Q&A: Kevin Prince

4 February 2022

Kevin Prince is General Manager/Director of Atlas Copco Power Technique, based in Hemel Hempstead. He has been with the company for 40 years and will switch to part-time working from the end of March.  

How’s business at the moment? 

Very good at present, partly driven by customers needing to get orders in the pipeline due to longer lead times and product availability, and partly down to investment in new technology.

Are any products in particular demand?

Energy storage and dewatering pump sets, again due to the need to adopt environmentally friendly products and the impact of climate change. We’ve seen a five-fold increase in dewatering pump sales over the last three years. More severe weather events are occurring and hirers are adding this equipment to their fleets. Our traditional product ranges of compressors and tools also remain popular but we see a start of a switch towards electric driven portable compressors to aid customers in reducing emissions.

What do you think are the main challenges facing the industry? 

We are going through the biggest change in our industry that we have ever seen. Decarbonisation and the move away from internal combustion engines is really driving this change and the innovation in new technologies. We’re seeing more and more requests for power generation sets with backup battery storage, enabling users to reduce the size of generator required. 

What was your first job? 

I was a mechanical engineering graduate apprentice with SKF, the bearings manufacturer. However, when I finished college the group had decided to downsize with automation and overseas manufacturing, so the writing was really on the wall. 

How did you join Atlas Copco? 

I saw an advertisement in the local paper (that’s how recruitment worked back in the early 80s!). I joined Atlas Copco in 1982 as a mechanical design engineer working on special compressor packages for the offshore oil and gas sector. I subsequently got involved in other areas like sales, marketing and acquisitions, and I have worked in many different positions including overseas. 

I’m proud of having gained an MBA from the University of Bedfordshire part-time at the age of 35. I became a Fellow of the Institute of Directors in 2010, and in 2019 I was the winner of the British Compressed Air Society Lifetime Achievement award.  

Where does your engineering interest come from? 

My father was an engineer and as a kid I was always taking things to bits to see how they worked. I stripped my first car down (an E-reg 1967 Vauxhall Viva) to every single component and rebuilt it when I was 15. My dad and I resprayed it using my mum’s vacuum cleaner. It certainly put out a lot of paint... 

What one thing would make business easier? 

It would help if the Government and local authorities were clear on the steps towards decarbonisation to enable customers to embrace it. 2021 saw a rush to purchase machines with Stage IIIa engine technology before the introduction of Stage V because of costs and availability. How does this future-proof a business, or contribute to towards reducing emissions?

What annoys you? 

Nothing much. But I do like to get to the point quickly and I am quite direct, so I appreciate this in any interaction. 

I hear that you have musical interests.

Yes. I have always been a musician. As a youngster I attended music school at weekends and had hoped to make it a career. In the end I chose engineering but continued with my music on an amateur basis. Back then I played trumpet, cornet and percussion and today I like the ukulele: I play and sing in a band that raises money for good causes.

What kind of music and artists are your favourites?

I like R&B and soul as well as some classical and jazz. One of my favourite artists, who sadly is no longer with us, is the guitarist and singer/songwriter Terry Callier. On ukulele the absolute master is a guy called Jake Shimabukuro: if you want to see what a uke can do, look up his performance on TED Talks of Bohemian Rhapsody.

What was your favourite school subject?

Music!  

What’s the best piece of advice that you would pass on to others?

Work hard, be flexible and people will notice. If you don’t love what you are doing, then find something else as you will never give your all. In addition, I always tell staff to network in the organisation as this is a great way to expand your knowledge base and to seek assistance if you need it. 

Do you follow a particular sport and/or team? 

I am a long-time Luton Town FC supporter. And having lived in the USA in the past, I love baseball. I always try to see a live game if I am in the States. In the summer before Covid, I dragged my wife Marcella to two New York Yankees games and two Boston Red Sox matches -  as well as a stadium tour - on a week’s holiday!

What new skill would you like to learn?

I am considering learning Braille as I am registered blind.

What would you do if you won the lottery?

Make sure my children have the money they’ll need as they start climbing the housing ladder.

What’s the secret of success? 

Hard work, honesty and integrity. 

Finally, I understand you are semi-retiring at the end of March. Any plans? 

I will do part-time work with Atlas Copco on special Power Technique projects, such as battery energy storage products and also acquisitions. Musically, I will start playing the saxophone again and do more charity work with my uke band. 

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