RACA Journal www . refrigerationandaircon . co . za RACA Journal I March 2024 33
Personality Profile Sponsored by :
IVAN POTTER ’ S HANDS-ON APPROACH TO THE BMS CONTROLS INDUSTRY
Edited by Eamonn Ryan
Ivan Potter , CEO of i4 Group , has more than three decades of experience in the HVAC controls industry .
After a corporate career as controls engineer with Honeywell and Landis / Staefa , he embarked on a general contracting career and built a business with offices in Durban , Cape Town and Johannesburg .
In 2008 the business was sold to an international venture capital company to enable further business growth and open an avenue to ‘ retire ’ and spend more time with family . Potter says this was a good idea but not a match for his busy mind . After two years of retirement , Potter returned with new ideas of how to engage in HVAC controls as a supplier and product developer . This led to the formation of i4 Group , a business positioned to take new ideas presented by the 4th Industrial Revolution and expand them through the group .
Having transitioned from building management system ( BMS ) contracting to technology import and distribution , and finally to designing and manufacturing his own South African made embedded devices , he has a unique insight into controls .
“ I got back into business in the BMS sector – but on the other side of the fence on the import and distribution side rather than contracting ,” he says . “ The last 12 to 13 years have been dedicated to building a business model centred on representing top-tier brands in the HVAC controls arena .” i4 Group company iLED , is a distributor for Distech Controls , and sister company ZUD is a distributor for Siemens , while the group also manufactures its own range called eZi Controls , which complements Distech and Siemens to form a holistic BMS system . Examining the landscape , Potter identifies that several prominent BMS suppliers have either exited the market or rely on local systems integrators for product distribution .
“ I have built this business up over the past 12 to 13 years with a business model of identifying the best imported ‘ royal brand ’ technologies , and to distribute them in South Africa backed by factory warranties and internationally certified support engineers ,” he says . “ This improves the product application in our market and protects both the supplier brand and the customer by providing multiple system integrators able to support the customer ’ s needs thereby preventing customer lock in . Our system integrators are enabled through local training and hands on technical support .”
The most recent strategic shift by Potter centres on embedded microprocessor research and development ( R & D ) that Potter has focused on over the past few years , having earlier withdrawn from the day-to-day management of the group . This detachment from operations has enabled him to develop edge systems utilising Internet of Things ( IoT ) technologies to connect edge devices . This is R & D territory where the main global players have not yet ventured . Potter explains that “ an agile business with quick turnaround from product concept to install ready devices is our enabler ”.
Having ventured into embedded microprocessor development , Potter invested time in understanding modern technologies . “ A number of years ago I got involved in embedded micro-processor development . I used to do it as a hobby when I was a youngster , but let it lapse as I built up businesses and became more of a business manager . When I put the relevant company structures in place , I found I had more time on my hands , so I decided to pick up the books again and do a series of online courses .”
This hands-on approach enabled Potter to bridge the gap between managerial roles and technical expertise , resulting in the development of a comprehensive product stack , each a specific use-case product .
“ Edge is defined as ‘ the outside limit of an object , area or surface ’. If we define the edge as the outside limit of the ‘ digital world ’ then the device that links or interfaces the digital world to the real world is an edge device . RACA
RACA Journal www . refrigerationandaircon . co . za RACA Journal I March 2024 33