Long-time industry leader Lucy Switchgear grows in the GCC and Asia

Last year Lucy Switchgear heralded its 200th year as a major player in the power distribution industry. Originally established as an iron foundry, over the past two centuries the British-based company has achieved a global reach for its switchgear equipment, including a heavy focus in the Middle East.

"Lucy is here to stay and grow," Carl Sellick, Lucy's Regional Managing Director for the Far East, assured. "A successful business never stops innovating and always puts its customers first."

Since its initial foothold in the GCC market about 40 years ago, Lucy Switchgear has seen promising growth in a region booming with development. "The GCC accounts for over 50 percent of our sales and so it is critically important to us[SO1] ," Sellick said, noting that most of the company's manufacturing facilities and staff are located in the region, with their biggest selling organisations based in Dubai and Saudi Arabia. "The market here is still growing and has recovered well after the downturn some five years or so ago. As a matter of strategy Lucy Switchgear is also diversifying and focusing on new markets, particularly in the Far East," he added.

With global reach, the company depends on an interconnected team and a coherent vision. "In essence it is all about communication and working towards a common goal. We also have to learn that we can rely and depend on our people, there must be trust and a solid teamwork ethic," Sellick said.

Sellick himself joined Lucy Switchgear in 1998, after entering the industry as a graduate apprentice and garnering experience with industry insiders on a range of medium and high voltage transmissions. With a history in the field, he approaches the industry with an eye for development.

"As a switchgear specialist we are continually looking at new technology," he said. "We are investing heavily in equipment suitable for remote control and automation which ultimately will form a part of the smart grid we hear so much about. We are also experimenting with enhancing the electrical performance of our products and new means of insulation."

In particular, Sellick notes that unique trends in the GCC are having an impact on the energy and power sector. "The region is finally understanding the huge potential it has in solar energy and we are working with government agencies and utilities to see how we can help achieve some aggressive non-fossil fuel or 'clean energy' targets," he pointed out. "The whole world is looking at cleaner energy and sustainable energy production, this is a huge topic globally."

Though Lucy is very much a niche player, as described by Sellick himself when compared with global giants such as Siemens, Schneider, and ABB, the trait is considered a benefit in a competitive market for power.

"We are very focused, flexible and good at what we do," Sellick stated. "We are extremely customer focused, and this helps us anticipate the aims and needs of our customer base in our sector. We represent the UK in Europe through a number of committees and our trade association there, and speak regularly through conferences and committees in areas such as green energy and smart grid development."

"We also actively exhibit our equipment and talk about our ideas, especially in the GCC where we are a market leader in our sector," he added.

Lucy and the future

As the market develops and innovates, Lucy Switchgear has high aspirations for global growth.

"We expect and plan for a doubling of our business in the next four or five years and kicking on from there," Sellick revealed. "We will consolidate the success we have in the Middle East while developing our facilities and products to enter new and emerging markets for Lucy."

He also notes that Lucy's commitment to innovation will leader to as many as 50 new design and development engineers recruited to the company in the coming months.

"We are continuing to develop new ideas and concepts in the areas of switching and automation, new generation switchgear must have better features and must be 'intelligent.' The move towards this and eventually self-healing networks is an area of great focus for us," Sellick concluded.

© Capital Business 2013