Over the last 12 months, Actrol has gone through one of the largest changes in the company’s almost 90-year history, integrating with Australia’s leading plumbing and bathroom supplier, Reece.
At this year’s ARBS Exhibition, the company introduced attendees to the benefits of the new partnership. Actrol’s marketing leader, Andrew Leach, said that with Reece the company is stronger than ever. “Not only do we have 62 Actrol branches but now we’ve got another 500 that can back us up nationwide,” he said.
With the power of Reece’s national distribution network, Actrol has not only been able to broaden its range, but increase
its availability across the country. “Their warehouses are just enormous,” Leach explains.
“You have to see them to believe just how big they are. Instead of having just one big national one, we’ve also got them in other states. It just allows us to hold a much bigger range of big stock close to where the customer is.”
Actrol’s online sales, service and support platform has also been improved, providing product information, pricing, quoting and accounts management via the web.
“You can see what your refrigerant purchases were for ARC reporting purposes, you can check your cylinder rentals so you can keep those in control, you can do all your payments,” Leach said. “The other thing you get out of that 500 branch setup is that someone who is truly regional, say, in Emerald, or somewhere like that, can still access our product at a local branch, if that’s what they need to do.”
Meanwhile, the merger gives existing Actrol customers direct access to Reece’s exhaustive stock, which ranges from irrigation to plumbing, ducting to swimming pools.
This year, the company was joined by a key supplier, Conex Banninger, whose new Maxipro product caused quite a stir.
Used for press-joining copper piping, the new system is easily capable of withstanding the pressures and temperature extremes of refrigeration and air conditioning. “I think industry has been asking for this for a long time,” Leach said. “I think these guys have hit the nail on the head.”
Back on the Actrol stand, the new Tecumseh AJ2 compressor family generated a lot of interest for being quieter and much easier to use and install.
“Most importantly, it has a new electrical connector on it called TE-Connect,” he said. “This is intrinsically safe and quite easy to use, a lot easier than the current way of connecting electricals. It’s more of a clip-on. This whole new range has been built to be used in the future on flammable refrigerants. We see a trend heading in that direction.”
Meanwhile, the new Carel EVD Ice was on display in a Buffalo PS Evaporator with a pre-fitted electronic valve and a controller which delivers huge energy-saving potential. “People are talking 20 to 30 per cent,” Leach said.
For more information visit www.actrol.com.au or call 1300 ACTROL.