Meet CenTech’s Jeff Hamilton: Modesta's boots on the ground in Texas
Jeff Hamilton is President at CenTech Automation and long-time point of reference for the woodworking industry in Texas and the surrounding states. Thanks to Jeff, many Modesta dust extraction solutions have been smoothly installed and commissioned on American soil.
As a family business based in the Netherlands, Modesta relies on a network of international partners and dealers to help bring projects to a successful conclusion. After all, smooth communication, installation, and commissioning are just as important as high-quality equipment. That’s why people like Jeff Hamilton are invaluable for Modesta’s international projects. As President of CenTech Automation, Jeff has been their boots on the ground in Texas and the surrounding areas for many years. With his far-reaching local network in the woodworking industry, he manages client relationships, installs Modesta equipment, provides scheduled maintenance, and helps clients solve any technical problems that may arise. ‘I recommend Modesta equipment to my network because I just know they’re going to be satisfied,’ says Jeff.
Jeff Hamilton knows the woodworking industry inside and out. Thanks to a long family tradition of carpentry started by his grandfather, he began building houses early in his career. At first, he was building houses for himself and his friends and family. Soon, he switched to a career in this field. He sold windows and doors for a local business and bought his own cabinet shop. After gaining lots of experience and knowledge of woodworking machines, he finally started leading CenTech Automation in 2012. Since then, he has spent several years supplying and installing woodworking machinery. In recent years, he made a gradual shift toward dust collection, compressed air, and waste management solutions. Investing in a large property on Brickyard Road in Garrison, Texas, he transformed a site that was once a brick quarry into the home of CenTech, with offices, storage sheds, a production hall, and several machines and trucks. His wife Laetitia helps out at CenTech with administration, and his son Chandler joined the company as well in 2015.
When coronavirus restrictions made it difficult for the Modesta team to travel to the United States for the installation of a new project, they called on Jeff and his CenTech team for help. That was the first step in a long collaboration. ‘I was immediately impressed by the quality of the equipment,’ Jeff recalls his first introduction to the Dutch dust extraction specialist. ‘Having seen many woodworking factories from up close, I’ve seen many types of dust collectors as well, but Modesta stood out. Their installations are high-quality, robust, and made with precision. They also offer remote access for service, which helps us a lot in our day-to-day work: either because we can access a client’s equipment from our premises without going there physically, or because Modesta’s support team can directly help the client out from the Netherlands.’ So when his clients came to him looking for a dust extraction solution, Jeff had no problem recommending Modesta. ‘I'm perfectly willing to stick my neck out to prove my confidence in what I sell,’ states Jeff.
Take one of the latest projects Modesta and CenTech have done together at woodworking business Wisenbaker’s new plant in Houston. Jeff had built up a long working relationship here. ‘I’ve helped them out with emergency support and maintenance for many years, and there’s a big trust factor there.’ That’s why Wisenbaker trusted Jeff’s judgement when he recommended Modesta. An added advantage that helped convince Wisenbaker, was the fact that Modesta’s quotes always include the full package. ‘The price they give includes the electrical part: all the wiring is already there, we just have to hook everything up. With other systems, the client would have to get a separate quote from an electrician, adding a considerable amount to the total price.’ On top of that, the price includes an advanced control system that monitors everything in real time and optimizes the equipment’s pressure and energy efficiency, Jeff adds. ‘This leads to less damage to woodworking machines, avoids downtime, and limits operating costs.’
Wisenbaker ended up investing in a chain filter, which was developed, built, and assembled at Modesta’s premises in the Netherlands, shipped to Wisenbaker’s factory in Houston, and then installed by Jeff’s team. CenTech coordinates the last few miles of transportation with trucks and cranes to get the equipment in the right place.
Larger filter systems like the one installed at Wisenbaker arrive in the US already assembled, but Modesta also delivers smaller, indoor dust collectors to US-based clients. In these cases, the equipment is flat-packed and sent to CenTech, where Jeff and his team assemble the filters. They then transport them to the client and finish the installation on-site.
Once the equipment has arrived on location, CenTech also handles all the ductwork, including valves, sleeves, and hoods. With central outdoor dust collectors, installing valves is especially important for regulating the amount of extraction capacity per woodworking machine. This amount is constantly monitored by sensors, which help the installation adapt to the total capacity required at that moment.
With several new potential projects on the horizon, CenTech and Modesta are not nearly done exploring what they can do for the US market. Jeff. ‘I absolutely see a huge potential for Modesta here, and I can’t wait to scale up our collaboration even further.’