Electrical Contracting News (ECN) June 2017 | Page 5

EDITORIAL FAREWELL, TONY I am writing this column the day after NICEIC Live South at Epsom Racecourse. Another packed conference programme drew the crowds in and it was difficult to spot an empty seat in the main seminar room. The talks covered the proposed changes to BS7671, the career opportunities presented by the growing smart home sector, and there was some light relief (but with a serious point) with the welcome return of training company Corporate Drama, which uses role-plays as a means of teaching professional practice. The Keynote speaker was former England footballer Stuart Pearce, who spoke at length about his playing career and also expertly related it back to his early days as an electrician. As reported in the May issue of ECN, Tony Cable has of course called time on his career in the electrical industry and bowed out with his final appearance at Live South. The term ‘legend’ gets bandied about quite easily these days: A footballer scores a last minute goal in a big game – legend; an actor wins their fifth Oscar – legend. I bought a round of drinks at the pub last week and even that earned me ‘legendary’ status among some of my more inebriated friends. But after more than 60 years in the industry, during which he started off as an apprentice before moving on to a career that included college lecturing, his role as NICEIC’s senior marketing and events engineer, and not forgetting his television work on programmes such as the BBC’s Rogue Traders, I think we can all be in agreement that Tony has definitely earned his ‘legend’ tag. A special farewell party followed Live South and it was great to see so many figures from the industry there, along MOVERS & SHAKERS… ESP has appointed David Hunnisett as its new regional sales manager, covering the southern area. David has a total of 28 years’ experience, with 20 years spent within the manufacturing side of the business, including three years with Scolmore. Linda Wood has joined Tyco Security Products as regional sales manager for the North of England and Scotland. Linda has worked within the electronic security industry for 12 years, nine of which as an internal sales engineer for Norbain and until recently she was area account manager for ADI Global Distribution. with his family, to give Tony a well deserved send off. We wish you well, Tony. This month’s ECN contains two special features: Energy Management; and Commercial Vehicles and EV Infrastructure, which includes a report on my first ever drive in an electric vehicle – the Nissan eNV200 – on page 42. Also in this issue you will find a bonus publication, the second in our quarterly series of supplements dedicated to a particular section of the industry. This time it’s Security and Fire Safety and includes editorial contributions from ESP, Geofire, D-Link and plenty more. We hope you enjoy the issue. Metway has welcomed Alan Holyoake in the role of technical sales manager for its Wiring Systems division. Alan has over 35 years’ experience in the industry and brings a wealth of knowledge with him from his wholesale, sales and electrical background. The Building Controls Association (BCIA) has appointed Roger Borer BA (Hons) as its new executive officer. Roger’s role in the organisation is pivotal to the operation of the Association and he reports to the president Malcolm Anson and the vice president Jon Belfield.