ACR Journal

CHILLY CHATTER 38 February 2022 | March 2022 Volume 8 No.2 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 John Smith retires from Beijer Ref Beijer Ref UK and Ireland technical director John Smith retired from his full-time duties with the business at Christmas after almost 40 years in the industry. John’s passion for the industry began in 1983 when he joined refrigeration company HTI Leeds as an electrician. He has since held high profile positions with Dean & Wood, Danfoss, Honeywell and, more recently, Beijer Ref. In addition to his “day job” John took on the roles as president of the British Refrigeration Association in 2017 and chairman of FETA 2018. John Billson, managing director of Beijer Ref UK and Ireland, said: “John has been an integral part of the success of our company and I am sure our paths will cross again in the not-too-distant future.” BITZER UK backs young footballers BITZER UK is sponsoring Newport Pagnell Football Club's under-15 youth team, known as The Jaguars. "The company has heritage in supporting youth football as sponsor of the BITZER Cup in Germany," said Sam Buckell, PA to BITZER UK managing director Kevin Glass. "As a dynamic local team the Jaguars are a good match for us – and coincidentally play in green. The players had outgrown their kit, and we were delighted to sponsor them and provide new gear for the season." The main club was founded in 1963, initially as Newport Pagnell Wanderers, playing on Bury Field Common, just a few miles away from BITZER's Milton Keynes headquarters. From small beginnings, the main side has become the highest placed non-league club in the Milton Keynes area, with a youth section of around 30 teams. The Newport Jags team have netted no less than 20 items of silverware and now play in the Midlands Junior Premier League, a competitive league embracing teams in a large catchment across central England. In their first year, the Jags finished fifth out of 70 teams, going on to beat this the following year – finishing in third place. Sam Buckell pictured with the team in their new sponsored strip J SWright lands training award Mechanical and electrical services specialist J S Wright has been honoured with a regional award for its apprentice training. The company, which is based in Birmingham and has an o ce in London, was named Best Medium Employer at the Greater Birmingham Apprenticeship Awards 2021, held at Edgbaston cricket stadium. J S Wright was chosen due to the success of its academy which, since its launch in 2008, has taken on 55 apprentices on a range of craft and technical courses in which learning skills are also nurtured by existing employees. The judging panel was impressed with how the apprentices are given a complete understanding of the business and full support through on- site experience and individual mentoring – an approach that has seen no less than 33 of those 55 apprentices still with the company. The awards were run by BirminghamLive in partnership with the Ladder for Greater Birmingham campaign. Vikki spearheads Viessmann tree triumph Viessmann employee Vikki Robbins has led an initiative that saw 200 trees planted at the company’s headquarters in Telford. Robbins, a contract support and promotions supervisor, was inspired by the work of national Shropshire-based charity Small Woods Association and a desire to remember a former Viessmann colleague who died suddenly in 2020. The initial plan was to plant just one tree, with Vikki o ering to bring her spade if Viessmann could provide the land and buy the tree. The result was a Sunday spent planting 200 trees supplied and supervised by social enterprise, Telford Woods, and the Friends of Ketley Paddock Mound, together with fellow Viessmann colleagues and their friends and families. A remembrance plaque dedicated to David Hughes, an engineer at Viessmann, has also been installed next to the trees. David’s wife, Janet Hughes, has said she and her girls are honoured and grateful that he is being remembered in this way. Vikki Robbins with Viessmann UK managing director Graham Russell