Negative growth and uncertainty continues to cloud the industry’s outlook.
It is never more important than at these times, to look at the companies that are creating a positive story.
Since a change of ownership in mid 2010, Actrol has been steadily growing its footprint.
This has involved examining the business structure from the ground up and moving ahead with critical improvements.
These have included: More branches; More (and larger) distribution centres; Greater product range with more suppliers; A focus on improved services; A greater spread of events and promotions and; most importantly making a huge investment in people.
The last point, according to Actrol managing director David Willett, is the most important.
Willett says an organization’s success and growth is heavily influenced by the quality of its people.
There are two ways to approach this, he says.
“Build quality from within with constant sales and technical training, and bring in quality people from outside the organization; Actrol has had the foresight to take both of these approaches,” Willett says.
In the last 18 months alone, Actrol has increased its number of branches by 12, a significant rise in such a short space of time.
Also within that time there have been many upgrades to the existing branch network, whether it be by refurbishment or relocation.
“These increases bring the total figure to 61 branches, however just as important is the support network to facilitate this growth,” Willett says.
The Actrol Distribution Centres (DC’s) have had three changes – the Brisbane and Perth DC’s have moved to bigger premises, and Sydney has gained a standalone Distribution Centre.
Add to this the Melbourne DC situated in Derrimut, and it is clear that the commitment to supporting the ever growing customer base remains at the forefront of Actrol’s corporate strategy.
With such an extensive expansion there is an obvious need for effective human resources.
“This includes actively seeking the best available talent to join our ranks,” he says.
“There was a clear need to increase the sales team, but we haven’t stopped there.
Additional resources in engineering, marketing, administration and IT has given Actrol the ability to become more efficient, with quicker response times to any given situation.
“This is especially important in engineering, where the turnaround time for a quote or technical support can, and often does, make all the difference.”
Actrol has an experienced team of Application Engineers located across Australia.
They are there to assist customers with new and existing refrigeration and air conditioning equipment.
Application Engineering services offered to account customers and consultants include heat load calculation, product selection, quotations, industry and application specific advice, and assistance with energy conservation considerations.
In late 2012 Actrol released its brand new, industry leading website.
“The reasoning behind this venture was simple,” Willett says.
“While there are many ways to access relevant industry information, this process usually requires a number of different sources. Not anymore.
“The amount of data available on the new Actrol website is mind blowing. With the assistance of our expanding supplier base, Actrol has managed to accumulate thousands of documents and a wide range of resources,”
These resources include: Technical data; Operating instructions; Brochures; Case studies;
Material Safety Data Sheets; Diagrams and; Instructional videos. The new website also contains information on upcoming events, as well as industry and Actrol-based news.
Even with all this information in one place, Willett says the most impressive aspect of the new Actrol website is its usability.
He says it is easy to navigate, and there are several ways to find what information
and there is also an excellent branch locator, contact information as well as access to Solutions Online.
“Actrol continually strives to remain at the forefront of product development, and is in constant discussion with suppliers,” he says.
“This has led to a significant increase in the product range available from each
Actrol branch.”
There has also been significant product upgrades. For example, the Tecumseh HTA EVO condensing units offer energy efficient robust refrigeration solutions designed to handle Australia’s extremely diverse climatic conditions.
The HTA EVO range is fully factory fitted allowing an exceptionally quick installation.
The L’Unite Hermetique compressor and HTA condenser combination ensure reliable refrigeration when it is needed most. This is the HTA advantage.
Actrol recently extended its range of EVO condensing units, to include refrigeration scroll options.
Copeland ZB and ZF series refrigeration compressors are matched to condensers to ensure reliable refrigeration with models designed for both R134a and R404A.
The EVO Scroll range is fully factory fitted allowing an exceptionally fast installation.
Every EVO Scroll unit includes all the required vessels and is fully wired to a factory fitted electrical enclosure with contactor, electronic overload, circuit breakers, HP/LP safety control, crank case heater and Carel fan speed control.
An expansion of the Cabero range of evaporators, provides a better and more flexible range in both medium and low temp applications.
“This is just a snapshot of the increased focus on product from Actrol as a whole,” Willett explains.
“There are many more examples and there will be a continued focus in this area in the near future.
“Further proof of this investment is the refrigerant storage and decanting facility, known as ARP.”
This state of the art facility is built on 13,000M2, and boasts a capacity in the region of 350 tonnes, allowing it to handle a full range of refrigerant gases.
“The importance and benefits to the industry of this are many, but probably the main point is that this capacity allows for strategic stockholding which helps to ensure supply,” Willett says.
Actrol imports refrigerant in bulk directly from the world’s biggest and best manufacturers.
“As a result Actrol is the only Australian wholesaler to have a dedicated bulk refrigerant storage and decanting facility,” Willett explains.
Complimenting this are the filling stations, which are all equipped with vacuum extraction to reclaim the fill head during cylinder filling which results in zero emissions.
These stations fill Actrol’s huge FlexiTrak cylinder fleet.
All these cylinders are independently tagged and tracked using Actrol’s proven FlexiTrak system. Actrol has also maintained a busy events calendar and has run several competitions, including the recently completed Mitsubishi Triton competition.
When purchasing MHI products through Actrol from July to September 2012, customers received entries into the draw to win a brand new Mitsubishi Triton ute.
After receiving thousands of entries over a period of three months, the lucky winner was Phil Slee from Climaire in Bunbury, Western Australia.
“Actrol has continued to support many industry events, and there will be a similar focus on this in 2013,” Willett says.
“From an industry perspective, the 2012 ARBS exhibition was a great way to not only showcase new products and concepts, but to give people the opportunity to discuss the issues of the day.
“The much anticipated Actrol Gala Night was again a huge success, with over 450 people in attendance at the Sofitel Grand Ballroom.
“Customers and suppliers were dined and entertained, once again making it one of the most talked about functions at ARBS.”
On the back of Actrol’s successful Roadshow concept, Actrol, in conjunction with a number of key suppliers, will be conducting trade weeks throughout 2013.
There will be promotions, specials and of course technical support from suppliers and Actrol staff. The news section within the new Actrol website (www.actrol.com.au) will be updated regularly with upcoming events, so stay tuned for details.
There have been many changes at Actrol in recent times, changes that have been beneficial to the industry as a whole, but more importantly beneficial to Actrol customers.
Whether it’s the added value of a branch moving closer, a dependable refrigerant supply, greater access to products through more distribution centres, a superior product range, expanded and improved services and technical capabilities, or the industry’s most comprehensive website, Actrol continues to build on its reputation to be the very best supplier to local industry.
