Engineered to Perform

MIRATECH

MIRATECH is a leading provider of mission critical emission and noise reduction solutions for natural gas and diesel reciprocating engines. From catalysts and housings to silencers, monitoring systems, and more, MIRATECH has the comprehensive suite of solutions that engine packagers, engine dealers, end users, and engineer procure and construct (EPC) contractors are seeking.
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Whatever the solution, the Tulsa, Oklahoma based company maintains an aggressive focus on success. “At MIRATECH, we are ‘Engineered to Perform,’” says David Zenthoefer, the company’s Executive Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Service. “These words are a declaration of who we are, what we do, and what we stand for. We have engineered our own company to perform.”

This commitment to excellence impacts the team’s performance as well as the solutions that they provide. “Each individual is driven to personally perform at a high level. Our teams are high performing teams.”

These high performing teams are able to take on large, complex projects, especially those requiring a highly customized solution. “We have an extremely talented in-house engineering and project management team,” Mr. Zenthoefer reports. “No project, challenge, or configuration is too large or too small. Our team specializes in understanding the customer’s specific needs clearly, then designs, engineers, fabricates, and delivers a total emission or acoustic turnkey solution that successfully satisfies each unique need – or challenge – from inlet to rain cap.”

MIRATECH’s ability to deliver end-to-end project management gives the company a substantial advantage. “One of the biggest things that sets us apart is our ability to become a one-stop shop for people,” Mr. Zenthoefer points out. “Most of our competitors really can’t do that. We can handle the entire system and solution; we design it ourselves and engineer it ourselves and fabricate it ourselves.” If necessary, the team can even take on the construction side of the project “to take it all the way through to execution.”

Recent mergers and acquisitions have bolstered MIRATECH’s ability to provide a comprehensive solution. Originally launched in 1992, MIRATECH was acquired by Audax Private Equity last year to serve as a platform company. “Our goal is to build out our platform,” Mr. Zenthoefer explains. Audax has already added Phillips & Temro Industries’ Silencing Division to form MIRATECH Group. “We took two strong market players that really didn’t overlap a lot and we were able to put those things together to drive this synergy… Now we have a complete product basket for large engines. So we were able to leverage engineering, leverage sales channels, leverage distribution channels and increase our product basket.”

MIRATECH is still based in Tulsa, but the company has added manufacturing facilities in Winnipeg and Prior Lake, Minnesota and now boasts “a sales force and a rep network spread all across North America and quickly expanding into South America, Southeast Asia, and Europe.”

The expanding team is strongly focused on customer satisfaction. “Our greatest joy is turning customers into raving fans of MIRATECH,” Mr. Zenthoefer remarks. The company has adopted a Total Customer Experience Management (CEM) strategy to help define how the customer – from the customer’s own point of view – experiences an end-to-end relationship with the company. “Our ability to deliver a positive Total Customer Experience sets us apart. Loyalty is driven primarily by our interaction with our customers and how well we deliver on all of their wants and needs.”

This focus on the customer can be seen throughout the company, from the executive management all the way down to the interns. “Doing great work is more than great engineering and building a high quality product; it’s about understanding the customer’s needs – intimately. That’s why every member of the MIRATECH team is customer focused – especially those whose roles don’t require customer contact. Of course, our sales team engages with our customers, but others impact the experience of the customer as well. For instance, our accounts payable staff also knows that handling customers’ invoice questions promptly and positively sets an impression with the customer. In addition, accounting realizes keeping current with vendors is critical so the team in the shop will have the tools, supplies, and other resources needed to assemble and deliver what the customer wants. And our fabrication experts recognize that our MIRATECH team’s reputation is built on delivering a well-built solution, not just making a promise.”

To deliver the best solution, the team has to maintain an expert understanding of each and every sector in which they operate. To the outside observer, all engine needs may seem basically the same, but MIRATECH recognizes the subtle differences. “What are the needs of someone who is in the gas compression market versus the needs of someone who is in a data center, or someone who is a tugboat operator? Even though those are all industrial engines, the market dynamics and the environmental regulations and the packaging considerations are completely different for those three customers – even though they could be the exact same engines.”

To deal with the differing needs of each sector, MIRATECH utilizes a segmented sales force, assigning each sales person to a specific market. “We have a diversified customer base that includes fleet managers, dealers, packagers, original equipment manufactures, and end users in the natural gas production, oil and gas drilling, power generation, marine, rail, and industrial markets,” Mr. Zentheofer points out. “Having a sales person specialize in one specific market enables that individual to develop into an expert in the market that they serve. This helps our sales people to understand and focus in on the specific challenges of each individual customer within a specific market. This makes us better equipped to identify what each customer perceives as added value – then we deliver on that value!”

MIRATECH also ensures that customers’ operations meet rigorous environmental standards. Stationary Internal Combustion Engines and Diesel-Fueled Generator Sets can have a significant impact on air quality and public health. When these engines burn fuel, they produce conventional air pollutants such as nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and particulate matter (PM), as well as formaldehyde, acrolein, acetaldehyde, and methanol, Mr. Zentheofer explains. “Exposure to these air toxins may produce a wide variety of health difficulties for people. Thus, there are Federal, State, and Local regulations that require operators achieve targeted reduction levels of these air toxins.” Staying abreast of the myriad rules and regulations can be overwhelming to the end user, but “this is what MIRATECH specializes in and excels in. Customers rely on MIRATECH’s expertise to help them stay in compliance with the regulations that govern their operations.”

It is no secret that today’s oil and gas market has become a challenging landscape in which to operate. “Since 2005, the current natural gas prices are the lowest that they have been with the exception of the 2012 prices,” Mr. Zenthoefer points out. “As a result, many of our customers are being cautious with their capital expenses and trying to ride out the downturn in the market.” Maintenance, Repair, and Operations (MRO) supplies a fair amount of business, but MIRATECH is largely dependent on new projects. Undeterred, the team is looking further afield to maintain success. “We are looking to expand our markets because of that; we are looking to expand our product basket aggressively. We are also aggressively going international. We are pivoting internationally quickly to try to level out some of the effects we are seeing in the North American marketplace.”

The current market may be throwing a curveball, but Mr. Zenthoefer is not overly concerned. “I like to say this too will pass. We are in Oklahoma; this is not the first time anyone around here has seen this kind of stuff.” Until it does pass, the team will continue to run a tight ship to ensure they stay afloat. “We have to make sure that all our products and processes are all aligned to the market needs, and when the market starts to come back we will be in great shape to exponentially grow and maintain an increase in market share.”

The team knows that they must continue to build on the company’s existing strengths to prepare for the future. “We are a platform company; we plan on buying five or six other companies that fit into our marketplace. We are going to be looking at adding products to our basket to leverage our strengths.” In other words, MIRATECH will always be ‘engineered to perform’ in order to best meet customers’ needs, both today and over the long run.

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