Page 36 - Climate Control News Dec-Jan 2020

Kirby in 2020
focus on trade support
HAVING REBRANDED IN APRIL 2019 KIRBY HAS BEEN LAYING THE FOUNDATIONS TO CONTINUE ITS FOCUS ON CUSTOMERS IN 2020.
THE COMPANY HAS been connect- ing with the trade through a series of industry trade nights and tailored cus- tomer training programs.
Kirby national sales & marketing manager, Brett Hedge, said the CO2 systems training provided by Kirby and SCM Frigo throughout 2018/19 was a great success story for the company, adding that it is just the start of
things to come.
“A new Beijer Ref Academy opening in 2021
will provide Beijer Ref businesses across Austral- ia and New Zealand with a world-class facility to continue training technicians in the use of new technologies,” Hedge said.
For Kirby the focus will continue to be on strengthening the refrigeration component of the trade and that includes supporting ap- prentices and trade technicians.
Referring to Australia’s silver medal win at the International WorldSkills Competition last year, Hedge said the impressive result by Skillaroo,
Patrick Brennan, was a testament to what can be achieved when we invest in our youth. Brennan’s win was particularly significant for Kirby as the company has sponsored WorldSkills Australia for 23 years.
“WorldSkills provides us with the opportunity to support apprentices, a commitment that has been extended with the establishment of the Kir- by Apprentice Fund,” Hedge said.
“Kirby has a history of fostering apprentices, so this is an exciting way of bringing an element of our Kirby history into our new Kirby future.”
It has been 18 months since the Beijer Ref ac- quisition but the change for customers has been minimal largely because the company has taken a business as usual approach to day to day operations.
“2019 has brought about some change but it has largely been a sharpening of focus on the things that have made our business a great suc- cess over the years,” Hedge said adding that the structure has been aligned to provide stronger
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