ACR Journal

CHILLY CHATTER 45 The Name You Can Rely On sales@fgac.fujitsu-general.com www.fujitsu-general.com/uk For Solutions For Collaboration For Quality For Service For The Future ACR Journal - QTR Page.indd 1 15/07/2021 09:15:08 SPONSORED BY CMYK / .ai CMYK / .ai CMYK / .ai acrjournal.uk Kevin Glass marks 35-year BITZER UKmilestone BITZER UK managing director Kevin Glass is celebrating 35 years with one of the world’s leading compressor specialists. Recalling how he began his career in the industry, he said: “When I started grammar school, it was my dream to join the RAF and train as a fighter pilot. However, I discovered that I have a colour vision deficiency, which meant this was no longer possible. “I decided to do something with my hands, and applied for an apprenticeship with Taylor Woodrow as a construction plant technician. This led to a position in a daughter company installing split system air conditioning units and repairing Trembath dehumidifiers.” After a City & Guilds refrigeration course at Willesden College and experience in sales, Kevin joined APV Hall Commercial as an internal sales engineer for BITZER and Fincoil products, along with “some very interesting ventilation units such as Punka louvres and Drum di users”. When the company became UK distributor for Bristol compressors, Kevin was given technical responsibility for the range, and soon after added Friga-Bohn and SWEP plate heat exchangers. The company was purchased by BITZER and became BITZER UK Ltd in the early Nineties. Kevin was promoted to engineering manager in 1997. Over the next 10 years the business developed into pack building with the purchase of Jerome Engineering Vessels, and started manufacturing bespoke versions of BITZER condensing units. “I was given responsibility for the design of systems along with introducing changes to the design and build methods used,” recalls Kevin. He was appointed managing director of Bitzer UK in 2011. In terms of the wider industry, Kevin has contributed on several fronts, including serving as IOR president, and as a member of the IOR’s board of trustees and membership committee. His contribution to the IOR’s Cool Talks programme includes the highly-regarded – and indeed infamous – presentation, “Who Killed the Compressor?” He said: “During my career in the industry, I have seen a large number of significant changes impact our working lives. I am proud to be a part of an industry that keeps overcoming the obstacles presented to it, and continues to rise to challenges in a way that few other industries can match.” Aermec stays loyal to Royals Aermec UK has extended its sponsorship of the Wickford-based Essex Royals FC. The company is supporting the club’s U13 blues team by funding their kit and helping to provide the facilities needed for the next two seasons. Aermec is helping to fund training equipment including mobile goals, bibs and training ladders, which can be prohibitively expensive for many clubs. The Essex Royals’ home is at Barleylands in Billericay, close to Aermec’s headquarters in Basildon. Paul Lawrence, managing director of Aermec, believes it is important for businesses to invest in their local communities and help provide young people with sporting opportunities. He said: “Building relationships with local organisations can benefit everyone. Sponsoring the local team gives Aermec an opportunity to give back to the community – many of our employees and their families live locally – it helps raise our profile but more importantly echoes our company’s ethos of valuing individuals, encouraging, and promoting their well-being and enabling them to grow. “Football is a fantastic way of encouraging young players at grass roots levels to work collaboratively, build relationships whilst helping to develop the footballers of tomorrow.” The Essex Royals U13 team TQ Environmental hosts golf day Twenty-one players and six teams contested a highly-enjoyable Texas Scramble in the TQ Environmental annual golf day at Hollins Hall Golf and Country Club, Shipley. The winning team was made up of Michael Craig (EJM), Gary Smith (Oceanair) and Peter Cook and Steve Harwood of HLR). Runners-up were Scott Davies and Alex Anderson from JAVAC, with Lee Moore and Steve Waters (Cool Air). Following breakfast, the players tackled the challenging course in windy conditions before the evening meal and prize presentations. Hole sponsors for the event were ACR Journal, Oceanair, Elite Cooling Services, CDL, Avensure and K Print. The winning team, from left, Michael Craig, Steve Harwood, Gary Smith and Peter Cook