Joining from Manchester-based HVAC contractor Thermatic after seven years with Capital Cooling, John James Officer brings a new perspective to the Hitachi direct sales team.

Having been employed at the contractor/installer end with both Thermatic and Capital Cooling, he has a wealth of knowledge and understanding of the market from the contractor’s perspective which will help Hitachi deliver the products, service and support customers are looking for.

Commenting on his appointment, he said: “Now is a very exciting time to join Hitachi as not only are they a well-known brand in the industry with very good equipment, but even better releases are on the horizon. They have ambitious goals and I was impressed by the passion and planning in place to achieve them.

“I’ve really enjoyed the intensive product training at Hitachi’s UK aircademy training centre – which is freely available to all Hitachi customers - and getting out on the road and meeting current customers, finding out how we can best support their businesses moving forward.”

Hitachi’s managing director for the UK and Ireland, Gboyega Obafemi, summed up the new appointment: “It’s a challenging time in the industry but Hitachi is at the forefront of innovation and we are delighted to have John on board, looking after our customer base in the north. Splitting his time between customer sites and the Uddingston office, his background will help strengthen our existing relationships while building trust with our new customers.”