ACR Journal

April | May 2020 REFRIGERATION 36 Wolseley believes its in-house manufacturing arm has a key role to play in supporting contractors. David Todd visited Newbury to find out more. Custom building the future Volume 6 No.3 There’s a steady stream of customers at Wolseley in Newbury, yet the rear of the building houses a business many trade counter regulars are probably unaware of. The Custom Build facility has been part of the operation for more than 25 years and Wolseley is spreading the word of the in- house manufacturing capabilities on oer. Sales Director for Cooling Robert Franklin explained: “We have changed our business so much that sometimes what we can oer here can be overlooked. "We want to inform more contractors on exactly how we can help them with their custom build requirements.’’ Custom Build oers bespoke solutions for blast freezers and blast chillers, both high temperature and low temperature cold rooms, scroll packs and condensing units, as well as water-cooled condensing units. Applications range from cold room plant butcher’s shops to large-scale crop storage. The centre is overseen by Technical Sales Manager Peter Woods, who also designs all systems alongside Wolseley’s four regional applications engineers. The on-site team is headed by Engineering Manager John Kilby and supported by the four applications engineers, who manage the enquiries from the branch network and external sales teams. Woods said: “We have a varied customer base, from one-man operations up to large national contractors, from convenience retail through to industrial. We believe it’s important to raise awareness of the great services we oer. Peter Woods, centre and Engineering Manager John Kilby, right, with some of the Wolseley Custom Build team Wolseley Technical Sales Manager Peter Woods at the Custom Build facility in Newbury