The Gas Machinery Research Council's 2018 Annual Report to Membership is available here.
Message from GMRC Chairman of the Board of Directors:
As 2018 has come to a close, GMRC is still going strong. The Gas Machinery Conference in Kansas City drew almost 1100 attendees and the research portfolio of over $636,000 addressed the continuing-to-emerge issues of wet gas, dry gas seal damage and the accuracy of the current suite of Equations of State. The number of full and associate member companies had grown to 80 as 2018 ended and is already at 83 as of this writing – a testament to the practicality and viability of the GMRC organization. The research reserve balance continues to hover around $3 million and $650,000 in research is planned for 2019. GMRC remains financially strong.
In the current resurgence in the industry, companies continue to be cautious by staffing on the lean side and keeping non-capital budgets low. The outcome of this is that many companies think they do not have the time or budget for training. GMRC understands this perception and is working to create relevant training classes in formats and venues that allow easy, affordable access to all GMRC members. We all understand that our industry is currently light on mid-career individuals and heavy on late-career individuals. The loss of industry knowledge this can cause as more and more SME individuals retire, coupled with the scrutiny of our industry by the general public makes it even more important to give our industry professionals the proper training they need to be successful. You have heard me say it many times and I will repeat it here – The only thing worse than training your people and having them leave is not training them, and having them stay.
Three long-time members of the GMRC Board of Directors retired from the Board at the end of 2018. These individuals have volunteered their time over several years to help steer the GMRC organization to the continued success it currently enjoys. These individuals are Martin Habel of Solar Turbines, Doug Bird of Dresser-Rand/Siemens and Don York of Hoerbiger. Please join me in thanking these individuals for their service and dedication to the industry and to GMRC.
It has once again been a great honor to serve as the chairman of the GMRC organization. The excitement and energy of the Board and Committee volunteers are contagious and their commitment to the industry and the GMRC vision make for a very dynamic and fun (yes, fun) environment. You should join us. Become involved in GMRC and let your enthusiasm help make a difference in our industry.
Michael A. Smith, P.E.
Chair, GMRC Board of Directors