Mark Foerster, Industrial Sales Engineer and Key Account Manager OEM, The VMC Group, will present “When Power Moves: Seismic, Vibration, and the Hidden Risks to Reliability” at the 6th Annual Northeastern Emergency Power Conference in Portsmouth, NH from May 5-7, 2026. The conference brings together end‑users across hospitals, data centers, schools, municipal facilities, and other mission‑critical environments, offering a focused, high‑value experience for leaders responsible for reliable onsite and emergency power systems.
This session explores how seismic restraint, vibration isolation, and equipment anchorage interact, and why misalignment between these elements can compromise compliance, reliability, and long‑term equipment performance.
Session Information
Emergency power systems must remain fully operational during seismic events while also managing vibration during everyday operation—two forces that can easily work against one another when not properly coordinated. In this session, Mark will break down how seismic restraint requirements apply to generators and associated equipment, explaining how IBC and ASCE 7 provisions guide certification, documentation, and installation expectations. He will walk attendees through the specific ways restraint, anchorage, and isolation systems must work together to maintain both structural integrity and long‑term reliability.
Mark will also explore how vibration isolation directly affects generator performance and equipment lifespan. Attendees will gain insight into how isolation choices influence ongoing maintenance needs, wear patterns, and overall system health—particularly in environments where reliability is critical. The session will further examine the risks of structure‑borne vibration, including how improperly managed vibration can transmit into adjacent hospital and critical‑care spaces, resulting in noise issues, operational disruptions, and negative patient‑care impacts.
Mark Foerster
Industrial Sales Engineer and Key Account Manager OEM, The VMC Group
It’s important to coordinate restraint, isolation, and anchorage strategies from the outset—not only simply meeting minimum code requirements. Attendees will learn best practices for aligning these elements so systems remain fully code‑compliant without sacrificing the effectiveness of vibration isolation, ensuring emergency power equipment performs as intended over its full lifecycle.
About Mark Foerster
Mark Foerster is an Industrial Sales Engineer with The VMC Group, where he works closely with major OEMs—including Cummins, Caterpillar Inc., Trane Technologies, and Johnson Controls—to deliver vibration isolation and engineered solutions that enhance equipment performance, reliability, and longevity.
Mark supports customers across the HVAC, power generation, and industrial equipment sectors, helping to identify optimization opportunities, solve complex application challenges, and integrate effective vibration control into new equipment designs. His work bridges both engineering and commercial strategy, ensuring solutions meet technical requirements while supporting long‑term operational goals.
Since joining VMC in 2025, Mark has managed key OEM accounts, coordinated closely with engineering teams, and supported supply‑chain and forecasting initiatives to ensure reliable delivery and consistent technical performance.
6th Annual Northeastern Emergency Power Conference
Powering Confidence: Stay Ready, Stay Compliant
May 5-7, 2026 | The Envio/AC Hotel, Portsmouth, NH
