Roy Westwood

I served my time as an apprentice at an engineering company that specialised in printing presses, automotive and special purpose machinery. I started in the panel shop and immediately after finishing my apprenticeship was promoted to Commissioning Engineer.

I then spent my time living in hotels, commissioning and programming machines all over the world. During this time I gained experience with Allen Bradley, Siemens, Mitsubishi and our own microprocessor control systems. We specialised in line shaft-less machines, so I gained a lot of drive and motion control experience.

After 10 years, it was time to move on. I moved to Russia and started a company specialising in internet services. This was previously my hobby and I really wanted to learn how to make the web work for me. At the same time I contracted for various engineering companies, but whenever I had no engineering work I worked on Linux Servers and networks.

Unbeknown to me at the time, this put me in a good position for working with the current industrial Ethernet systems. Several years on and I met the 2 other fine chaps who helped to start PLC and Drives Company Ltd. We all got on very well and between us had experience in all sorts of industrial fields. It seemed rather silly for us not to work together.