Ed. note: This post is part of a series highlighting the upcoming Hannover Messe Trade Show April 25—29, 2016. This series will highlight U.S. exhibitors that will participate in the world’s leading trade fair for industrial technology.

Guest blog post by Tom Muldoon, President of American Exchanger Services

This is your first time at Hannover Messe. What factors influenced your decision to participate this year?

The Department of Commerce and the Export grant influenced our decision to participate this year.

Why is the Energy and Mobilitec pavilion a natural home for you?

The Energy and Mobilitec pavilion is perfect because uur primary focus is on large (and small) heat exchangers found in Power Plants such as Feedwater Heaters, Steam Condensers and Secondary Air Heaters. We also have specialized services for retuning and rebuilding this equipment including explosive plug welding. Our current advanced technology will save utilities fuel and emissions.

What do you hope to accomplish at Hannover Messe?                     

We hope to introduce our Advanced Heat Rate program to improve plant design. We will also be introducing our new Power Recovery Condenser System for fossil and nuclear units. Our product line of highly engineered feed water heaters and steam condensers will also be featured. Attracting possible representation in some countries and having discussions with EPC type companies will also be important. To a lesser extent, we would also show pictures of some of our high energy rate fabrication capabilities (Explosive welding and Forming).

When and how did your company begin exporting? What countries do you have experience exporting to?      

We have been exporting for over 12 years. We actually began as a company due to a licensing of explosive welding technology from a company in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. We have equipment in and have performed services in: Trinidad, Venezuela, Australia, Malaysia, Guatemala, El Salvador, Saudi Arabia, Canada and Bahamas.

What impact has exporting had on your company? What advice do you have for other American companies looking to start exporting?

Without exporting, we would have gone out of business. In 2008, it was a couple export projects which were the only real sales for the year and without them, we would not have been able to continue. With the current changing US power market in which larger fossil and nuclear units are under increasing pressure due to emission concerns, our business also came under high stress. This trend has had a dramatic impact on the sale of our product and services. We horizontally expanded to other equipment. By exporting, we can work on the global power generation industry which does not have the cost flexibility or subsidies that the US has for paying for generation.

In the global market new coal and fossil units are being built in a more rapid fashion. In the replacement market, some of the power plants in the emerging markets are getting to the point where failures are cost money and replacements are necessary. Our business has become almost half export.

For people looking to start exporting, I would just tell them to find similar customers to their domestic customers and contact them and then get on the plane. Just check the STEP program and travel sites for notes on getting around. Get the sales and rely on your local banking and commerce people for the transaction.