This unsung hero helps Alabama Power’s customers save money

Scott Bishop doesn’t wear a cape, but he’s a hero for process engineers, operations managers and industrial business owners.

Alabama Power Marketing Team Leader Bishop works with a variety of industrial customers at the Technology Applications Center (TAC) in Calera, sharing his knowledge about energy efficiency and sustainability.

“I remember telling Scott when he first began working at the TAC that this is the best job in the company,” said Cheryl McFarland, commercial and industrial marketing support manager. “You get to be the hero for our customers, account managers, vendors and industry partners.”

Scott Bishop is an Alabama Power Unsung Hero from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.

Bishop’s team is responsible for assisting industrial customers with process improvements through customer site visits and testing. They demonstrate electro-technologies ranging from infrared, to induction, ultrasonic drying and other equipment. In a typical year, the TAC team employees perform 55 to 60 customer tests and make more than 125 customer site visits.

“The TAC is a resource our customers rely on to solve their internal problems,” said Bishop. “We have technologies for them to test and experiment with to improve their process.”

However, 2020 was not a typical year. The TAC team found a solution to help customers in a different way.

With the spread of COVID-19, health care workers and first responders needed more personal protective equipment (PPE). The team partnered with the Alabama Productivity Center at the University of Alabama and UAB’s School of Engineering to produce laser-cut headbands and plastic shields for medical masks.

They used the TAC’s 3D printers and laser cutter to make the headbands as well as to cut acrylic for the face shields that would last longer, producing 100 per day.

The news quickly spread and new partners with 3D printers started helping produce additional PPE. Alabama Power’s Print Shop started cutting the face shield material, which freed the TAC to focus on laser cutting the headbands. They were able to improve their layouts for the laser cutting to increase headband output to about 100 per day. In addition, the TAC shifted its 3D printers to make ear relief straps for face shield headbands, which can become uncomfortable after lengthy wearing.

“Bishop is a great leader, constantly looking for ways to grow our business, and he cares about making a difference so we are all successful,” McFarland said.

In addition to testing manufacturing technologies at the TAC, customers can test new electric food service equipment in the demonstration kitchen.

The TAC is a complimentary consulting service for industrial and large commercial customers. The facility is a demonstration and test site that investigates ways to reduce production costs and improve energy efficiency and productivity while addressing environmental concerns.

To find out more about the TAC, contact an industrial account manager today.