Since our last appearance in this space we've attended the Paris Air Show and met with companies involved in oil production, hydraulic fracturing and wind turbine towers and components. As an investment analyst I am always seeking to help my clients anticipate change in order to manage risk and capture alpha (positive returns relative to market). But as a regular columnist for Power Transmission Engineering, I also seek insights that can help your organization do the same. Here is what we've found...

We have just returned from the Electrical Products Group Conference in Sarasota, Florida. This is our favorite venue because it allows us to speak with the CEOs of nearly 25 global industrial companies that include General Electric, United Technologies, Honeywell, ABB and Emerson, with combined revenue of perhaps $500 billion.