ACR Journal

CMYK / .ai CMYK / .ai CMYK / .ai acrjournal.uk REFRIGERATION Riding the WAVE 23 Working for ALDI, ASDA, Bidfood, The Co-op and Sainsbury’s, it’s fair to say that refrigeration consultant WAVE has had a busy first six years. WAVE provides a wide range of innovative technical and project management services that support the move away from HFC refrigerants. In the past year, it has supported its clients in the implementation and ongoing roll-out of doors to chilled display cases and has also played a significant role in bringing HFO technology to market (see case studies). As a data driven organisation, WAVE also has an eye on the digital age and has developed a suite of applications that assess non-HFC technology on CAPEX, OPEX, emissions and total cost of ownership. WAVE’s work aims to help guide its customers to make the best investment and sustainability decisions for their respective businesses. Here, founder James Bailey, managing director Mark Williams, engineering & commercial director Alan Saban and operations manager Ellie Clare share their personal accounts of the journey to date. It has been quite a journey for WAVE Refrigeration since it was founded in 2015, with a series of blue-chip clients on board and the move to an employee ownership model. James Bailey: “I established WAVE in 2015. During the first 18 months of trading I worked long hours as the need for WAVE’s services grew. Through a blend of hard work, determination and good fortune, WAVE was appointed as ASDA’s refrigeration consultant in late 2016 – an appointment which proved a catalyst for our growth. In June 2017, I was joined by Mark, following the securing of a refrigeration professional services contract with ALDI.’’ Mark Williams: “As the business continued to grow and we gained further customers, we were joined by colleagues who brought with them significant industry experience and importantly who shared in the mission and vision of WAVE. We set out to create a culture of excellence. Our focus has never been on a defined growth strategy; it has always been the creation of the very best people centric culture - this is our strategy. So long as you understand the industry that you operate, have a clear mission, and vision, and have products or services that customers need, allow your culture to do the rest and empower your employees and most importantly trust them.” Alan Saban: “As WAVE grew, James and Mark realised that it was going to be necessary to recruit and develop aspiring engineering professionals to help combat an ageing industry. In response WAVE has committed to the annual recruitment of a trainee to the business – this is something that WAVE is respected for and helped support my decision to join the management team in January. The decision to do so has reaped immeasurable benefits. WAVE has provided our young people with a career and a mindset to innovate and ensure customer satisfaction. Alongside client exposure and learning on the job from day 1, our current and former trainees have gained a blend of the following qualifications and experiences: • Prince 2 Project Management qualifications • City & Guilds Level 2 Award in F-Gas and ODS Regulations: Category IV 500/5729/7 Various levels and in some instances advancement of membership with the Institute of Refrigeration • Involvement in the STEMazing Academy • Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM) Level 3 and Level 5 qualifications. James Bailey