Invest KOREA

The Brains Behind the Plants

Emerson Process Management Korea automates production plants industry-wide with innovation

It’s a big claim, but Patrick Deruytter says the work of Emerson Process Management Korea Ltd. “touches everybody every day.” And he’s about right.

As a process automation service and technology provider, the company supplies measurement and control equipment for production plants in industries including chemical, oil, gas, refining, paper, power, water and marine and offshore.

In other words, by making equipment for 80 percent of Korea’s process industry - for plants in Yeosu, Boryeong and Ulsan, to name a few - the Missouri, USA-based Emerson Process Management Korea is involved in making everything from plastic to power.

“We are really everywhere,” said Deruytter, vice president and general manager of the company. “Anywhere you use big industrial pipes, you can find our equipment.”

Emerson Process Management Korea was established in 1988 and has experienced stable growth along with the success of Korea’s automation industry. It is one of parent company Emerson’s 235 manufacturing locations worldwide, and process management is the biggest of Emerson’s seven main businesses, the others being industrial automation, network power, climate technologies, professional tools and appliance & storage solutions.

Twenty-three percent of Emerson’s business is in Asia. Deruytter’s company, located in Seongnam and with operations in Busan as well as four branches, sells, distributes, installs, commissions and services the full range of the global Emerson Process Management’s equipment with a local staff of about 450.

Last year, the Korea company saw year-on-year growth in sales of 20 percent, exceeding the global Emerson Process Management’s sales growth of 16 percent. As the market leader for various measurement applications and a key supplier for the latest generation of floating production vessels, the Korea Emerson expects higher growth this year. Main customers include Samsung, Hanwha and LG Chem.

“Over the years, we have established a strong reputation for delivering the automation system for power generating facilities across the whole country,” said Deruytter.

Emerson Process Management Korea does business according to the three pillars of Korea’s process automation industry - domestic business, ocean oil & gas and export. Branch offices in each of Korea’s industrial hubs and a network of local business partners support domestic business. Deruytter manages an ocean oil & gas equipment manufacturing facility and project engineering team as well. The company focuses on doing business the local way and developing a local staff, and Deruytter is its first expatriate general manager in the last decade.

“We really believe in the local capabilities of organizations,” he said.

Deruytter describes the role of his measurement and control equipment, which is customized by plant, as the eyes, ears, heart and fingers of a production plant. The company uses PlantWeb digital architecture, which lets customers detect process and equipment problems before they occur.

“Every day our customers are challenged in improving the efficiency, safety and security of their production,” said Deruytter. “As such, a reliable production is paramount for the success of our customers.”

The thinking is, everything will break down someday. But with the predictive power of field intelligence and a human-centered system that’s easy to understand, PlantWeb interprets information in an innovative way.

“We truly believe in technology innovation,” Deruytter said. “There are very innovative technologies that we have given to the industry.”

Process automation solutions providers should play an important role in helping the world achieve energy efficiency and sustainability, according to Deruytter, which is why his company¬ invests heavily in product innovation.

“We believe that the process industry will play a big role in the key issues of our society,” he said.