TPi July 2016

An interview with Peter Westerman Peter Westerman, MD of Westermans International, who turned 80 years of age this year, was recently presented with a lifetime achievement award by The Association of Welding Distribution (see our Welding section for the full story).

n What’s the most enjoyable thing about your job/working for the company/working in your current role? Being able to travel, meeting new people and making lifelong friends on the way. I’d like to stand back and admire the strength of the company now. n What is the toughest aspect of your job? And what is the most difficult thing about being in a position of responsibility at a large company? Getting old. I am a young 80 years old.

n What does your company specialise in and why is it the best at what it does? My company specialises in supplying every type of second- hand equipment used in the welding and fabrication metalwork industry. I started this business to provide value for money for those companies that have a restrictive budget but did not want to compromise on high-quality professional machinery. n What are main projects you are working on at the moment? With the world’s economy slowing down dramatically, I am personally involved in seeking potential business partners around the world whom I could work with. The aim is to locate and buy equipment either from them or via them. Our supplies have moved from Africa to Central America, and buoyant sectors are renewable energy, biomass and LNG. n What are the future plans for your company? Do you see a lot of potential for growth in the regions that you deal with? We aim for long-term growth by building up trust and great relationships with businesses around the world. We saw rapid growth in the tube and pipe sectors from 2009 to 2014. This has now slightly settled, but we still have many prospects in Ireland in orbital pipe fitting. Personally, I am looking to work a four-day week when I am 90 years old.

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Tube Products International July 2016

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