br />
bolts of a project i.e. the physical components<br />
that make something work. He has had a long<br />
association with GVR, advising at a corporate<br />
level with Danahar, whilst working for The<br />
Boston Consulting Group for seven years, prior<br />
to taking up the role of EMEa Managing Director<br />
in 2005. last year, after taking on additional<br />
responsibilities for emerging markets including<br />
China and India and with a new bolder title,<br />
Peter says his geographical brief is “pretty much<br />
most of the global business outside the americas<br />
and australia”.<br />
NN: Peter can you first explain how the two new<br />
acquisitions, Fafnir and L&T, fit into the GVR stable?<br />
PD:It’s been a really exciting time for Gilbarco<br />
Veeder-Root recently on the acquisition front.<br />
We always actively look to buy businesses with<br />
innovative technology that helps retailers operate<br />
their networks more profitably. In addition we also<br />
value businesses with established regional presence<br />
and customer relationships – especially in emerging<br />
markets. Our plan is to build a combined platform<br />
of world-class technology, deployed and supported<br />
locally. Our two latest acquisitions, both of which<br />
closed in March, fit exactly with this vision.<br />
Our acquisition of the PDP business unit of Larson<br />
& Toubro (L&T) brings both technology and<br />
improved coverage in India. L&T have a proven<br />
product range that meets emerging market needs,<br />
plus an outstanding engineering team that can<br />
develop our combined portfolio. There’s also a stateof-the-art<br />
new manufacturing facility in Southern<br />
India which can produce high quality products for<br />
export globally. In addition to the technology, L&T<br />
have some good relationships with India’s leading<br />
players, plus a comprehensive nationwide service<br />
network to support national networks.<br />
The purchase of Fafnir is again driven by technology.<br />
They have an extensive product range<br />
covering liquid measurement and vapour recovery<br />
that complements our existing GVR portfolio. In<br />
illustration, the Vaporix solution for vapor recovery<br />
monitoring uses innovative sensor technology with<br />
no moving parts. This leads to exceptional reliability<br />
and product lifetime. Finally, Fafnir also<br />
has a comprehensive global network of distributors<br />
and service agents.<br />
So by adding L&T and Fafnir to our family we<br />
aim to offer customers an even broader range of<br />
technology, as well enhance our ability to support<br />
them locally.<br />
NN: As a group that has come together, mainly<br />
during the last 10 years, what is GVR’s focus right?<br />
PD: Gilbarco Veeder-Root’s focus is enabling retailers<br />
to operate their businesses more efficiently and<br />
profitably. As well as fuel retailing technology we<br />
provide integrated solutions for convenience stores.<br />
This is important given many of our customers’<br />
profit pools continue to move towards dry goods.<br />
More specifically, we enable our customers to be<br />
more profitable through three core levers. First, we<br />
can assist with increasing our customers’ revenue.<br />
Examples here include speeding up transactions,<br />
increasing throughput, better merchandising and<br />
customer loyalty. Second, we can reduce our<br />
customers’ cost of operations, through increasing<br />
uptime, incorporating remote network management,<br />
reducing fraud and helping identify fuel<br />
losses. Thirdly, we support our customers with<br />
environmental and complete site protection.<br />
From my perspective Gilbarco Veeder-Root must<br />
provide solutions that deliver concrete, quantifiable<br />
value for our customers. We need to enable our<br />
customers to be more profitable and successful – and<br />
that’s our focus wherever we operate in the world.<br />
Peter Dilnot, EMEA & Asia President,<br />
Gilbarco Veeder-Root<br />
NN: Is technology the key to everything GVR do?<br />
It is noticeable that the companies recently coming<br />
in to the group have all been technology led.<br />
PD:First and foremost, Gilbarco Veeder-Root is a<br />
technology company. We invest very significantly<br />
in developing solutions that enable our customers<br />
to operate more efficiently and profitably. We do<br />
this through internal GVR programs, new business<br />
acquisitions, or technology-led partnerships.<br />
Whatever the approach, the critical question for<br />
me is always, ‘what value does this technology really<br />
bring to our customers?’ If you can’t quantify<br />
value or return from a customer point of view then<br />
technology is meaningless.<br />
One important point on Gilbarco Veeder-Root’s<br />
technology is how we think both globally and locally.<br />
We see real value in global technology – through<br />
innovation, increased scale, global R&D programs<br />
and large proven field installations. Clearly with<br />
our global footprint and heritage, we pride ourselves<br />
on delivering innovations and breakthroughs – for<br />
example, like the world’s first precision axial-flow<br />
meter. However, at Gilbarco Veeder-Root we also<br />
know that technology needs to be adapted and<br />
LATEST NEwS, EvENTS, jObS ONLINE – www.PETrOLPLAzA.COM<br />
GILbArCO vEEdEr-rOOT<br />
supported locally. To do this we are investing<br />
heavily in regional teams that can tailor solutions<br />
to meet their customer needs. In illustration, we<br />
have significant technical resources in Middle East,<br />
Asia, China and India that develop local solutions<br />
and applications.<br />
Finally, technology is not the only thing we focus on<br />
at Gilbarco Veeder-Root. We know that networks<br />
need to be supported and serviced in every market<br />
– regardless of the technology installed. We have<br />
a support model that involves high-quality local<br />
distributors (with intimate market and customer<br />
knowledge), coupled with direct GVR regional<br />
support and global back-up.<br />
After all, what ultimately matters is how networks<br />
operate day-in, day-out – not just when new<br />
equipment is installed. I believe the combination<br />
of GVR’s global technology, local applications<br />
and intimate market support can make a difference.<br />
We are certainly working hard to make sure<br />
this is the case.<br />
NN: With 400 distributors and the GVR worldwide<br />
network getting bigger every year, do you feel<br />
that you have lost some of the personal one to one<br />
contact you might have had with local markets and<br />
local customers previously? For example, I know<br />
some suppliers in this industry which are enjoying<br />
increased levels of business, simply by offering a<br />
more hands on personal service, particularly in<br />
the emerging markets.<br />
PD: As I’ve said already, we recognize the criticality<br />
of local, personalised service and support. We do<br />
have many direct GVR people deployed across the<br />
world, but we certainly can’t be everywhere all the<br />
time. This is why we reinforce our direct presence<br />
with an excellent global network of distributors.<br />
We know our distributors are pivotal to delivering<br />
value to customers, and we work with them as<br />
partners. As GVR we are able to supply leading<br />
global technology plus specific local applications<br />
where appropriate. Our distributors provide intimate<br />
local installation, service and support to our<br />
customers. It’s a powerful combination, but like<br />
all partnerships it requires ongoing investment.<br />
As a result, we have a dedicated GVR team whose<br />
key function is reinforcing our distribution partnerships<br />
and the quality of our combined offering.<br />
We have significant distributor training, quality<br />
accreditation and field management processes. As<br />
importantly, there’s always lots of dialogue about<br />
how we can provide even better solutions for our<br />
customers.<br />
Overall, we aim to ensure all our customers –<br />
wherever they are in the world – get great local<br />
support for their businesses. Sometimes we provide<br />
this support direct with GVR personnel and<br />
sometimes through our distributor partners. From<br />
our customers point of view I’d like to think they<br />
don’t see a difference between the two.<br />
More details on Gilbarco Veeder-Root can be<br />
found at www.gilbarco.eu<br />
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