CEO appointed for drives innovator.

Adrian Ellam has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of Invertek Drives Ltd.

Adrian Ellam

Adrian will take on the role from his current position as Finance and Operations Director, further strengthening the company's management team with an internal promotion, ensuring continuity in the company’s next phase of growth.

The appointment comes at a significant time for the company as it celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2023 having reported a 45% year-on-year sales growth in 2022, with a total turnover of £79.3 million.

Adrian has been an integral part of Invertek Drives since 2010 and has worked closely with the existing directors, including three of the founding members of the business. His extensive experience and deep understanding of the company underscore its commitment to maintaining continuity and building on its success.

Based at the company's global headquarters at Welshpool (CYM), Adrian takes on the position from current CEO, Shaun Dean, who is Senior Vice President of Sumitomo Heavy Industries Ltd and CEO of PTC EMEIA Group. Shaun held the role of CEO since Invertek Drives was acquired by Sumitomo Heavy Industries Ltd in 2019 to ensure a smooth integration into the group.

Shaun will continue to assume the role of Chairman of Invertek Drives Ltd in conjunction with his existing senior roles with Sumitomo Heavy Industries Ltd and PTC EMEIA.

Rhydian Welson, Sales and Marketing Director; Glyn Jones, Technical Director; David Jones, R&D Director; and Tommy Tighe, Business Development Director, continue to focus on their key areas, including the development of next-generation products, and future management structure enhancements

Commenting on Adrian's appointment, Shaun said: "I'm delighted that Adrian has accepted the position of CEO as part of our continued investment and growth plans. Our management team is robust, with two of the original founders still actively involved. Their combined experience, cohesion and expertise are invaluable to Invertek Drives."

He added: "Invertek is a strong brand in the drives and controls sector and a significant employer in Mid Wales. We are proud to have acquired Invertek as part of the Power, Transmission, and Controls Group at Sumitomo Heavy Industries Ltd. We anticipate exciting times ahead as we significantly expand our business globally."

Adrian, who will retain his responsibilities for finance and operations, said: "I am honoured to take on the position of CEO at Invertek during this exciting phase of the company's growth, ensuring we continue the long standing internal spirit and business dynamics

“We are at a pivotal point in our long-term strategy, with the ongoing expansion of our global manufacturing and distribution facility, enabling us to increase production to 1.2 million units per year.”

He added: “We have a great and loyal team at Invertek which is one reason why we’ve been so successful. As we enter the next growth phase, we will be increasing recruitment in all areas of the business to support increased production, innovation, and sales.”

Adrian further highlighted the company's expanding global presence and collaborations this with partners in the PTC EMEIA Group to develop integrated solutions. He emphasised Invertek Drives' commitment to working closely with existing original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and customers to unlock new opportunities.

The company currently employs 380 people and has sales and service partners in 80 countries throughout the world.

Shaun Dean (front, left) with Adrian Ellam (front, right), and fellow directors Rhydian Welson (back, left), Dr Dvaid Jones, Glyn Jones, and Tommy Tighe.

@Invertek_Drives #PAuto #Manufacturing

VFD manufacturer drives ahead!

Invertek Drives is expanding following significant growth in global sales.said the investment will create an expansion to its global variable frequency drive (VFD) manufacturing and distribution centre, along with the development of a new Application Centre.

It will create 85 new jobs over the next 12 months on top of the 280 people already employed at the global HQ in Mid Wales and follows a major recruitment drive over the past year in both its production and research and development departments.

The company designs and manufacturers VFDs used for the accurate control of electric motors used in many applications and industries globally. These range from conveyors to CNC machines, HVAC and ventilation systems, to water pumping applications The VFDs are also major contributors to creating energy savings and reducing associated CO2 emissions in processes by making electric motors more efficient, cutting energy use by between 30% and 50% in many cases. They control the speed of motors, pumps and fans, ensuring they operate at optimum speeds. They control the speed of motors, pumps and fans, ensuring they operate at optimum speeds.

Shaun Dean, CEO of Invertek Drives, and who is also Senior Vice President of Sumitomo Heavy Industries and CEO of Power Transmission and Controls Group (EMEIA Business HQ), said: “We’ve seen significant growth in sales and turnover over the past 18 months despite the global pandemic.

“Invertek’s approach to maintaining strategic stock of components has ensured we’ve been able to continue manufacturing our Optidrive range of VFDs despite the global supply chain problems currently facing many manufacturers.

“We continues to commit to investing heavily in the innovation, development and manufacturing of VFD technology. The expanded manufacturing facility will allow us to increase production from 350,000 units a year to 600,000.

“This is part of our drive to create the leading next generation VFD technology that will help to further reduce energy use and associated CO2 emissions globally.

We will add three new production lines each consisting of six Global Assembly Cells (GACS) allowing the increase in production."

Around eight billion electric motors consume nearly 50 per cent of the electricity produced in Europe. Globally, 40 per cent of electricity is used to power industry, with two-thirds of this used by electric motors. And yet less than 20 per cent of electric motors are controlled by VFDs.

@Invertek_Drives #Wales #Pauto #HVAC

VFD technology for waste disposal.

The amount of waste produced in the meat processing industry can be considerable and costly in terms of production and disposal of the material.

A meat processing company has worked with Engefi Engenharia Eficiente Ltd to create greater speed control over its compactor, allowing for changes in the incoming quantity and type of waste. Engefi developed a solution that could be integrated into compactors using Optidrive E3 variable frequency drives (VFD).

Waste compactors are one way of continuing production without the need to stop to remove waste at intervals from containers or skips within the production process. By compacting the waste it can also be removed and handled more easily and safely for disposal.

“The existing compactors worked well but having greater control of the operating speed meant it could mirror production levels and the type of meats and waste being used,” said Marcus Silva, Head of Sales, Latin America.

“By matching the compactor’s speed to production levels and the type of product, created a faster process with less downtime. The compacted meat also takes up less room, making it easier to handle and dispose of. This provided added safety for staff involved in the production and disposal processes.”

An Optidrive E3, Frame Size 3 with an IP20 enclosure is being used in the application. Its compact size meant it could be easily installed into the panel, as well as being able to handle the environmental conditions.

The 380V, 3PH, 24A, drive was more than capable for the application. It will now be used on other compactors operated by the company.

Denner Ferreira of Engefi, said: “There were several factors in choosing the Optidrive E3 for the application. The first was reliability and ease of use. We needed a VFD that could operate in the production environment and could be easily set up. The Optidrive ticked all these boxes.

“Additionally, its compact size and robustness made it ideal for such an operating environment. It could also be easily installed into a smaller panel, taking up less space.”

The Optidrive E3 provides simplicity of installation, connection, and commissioning, allowing the user to benefit from precise motor control and energy savings within minutes.

@Invertek_Drives #PAuto #Waste #Brazil