I’ve just returned from two intensive days at the Danfoss Distributor Meeting, where I had the opportunity to learn what Danfoss Power Solutions is homing in on with its distribution customer base. And while it was interesting and informative to learn about its updates to its industrial lines or electrification solutions, I was hit with a stronger feeling unrelated to technology.
Fluid power will forever be a people industry, and no amount of AI or automation will change that. As I wrote last month, it is refreshing to hear how many OEMs are focusing less on automating machinery completely, and more on how they can use this technology to enable operators to do their jobs more safely and reliably. This was a theme with Danfoss, too, as it shared how it is updating and streamlining its product lines but in the end, these changes will still keep the people at the center of the machine operation.
I love this industry. Yes, hydraulics’ power density is amazing. And yes, the snappy controllability provided by pneumatics is so cool. But what really makes me love writing about these technologies are the people designing, building and using them. I’ve felt this way for a long time. But hearing it over and over again how important the relationships Danfoss has between its people and its distribution base hit home with me. And at the close of the general sessions, they recognized an employee who has been with Danfoss for 40 years, the entirety of his professional career. That doesn’t happen often in the modern work world, but it does in fluid power.
Meeting professionals in this industry who’ve been working for the same company or at least within hydraulics for two, three or even five decades, is not unheard of. At breakfast, I sat down with three gentlemen from two different distributors here in Cleveland. It turned out, one of them I had met already, years before. Between them, they probably had a lifetime of experience. As one of them said, this industry just sucks you in. It’s interesting work and even better people.
Over the years, I’ve built relationships — and eventually friendships — digitally with so many folks in this industry. I’ve worked with contributors, company leaders, marketing professionals, and engineers and sooner or later, we have a chance to shake hands or more often than not, a hug on a show floor or in a conference room. I’ve bumped into people in elevators or at a breakfast table, and they know me or I know them in the online world, and then we become connected in real life. These relationships last, mostly because we all love this industry and keep coming back together regularly.
I’ve never regretted attending any event in this industry, even if it turned out to have weaker content or not as many exhibitors as I’d have expected. Because in the end, if just one connection was made, that travel was well worth it. I love learning about new technology, planning technical submissions or talking about the challenges of a machine design. But what I love most about getting out there at industry meetings, trade shows, and conferences, are the friendly exchanges and relationships built. I’ve worked in this industry nearly 22 years, which is a wild thought to me. I’ve got a few years left until I can retire, but I do hope that no matter when that time comes or who I work for in 15 or 20 years, it’s still in this industry.
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