Mark Axford

Email: maxford@axfordconsulting.com

Phone: 713-802-9654


Mark Axford

Mark Axford

Houston, Texas

President and Chief Turbine Guy

Axford Turbine Consultants, LLC

Mark Axford has more than 35 years of energy experience as an engineer, product manager, sales and marketing executive, and independent consultant.  Prior to becoming an independent consultant, Axford was Vice President of Sales and Marketing for General Electric’s Aero Energy Products division which was acquired from Stewart & Stevenson Services, Inc., in 1998. He joined Stewart & Stevenson in 1978 to launch their new gas turbine compressor business venture. 

As the first employee at Stewart & Stevenson dedicated to non-military application of gas turbine technology, Axford redirected the business from compressor drive to electric power generation as the U.S. cogeneration market blossomed in the 1980's.  Products were upsized from the 3-5 megawatt range to the 20-50 MW range featuring General Electric's LM2500, LM5000, and LM6000 gas turbine models.  Axford championed the addition of spray intercooling, (known as "Sprint"), for the LM6000 gas turbine and the growth of a stand-alone O&M businesses for various makes and models of gas turbines.  Annual sales grew from essentially zero in 1978 to more than $500 million per year at the time of the GE acquisition.  In 2000, Axford’s sales team at GE Aero Energy Products division recorded orders exceeding $2.5 billion. 

Prior to his tenure at GE and Stewart & Stevenson, Axford worked for Dresser Industries in Olean, New York, in positions involving product design, testing and application engineering of centrifugal compressors and gas turbines. Axford received his Bachelor's of Science Degree in Industrial Distribution from Clarkson University, New York, in 1974 and his Masters Degree in Business Adminstration from St. Bonaventure University, New York, in 1978. 

Axford has written technical and business articles for publications such as Turbomachinery, Gas Turbine World, Cogeneration, Energy Central, Independent Power, Combined Cycle Journal, and Diesel & Gas Turbine Worldwide. He has been quoted by the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Houston Chronicle, and other periodicals.  Axford is also a contributing editor for POWER Magazine on topics relating to electricity markets.