What regions of the world do you represent?

I cover a fairly broad spectrum of the world including Central and South America as well as Europe, Russia, and China.

What kind of equipment is typically required in these parts of the world?

In my particular market, selling chassis dynos is a real challenge. I don’t recall having sold one at all. The systems that I’ve primarily been selling have been engine dynamometers, transmission testing equipment and some hydraulic pump and motor testing.

What are some of the Power Test products best suited for these testing challenges?

One of our strengths is our wide range of testing capabilities with equipment able to test engines from 50 to 10,000 horsepower. I actually recently sold a dyno capable of testing 12-or-13,000 so we’re seeing some fairly significant sized engines in these parts of the world.

We’re also still serving a number of large global customers with a transmission and hydraulic test equipment. We work with some of the most recognizable names in transmission testing who have a huge global reach. Wherever you see their products, you can be sure that there is Power Test equipment there as well.

What’s one of the more unique problems you’ve helped your customers solve in recent years?

Most of the solutions I provide to my customers are unique to their situation, but I particularly like solving problems when they need to test engines of a fairly large horsepower range. We are able to offer them what we call a tandem or dual dynamometer system, where we take two dynamometers and couple them together.  This allows them to test large and small engines on the same system.

Is that a custom solution they knew they needed or did your consultation bring that to their attention?

I brought it to their attention because the biggest part of our customer qualifying process is to ask them what range of engines they need to test. We ask for the make, model, horsepower range, and how they plan on testing it. Based on that we come up with the testing solution that offers the best value for their circumstances.

We also take into consideration the volume of engines they’re going to test. There’s a big difference between a facility that does a few tests a week and a facility that is running their dyno non-stop.

What’s the benefit of having a preliminary conversation with you, Mark Wellman, if you’re thinking about buying a dyno?

A lot of people go to the Power Test website and see a product that they think they need, and then they don’t think they need any more information until they’re ready to buy sometimes down the road. The reason they should be talking to me today is so that they can get a better understanding of what their needs actually are from a testing standpoint. Often what I find is that they have a perception of what they want, but once we discuss their equipment and operating environment we may come up with a completely different solution that makes more sense for them in the long-term.

Many times customers don’t see the full scale of the project. They may need to incorporate water cooling systems, exhaust and ventilation, additional power, or more. It’s the big picture solution that we can provide them with instead of just the saying, “We need a 500 horse power dynamometer.” They should know they’re only asking for a small portion of a larger project. After consulting with them, I provide a vision of the future are better equipped to budget and plan when they’re ready to invest.

You’ve been all around the world visiting customers and consulting about dyno testing. What do you get out of visiting customers and use different locations all around the world?

I enjoy great food and I enjoy the many different cultures I’ve gotten to experience.  I also enjoy the challenges of different industries, meeting different people and finding out what’s impacting them and their businesses…

It’s been a really interesting thing to see the different cultures and how their political, economic and business systems work. It’s very eye-opening to see the difference there are between our American culture and others. The opportunity to move around, make new friends, make new business associates, and  be welcomed by all of these countries is quite humbling. I consider myself blessed that way.

Why choose Power Test for your testing needs?

It’s been my experience working with customers and customers who have a competitor’s products, that we do a better job of following through the entire job. From concept of equipment, to upgrading existing systems, to finding alternative solutions, Power Test listens to the end user and truly understands what their wants and their needs are.

I really feel that we provide the greatest value in terms of both products and services. If you define value as a function of quality, price, and service we really do provide a pretty darn good value.