1 00:00:02,240 --> 00:00:05,720 Speaker 1: You're listening to taking stock with pin Box and Kathleen 2 00:00:05,800 --> 00:00:11,879 Speaker 1: Nays on Bloomberg Radio. The latest technology in so many areas. 3 00:00:11,880 --> 00:00:16,760 Speaker 1: How about technology for gas measurement and analysis that has 4 00:00:16,840 --> 00:00:20,840 Speaker 1: led to a very lucrative order with Italy's largest gas 5 00:00:20,880 --> 00:00:24,720 Speaker 1: transmission company for the man and the company that we're 6 00:00:24,720 --> 00:00:27,640 Speaker 1: going to talk about now. See u I Global. Bill 7 00:00:27,720 --> 00:00:31,560 Speaker 1: Clough is a president and CEO of this firm. They 8 00:00:31,560 --> 00:00:35,360 Speaker 1: have headquarters for electronics division in Twileton, Oregon. They have 9 00:00:35,640 --> 00:00:39,960 Speaker 1: another headquarters in Stone, England in the United Kingdom, and 10 00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:43,560 Speaker 1: then corporate offices in Houston. Bill, We're glad you could 11 00:00:43,640 --> 00:00:46,560 Speaker 1: find a place to sort of land with us right 12 00:00:46,560 --> 00:00:49,960 Speaker 1: here in our New York studio. Thank you so much. Okay, 13 00:00:50,080 --> 00:00:53,279 Speaker 1: See you I Global? What are you? What do you do? 14 00:00:53,600 --> 00:00:56,640 Speaker 1: We're basically a publicly traded company on the NASTAC were 15 00:00:56,680 --> 00:00:59,760 Speaker 1: to business units. One, as you mentioned basin t Wallleton, Oregon, 16 00:00:59,800 --> 00:01:03,600 Speaker 1: which is an electronics company, really a commodity driven company 17 00:01:03,640 --> 00:01:07,920 Speaker 1: that delivers over twenty thou different products to as many 18 00:01:07,920 --> 00:01:11,200 Speaker 1: as seventy four thousand discrete customers, so very large customer 19 00:01:11,200 --> 00:01:13,319 Speaker 1: base and product base. And then I think the more 20 00:01:13,360 --> 00:01:16,360 Speaker 1: exciting division is our Gas and Energy division, which as 21 00:01:16,360 --> 00:01:18,920 Speaker 1: you mentioned, is based out of Stone in the UK. 22 00:01:19,560 --> 00:01:23,400 Speaker 1: That division is designed to really deliver high tech metering 23 00:01:23,400 --> 00:01:25,960 Speaker 1: and measurement devices to the natural gas industry, and we've 24 00:01:25,959 --> 00:01:30,959 Speaker 1: been quite successful in really marketing a very differentiated manner 25 00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:33,840 Speaker 1: of metering gas in the pipeline. That's the one you 26 00:01:33,880 --> 00:01:36,520 Speaker 1: talked about with this Nambretta, which is the Italian gas 27 00:01:36,520 --> 00:01:39,880 Speaker 1: transmission company. Tell us a little bit about how someone 28 00:01:39,959 --> 00:01:43,200 Speaker 1: goes from being an air marshal and a lawyer and 29 00:01:43,280 --> 00:01:47,080 Speaker 1: a police officer to running a company that is focused 30 00:01:47,120 --> 00:01:50,160 Speaker 1: on gas metering technology. Well, I don't know how someone 31 00:01:50,240 --> 00:01:52,200 Speaker 1: does that. I can tell you how I made a 32 00:01:52,240 --> 00:01:54,720 Speaker 1: bad two million dollar investment in a company that I 33 00:01:54,760 --> 00:01:56,960 Speaker 1: thought was something that wasn't in In In order to protect 34 00:01:57,000 --> 00:01:59,960 Speaker 1: that investment and recover it, I ended up coming into 35 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:02,680 Speaker 1: the company originally as general counsel, and I ended up 36 00:02:03,280 --> 00:02:06,840 Speaker 1: about eight years ago now becoming president CEO, and took 37 00:02:06,880 --> 00:02:10,239 Speaker 1: the company from really the verge of bankruptcy to where 38 00:02:10,240 --> 00:02:13,000 Speaker 1: it is today, which is a much more uh solvent, 39 00:02:13,080 --> 00:02:16,000 Speaker 1: obviously much more a much stronger company than it was then. 40 00:02:16,919 --> 00:02:20,040 Speaker 1: So you obviously have a very background. You bring so 41 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:23,240 Speaker 1: much to the table. I wanted to know specifically what 42 00:02:23,560 --> 00:02:27,360 Speaker 1: your technology is in terms that you know non UH 43 00:02:27,680 --> 00:02:32,639 Speaker 1: gas transmission technologists can understand. Because one thing is pretty clear. 44 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:36,000 Speaker 1: It's cheaper to use, and that's so important, particularly a 45 00:02:36,080 --> 00:02:39,000 Speaker 1: time when the energy industry is under pressure than the old, 46 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:42,720 Speaker 1: more traditional technology. What's different? What's special about your technology, Kathleen, 47 00:02:42,720 --> 00:02:46,640 Speaker 1: you've identified it exactly. The most important thing to an 48 00:02:46,680 --> 00:02:49,520 Speaker 1: operator of a natural gas pipeline is the measurement of 49 00:02:49,560 --> 00:02:51,960 Speaker 1: bt US of British normal units, which is how you 50 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:54,720 Speaker 1: build the gas. That British normal unity is composed with 51 00:02:54,800 --> 00:02:57,880 Speaker 1: two different elements. One is volume and the other is 52 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:02,040 Speaker 1: energy content, and energy content is what we measure. Historically, 53 00:03:02,240 --> 00:03:04,680 Speaker 1: energy content and gas has been measured the same way 54 00:03:04,720 --> 00:03:07,840 Speaker 1: for sixty years. It's been done by really a lab 55 00:03:07,880 --> 00:03:11,760 Speaker 1: instrument called a gas fromatograph, which is very expensive, not 56 00:03:11,880 --> 00:03:16,480 Speaker 1: particularly accurate, and very high maintenance installation of around two 57 00:03:16,639 --> 00:03:19,560 Speaker 1: d fifty thou dollars and about twelve or thirteen thousand 58 00:03:19,560 --> 00:03:22,000 Speaker 1: dollars a year in maintenance costs. What we've done is 59 00:03:22,040 --> 00:03:25,720 Speaker 1: developed the technology that replaces that gas gromatograph and does 60 00:03:25,760 --> 00:03:28,400 Speaker 1: it in a way that is much more efficient, much faster, 61 00:03:28,600 --> 00:03:31,959 Speaker 1: much more accurate, and most important, maintenance free, and about 62 00:03:31,960 --> 00:03:34,440 Speaker 1: a fifth of the installation fee. So what we give 63 00:03:34,480 --> 00:03:36,800 Speaker 1: the gas operated the ability to do is measure the 64 00:03:36,840 --> 00:03:40,720 Speaker 1: gas much more accurately and therefore charge what they're actually 65 00:03:40,760 --> 00:03:43,720 Speaker 1: delivering to the customer as opposed to an average, which 66 00:03:43,720 --> 00:03:46,000 Speaker 1: in most cases means the operator is getting less than 67 00:03:46,040 --> 00:03:48,440 Speaker 1: what they're actually delivering. If I was going to see 68 00:03:48,480 --> 00:03:51,640 Speaker 1: one of these pieces of equipment, is it like a kiosk? 69 00:03:51,800 --> 00:03:54,640 Speaker 1: Is it? What does it look like? It's much smaller 70 00:03:54,640 --> 00:03:57,520 Speaker 1: than that. Actually, the analyzers themselves look like two water 71 00:03:57,560 --> 00:04:00,320 Speaker 1: glasses about the size of a large water glass. One 72 00:04:00,360 --> 00:04:03,320 Speaker 1: measures CEO two content and the other measures UM three 73 00:04:03,360 --> 00:04:07,320 Speaker 1: components that are used to make to UH infer UH 74 00:04:07,360 --> 00:04:10,080 Speaker 1: the calorier value in its final phase. Though in the 75 00:04:10,120 --> 00:04:12,280 Speaker 1: way it finally looks on the pipeline, it looks like 76 00:04:12,320 --> 00:04:15,880 Speaker 1: a box about two ft by three ft square that 77 00:04:15,960 --> 00:04:18,480 Speaker 1: sits right on top of the pipeline with a probe 78 00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:20,480 Speaker 1: that fits into the pipeline. So it's a very small 79 00:04:20,480 --> 00:04:24,840 Speaker 1: footprint UH and and very amenable to UH locating it 80 00:04:24,920 --> 00:04:28,560 Speaker 1: anywhere on the pipeline. Bill clef c I Global, you've 81 00:04:28,560 --> 00:04:31,680 Speaker 1: got this new contract with this Italian gas company is 82 00:04:31,720 --> 00:04:35,040 Speaker 1: one of their largest. Uh. How so this is an 83 00:04:35,040 --> 00:04:38,359 Speaker 1: important step. How important of this step? How big is 84 00:04:38,400 --> 00:04:40,480 Speaker 1: this market? How much of it do you want to overtake? 85 00:04:40,520 --> 00:04:42,520 Speaker 1: What have your revenues from the United States about a 86 00:04:42,560 --> 00:04:46,160 Speaker 1: third from the UK? What's next? Well, I can tell you, Kathleen, 87 00:04:46,240 --> 00:04:49,960 Speaker 1: that you hear of companies talking about inflection points a lot. Well, 88 00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:51,880 Speaker 1: I can tell you that this contract for us is 89 00:04:51,960 --> 00:04:55,960 Speaker 1: just that an inflection point. We've spent five years convincing 90 00:04:55,960 --> 00:04:59,520 Speaker 1: the industry that this technology works number one and number two, 91 00:04:59,520 --> 00:05:02,760 Speaker 1: that wee can to liberate accurately and in numbers. We've 92 00:05:02,800 --> 00:05:06,960 Speaker 1: done that in conjunction with getting certification throughout Europe and 93 00:05:06,960 --> 00:05:10,560 Speaker 1: getting safety certification throughout Europe, and in improving basically to 94 00:05:10,600 --> 00:05:13,839 Speaker 1: the largest pipeline company in Europe that were so good 95 00:05:13,960 --> 00:05:17,360 Speaker 1: that they have decided to change the entire way they 96 00:05:17,440 --> 00:05:21,560 Speaker 1: measure gas on their pipeline. They have, in essence, put 97 00:05:21,600 --> 00:05:25,520 Speaker 1: forth a hundred and seventy million euro project in three 98 00:05:25,600 --> 00:05:28,920 Speaker 1: years to deploy thirty three hundred of our devices throughout 99 00:05:28,920 --> 00:05:31,440 Speaker 1: their system that they believe will allow them to much 100 00:05:31,440 --> 00:05:34,200 Speaker 1: more accurately build a gas that they're delivering they're so 101 00:05:34,240 --> 00:05:37,159 Speaker 1: convinced of that that they've done this really in the 102 00:05:37,160 --> 00:05:40,840 Speaker 1: face of a changing sixty year old technology, changing these 103 00:05:40,880 --> 00:05:44,279 Speaker 1: gas fromatographs to the new gas PTR device. How do 104 00:05:44,279 --> 00:05:50,840 Speaker 1: you say that gas gas cast gas chromatograph like that word? Allrkay. Well, 105 00:05:50,839 --> 00:05:55,200 Speaker 1: I'm gonna ask you about liquefied natural gas and terminals 106 00:05:55,240 --> 00:05:59,840 Speaker 1: that import l G. What role do you see playing there? Well, 107 00:05:59,839 --> 00:06:01,680 Speaker 1: we play a big role with them. In fact, that's 108 00:06:01,720 --> 00:06:04,839 Speaker 1: how our technology was originally developed. It was originally developed 109 00:06:04,839 --> 00:06:08,000 Speaker 1: to be on the wharf to measure liquefied gas as 110 00:06:08,040 --> 00:06:11,280 Speaker 1: it's re gassified. Because what happens is when a gas 111 00:06:11,400 --> 00:06:14,279 Speaker 1: has been liquefied and then is regasified, it's very very 112 00:06:14,320 --> 00:06:17,599 Speaker 1: hot because the inerts, the nitrogens, the C twos have 113 00:06:17,680 --> 00:06:20,400 Speaker 1: burnt off, they're gone. So what happens is it comes 114 00:06:20,440 --> 00:06:23,960 Speaker 1: off the ship, it's regasified, one of our devices measures 115 00:06:23,960 --> 00:06:27,920 Speaker 1: it in essence sets forth the calorifer value. It's then 116 00:06:28,160 --> 00:06:31,159 Speaker 1: injected generally speaking with nitrogen to cool it down, and 117 00:06:31,160 --> 00:06:32,920 Speaker 1: then it goes to another one of our devices to 118 00:06:33,040 --> 00:06:35,680 Speaker 1: very quickly show that it's in the right range, and 119 00:06:35,720 --> 00:06:38,440 Speaker 1: it's then injected into the network. So we were originally 120 00:06:38,520 --> 00:06:42,479 Speaker 1: applied to liquid natural gas, but the applications we find 121 00:06:42,480 --> 00:06:45,599 Speaker 1: now in the pipeline for example STAMRATDA are much more, 122 00:06:45,760 --> 00:06:49,960 Speaker 1: much broader and much much larger. What's your next step, Well, 123 00:06:50,000 --> 00:06:52,039 Speaker 1: I think our next step is really to seek out 124 00:06:52,040 --> 00:06:54,400 Speaker 1: the next big customer. We're now dealing with the French 125 00:06:54,760 --> 00:06:58,080 Speaker 1: company on G. We have some very good inroads into 126 00:06:58,160 --> 00:07:01,360 Speaker 1: a TransCanada up in Canada UH, and we're looking at 127 00:07:01,360 --> 00:07:03,240 Speaker 1: some of the bigger pipeline companies in the US. To 128 00:07:03,360 --> 00:07:06,120 Speaker 1: really make moves into those pipeline companies like we have 129 00:07:06,200 --> 00:07:10,480 Speaker 1: with Snamretta, you need to it also expanded distribution agreements. 130 00:07:10,480 --> 00:07:12,480 Speaker 1: You've been doing that as well. We have actually we 131 00:07:12,520 --> 00:07:16,080 Speaker 1: have about forty distribution agreements now worldwide. We just signed 132 00:07:16,080 --> 00:07:18,000 Speaker 1: recently a very big one for US which is with 133 00:07:18,120 --> 00:07:21,160 Speaker 1: a company called Oto Kim, which is a very respected 134 00:07:21,240 --> 00:07:25,440 Speaker 1: French company that really helps us UH credibility wise and 135 00:07:25,480 --> 00:07:28,400 Speaker 1: otherwise with the French pipeline company on G. What's your 136 00:07:28,440 --> 00:07:31,040 Speaker 1: biggest challenge Is it that you you've got kind of 137 00:07:31,040 --> 00:07:33,440 Speaker 1: a global presence as you try to get through this works. 138 00:07:33,480 --> 00:07:35,440 Speaker 1: This is great buy from US. What's your biggest challenge 139 00:07:35,640 --> 00:07:38,320 Speaker 1: in Europe? In Asia, even in the US. My biggest 140 00:07:38,360 --> 00:07:41,680 Speaker 1: challenge is really simple, the inertia of sixty year old 141 00:07:41,760 --> 00:07:46,040 Speaker 1: technology that's not broken. It's not very accurate, it's not 142 00:07:46,200 --> 00:07:50,440 Speaker 1: very fast, it's expensive, it's old, but guess what it works. 143 00:07:50,800 --> 00:07:53,080 Speaker 1: And I can't tell you how many times I've had engineers, 144 00:07:53,080 --> 00:07:54,920 Speaker 1: both in Europe and the U S tell me we 145 00:07:55,000 --> 00:07:57,200 Speaker 1: love your technology. It really looks like something we'd be 146 00:07:57,240 --> 00:07:59,240 Speaker 1: interested in. But I gotta tell you, no one's ever 147 00:07:59,280 --> 00:08:02,400 Speaker 1: been fired for buying a gas gromatograph, and that of 148 00:08:02,520 --> 00:08:05,600 Speaker 1: all the things that we faced, that inertia is really 149 00:08:05,640 --> 00:08:08,680 Speaker 1: the most difficult to overcome. And that's why Stambretto was 150 00:08:08,720 --> 00:08:10,560 Speaker 1: such a big deal for us, because it's the first 151 00:08:10,560 --> 00:08:13,360 Speaker 1: step in overcoming that inertia. I can ask you about 152 00:08:13,360 --> 00:08:17,000 Speaker 1: Brexit and the vote to leave the European Union by 153 00:08:17,280 --> 00:08:20,040 Speaker 1: the voters of the United Kingdom, how's that going to 154 00:08:20,080 --> 00:08:23,200 Speaker 1: affect your business? I actually live a halftime in the UK, 155 00:08:23,320 --> 00:08:25,440 Speaker 1: so I was there for the Brexit vote and for 156 00:08:25,480 --> 00:08:28,200 Speaker 1: the the politics leading up to that, and it was, 157 00:08:28,840 --> 00:08:32,320 Speaker 1: without a doubt, a very traumatic event. Seriously, though, as 158 00:08:32,440 --> 00:08:34,760 Speaker 1: it's beginning to roll out, first and foremost, we don't 159 00:08:34,760 --> 00:08:36,520 Speaker 1: believe it will affect as much at all for the 160 00:08:36,520 --> 00:08:38,640 Speaker 1: first two or three years, because frankly will take at 161 00:08:38,679 --> 00:08:42,400 Speaker 1: least that long to negotiate the UK out. Secondly, all 162 00:08:42,480 --> 00:08:45,760 Speaker 1: of our safety and our ability and accuracy certifications are 163 00:08:45,760 --> 00:08:49,560 Speaker 1: both EU and UK specific, so that's not gonna affect 164 00:08:49,600 --> 00:08:51,800 Speaker 1: us at all. Really, the near term effect has been, 165 00:08:52,559 --> 00:08:55,880 Speaker 1: in essence, a a lowering of the value of the pound, 166 00:08:56,040 --> 00:08:58,440 Speaker 1: and we're a UK company that deals in pounds, so 167 00:08:58,480 --> 00:09:00,960 Speaker 1: in that sense we have face a little bit of ahead. 168 00:09:01,160 --> 00:09:03,360 Speaker 1: We're gonna leave it there, thank you very much. Bill 169 00:09:03,440 --> 00:09:05,800 Speaker 1: Coffee is the president and the chief executive of c 170 00:09:06,080 --> 00:09:06,720 Speaker 1: u I