To our valued customers: Since joining PMSI a little over 18 months ago, I’ve seen tremendous change within our industry. Not the l east of which is the continued transition to cage free environments. And like all of you, PMSI has had to adapt to these changes to better serve our customers. Yet despite these changes, what has remained constant is the incredible people who make this industry great. For those of you who I have had the privilege of meeting, I want to thank you for all you’ve done to make me feel welcome. For those of you I have yet to meet, I look forward to getting to know you and learning more about how PMSI can better serve your needs.
Most everyone would agree that change is inevitable, but i t’s often bittersweet when that change involves members of your own work family. It is with that sentiment that I want to announce a couple of changes to our team. First, we want to celebrate the retirement of Doug Powell, former General Manager and President of PMSI. While Doug is stepping away from his day to day responsibilities with the company, he will continue to serve i n a consulting capacity and as a member of our Board of Directors.
It is safe to say that without Doug’s leadership and vision over the past 35 years, PMSI would not be what it is today. I also want to announce that Dan Henslee has decided to l eave the company to pursue other interests. For more than 30 years, Dan has been instrumental in bringing PMSI controls and systems to our customers. Although both Doug and Dan will no longer be involved i n our daily operations, we will continue to rely on both of them for their guidance and valuable insights into our industry.
While change may be inevitable, the right foresight and planning can make all the difference. That’s why we’ve spent the last 18 months investing in our commercial, operations, product development, and technical support teams. PMSI now has a staff of over 30 strong, each dedicated to one goal – helping to make your layer operation as efficient as possible. Here are just some of the changes we’ve made to better serve you.
Commercial Management
Making sure our customers always have a consistent point of contact throughout the sales and project cycle is paramount. I’m pleased to announce that Brandon Mulnix has been promoted to Director of Commercial Accounts. In his role, Brandon will have responsibility for all commercial activity, including sales, project management and technical support. He will also retain his current responsibility for our customers West of the Mississippi river. Brandon joined PMSI in 2019 and brings over 20 years of leadership experience in project management and emergency medical services. Since his time here with PMSI, Brandon has proven to be dedicated to meeting our customers’ needs and committed to our quest for flawless execution.
World Class Technical Support
Another vitally important area to taking care of our customers is our Technical Services Team. Under the direction of our Technical Services Manager, Kelly Fears, our Technical Services Team has over two hundred years of experience between them. No one in our industry knows more about your control systems than this team. Of course, all that knowledge and technical ability doesn’t do much good if you can’t get a hold of them. That’s why we’ve recently improved our customer response strategy to include our 24/7/365 support line along with our online support. When you call our response line, a trained representative will identify your problem and task one of our Technical Services team members to get back with you. Our commitment is to respond to every technical services issue in 15 minutes or less.
Operations
One of the many aspects that distinguishes PMSI is our unparalleled commitment to continuous improvement, human-centered design, and quality manufacturing. This i s never more evident than in the quality of our work and the reliability of our systems and panels. To ensure we continue to deliver on our customer’s expectations, Eric Winslow has been promoted to Director of Operations. In his role, Eric will oversee production, product fulfillment, and supply chain activities for the company. Eric joined PMSI in 2004 and has over 25 years of electrical, manufacturing, and networking experience. Since that time, Eric has continued to improve our operational efficiency and ensure we deliver excellence in every panel.
New Product Development
One of the first things that I was tasked with when joining PMSI was to help the team to refocus our efforts and our culture of innovation. For over 40 years, PMSI has been a pioneer and industry leader in custom solutions for our customers. Now more than ever, innovation is vital to support an ever changing industry. To better align our efforts with this renewed commitment to innovation, Eric Hansen has been promoted to Director of New Product Development. Eric has been with PMSI for over 28 years and has a deep understanding of the layer industry. With the support of his team of innovators and industry veterans, Eric will continue our drive for new products and solutions that meet the evolving needs of our customers.
Speaking of new products, here are just a few of things Eric and his team have been working on.
ThERM ™
PMSI, in collaboration with globally recognized NFPA approved firms, have developed the ThERM™ fire mitigation system designed to address the unique challenges in today’s complex farms. Through prevention, detection, and response, ThERM™ provides farms with the tools and technology they need to help prevent fires before they happen and respond quickly when conditions for fires exist.
REACH ™
PMSI has been “Extending your Reach” for more than 40 years. Now, with our new Remote Environment Access and Control Hub, or REACH™, your farm’s data can be accessed right from your phone. No more waiting until you’re at the farm. Now your farm’s environmental data is at your fingertips wherever and whenever you need it.
Command IV & Command IV Lite
PMSI controls have always been scaleable. But for farms using older generation, Command 2, or Uniface controls, the challenge has been how to upgrade without breaking the bank. The solution? Command IV Lite, the first i n the Command IV line of next generation controllers. Command IV and Command IV Lite coming next Fall, 2022.
Thank you for allowing me this opportunity to share some of the exciting things happening at PMSI. I am incredibly encouraged about our industry and I look forward to the opportunity to support you in the years to come.
Sincerely, Budd Bentley – President – PMSI