inperson
David Peacock is the president of Hytrol Conveyor Co. and a member of its board of
directors. He began his Hytrol career in 2014 as executive vice president and became
president in 2015. Peacock has led the company to back-to-back record growth years while
implementing strategies to move Hytrol into the future. Before joining Hytrol, Peacock
served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1984 to 1996, departing with the rank of captain.
He also spent 18 years in manufacturing management positions. He recently spoke with
DC VELOCITY Editorial Director David Maloney.
David Peacock
of Hytrol
Q: HOW HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO BRING YOUR
EXPERIENCE WITH LEAN MANUFACTURING TO
HYTROL’S OWN MANUFACTURING PROCESSES?
A: One of the keys to a lean operation is the
standardization of processes. My background,
both in manufacturing and in the military, has
been focused on this type of standardization,
and it’s something that I’ve challenged our
team at Hytrol to increase its focus on. By cre-
ating these standards, we can produce more
while saving our customers time, money, and
confusion.
Q: YOUR HYTROL TEAM HAS BEGUN TO USE VIR-
TUAL REALITY IN YOUR DESIGN SIMULATIONS.
CAN YOU TELL US HOW THIS HELPS CUSTOMERS
BETTER VISUALIZE HOW THEIR NEW SYSTEMS WILL
OPERATE?
A: Virtual reality can be used in a multitude
of ways—not only to help customers visualize
their solutions, but also to help them with
everything from preventive maintenance to
product testing. Before now, you always saw
your system on paper and had to take steps
to visualize it yourself. By programming different simulations, we can give customers the
experience of seeing their products convey
through their system, the space that will be
utilized, and how the technologies employed
will work together to give them a system that
meets their needs. The exciting part is where
we are going with this technology; its applications are evolving very rapidly. I can’t wait
for everyone to see what we’re working on.
Q: HOW DOES HYTROL VIEW THE CUR-
RENT STATE OF THE MATERIAL HANDLING
INDUSTRY?
A: We are in a period we will remember our entire careers. Technology,
information, and consumer patterns
are all making significant advances that are creating unprecedented
opportunities. No one really knows
how long this market will last or
exactly where it will lead, so we must
all stay focused, nimble, and open to
new possibilities.
Q: HOW HAS THE GROWTH OF E-COMMERCE AFFECTED THE TYPES OF
CONVEYORS AND SORTERS THAT HYTROL PROVIDES?
A: Speed, carton density, and operation tempo are all being
impacted by e-commerce. The ability to process different package
types—cartons of all shapes and sizes, poly bags, flats—is crucial.
Our solution must utilize the equipment and technology capable
of supporting the widest product mix. One area I see offering great
opportunity is in processing returns.
Q: DO YOU SEE MOBILE ROBOTIC TRANSPORT DEVICES AS A POTENTIAL
THREAT TO LONG CONVEYOR RUNS WITHIN FACILITIES? HOW ARE YOU
ADDRESSING AND ADJUSTING TO POSSIBLE CHANGING MARKETS?
A: If we were content with the status quo, we would probably
see mobile robotics as a threat. Fortunately, we look at emerging
technology as opportunities. Will the systems we design tomorrow
look like those we implemented last year? Absolutely not, but why
would we see that as anything but reflective of our commitment
to innovation? We are on a journey—a journey that we want to
help lead—and we have targeted between 1 and 2 percent of our
revenue to be invested into product development.
In our continuing series of
discussions with top supply
chain company executives,
David Peacock of Hytrol
shares how e-commerce
has affected conveyor
design and talks about his
company’s commitment to
innovation.
