Beckhoff USA
Beckhoff USA increases regional presence
Beckhoff USA's regional offices have been opened in a number of locations in the USA to strengthen local contact with customers. Beckhoff's local presence allows for improved customer relationships through direct contact with Beckhoff customers. The capability of local services offered to customers include consultation and the sale of automation products, with applications support being added as required. For example, Beckhoff's Raleigh NC office already has a technician who can provide direct application support to customers on-site.

With branch offices in Columbus (Ohio), Raleigh (North Carolina), Birmingham (Alabama), Yuma (Arizona), Chicago (Illinois), and Toronto (Ontario, Canada) and the headquarters in Minneapolis (Minnesota), coverage is provided to the relative time zones and regions. Customers in the USA also have access to a centrally organized, well-trained support team. Five support and application engineers, two technicans and a marketing team deal with customers' wishes and problems, solving them on a personal basis, interacting directly with the customers - and in the land of limitless opportunity, this is something that cannot always be taken for granted! During the last half-year, Beckhoff has been able to complete a number of important customer projects, and to deepen its involvement with customers in the support sector and in machine applications by teaming with Beckhoff and customer locations worldwide. This teaming provides both Beckhoff's customers in the USA, and the users of European machines that have Beckhoff technology, with spare parts, technical support, and the increasingly important application support needed for the successful implementation of PC-based control, the New Automation Technology from Beckhoff.

National Automation Week 2001 Chicago:
A prize for TwinCAT as an innovative product
Control Engineering, one of America's leading automation magazines, has given the "Editors Choice Award" for an innovative product to Beckhoff TwinCAT. Control Engineering award the prize annually to 40 innovative products from the automation sector. The award was presented during National Automation Week from March 5-8, 2001 in Chicago, where Beckhoff were also represented by an exhibition stand. Over 250 exhibitors met more than 15,000 engineers.

The competition for this year's prize was particularly strong, as a range of new developments had been introduced during the previous year. The process of selecting from the thousands of products presented began at the end of December 2000. The criteria for selection were technological progress, benefit for the automation industry, and the effect on the automation market. Winners were chosen for nine product categories: process control, sensors, software and IT integration, machine controllers, visualisation systems, motors, drives and drive controllers, PC-based control technology, networks and communication, and control components."Now, for the 14th year in a row, Control Engineering's authors have selected the most innovative products from those presented in the previous year. We are looking for technical innovation, market influence and benefit to the industry. The discussion can be vigorous - and sometimes heated - since it is often necessary to choose from amongst thousands of worthwhile products," said Mark T. Hoske, Chief Editor of Control Engineering.
USA Sales Meeting at Packexpo 2001, Las Vegas

After National Automation Week Chicago, the second most successful exhibition in 2001 for Beckhoff was Packexpo Las Vegas, which took place between 10-13 September, 2001. More than 600 exhibitors from the packing machine and materials industry were present at Packexpo, which was located at the Sand Expo Center. Although the exhibition was overshadowed by the events of 11 September, Beckhoff products were nevertheless well received. Indeed, the first American OEM customers along with others from Europe had already demonstrated Beckhoff products.

The later part of the week was filled by a 3-day sales training seminar. Beckhoff provided intensive training units designed to deepen product knowledge and to facilitate consultation with customers in the areas of fieldbusses, industrial controllers, product innovations, along with user information for Industrial PC products.

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