The recently expanded team will see David Swarbrick, Connor Miller, David Jones, Tony Wilson and Andrew Greenall looking after customers across the UK. ACV became part of Groupe Atlantic in 2018 and is keen on making use of the group’s brand synergies to grow its presence in the UK.
David Swarbrick has over 30 years’ experience in the industry. Starting out as an apprentice tradesman in Preston in 1987, he initially worked in several heating engineer roles as well as a fabrication workshop manager. Further project manager roles involved the financial, technical, and purchasing aspects of construction projects. From 2012 onwards, Mr Swarbrick was a senior engineer with BAE Systems which allowed him to collaborate with a wide range of projects and clients.
Mr Swarbrick commented on his new role as ACV business development manager for the North West of England: “In a previous job as a project manager, I installed ACV products and was extremely impressed by the performance which triggered my interest in the unique technology and product range. In a subsequent governance role, I used my ACV experience to specify the products and run consultant and installer presentations.
“With an inherent belief in the product and a varied background, I’m looking forward to working with the team and getting to know our customers.”
Connor Miller, who will be looking after the East and West Midlands, has a background in customer service and sales. He gained industry-relevant knowledge as an account manager for Mitsubishi Electric Europe. Selling heat pumps in North East Lincolnshire down to South West Wales, Mr Miller worked with high-profile developers.
He also dealt with contractors for the developers’ projects and merchant branches. In his most recent role as a sales engineer for Tek, he advised customers on natural ventilation products and grills/louvres in the Midlands and North Wales.
Mr Miller added about starting as a business development manager for ACV: “Meeting with Jason Hartigan, ACV’s national sales manager, and Darren Finley, Groupe Atlantic UK & ROI’s managing director for commercial products, in my interview, it was contagious hearing about their passion for ACV products and their unique advantages within the marketplace.
“When they mentioned ACV and Groupe Atlantic being like a family and the support being second to none, I immediately knew I wanted to join. I believe in the products that I’m selling and I’m looking forward to making ACV’s name well-known in the Birmingham and Midlands region.”
For the Home Counties and North London, ACV appointed David Jones as business development manager. With 16 years’ experience in the heating industry and a start as a self-employed domestic heating engineer, he has worked for energy provider Eon, various social housing contractors, and as technical support for Danfoss. Other roles involved sales and contract management for commercial applications such as for water heater manufacturer AO Smith and contractors.
Mr Jones commented: “Meeting Jason Hartigan, who was very enthusiastic about the brand, and hearing about the Tank-in-Tank technology was a real eye-opener. I think it’s a great USP and customers get a lot of ‘bang for their buck’. As the name is largely unknown in my area, I’m keen to take on the challenge and spread the word, I truly believe that ACV is the industry’s best-kept secret.
“My background allows me to support our customers with knowledge and experience from the sector. Another advantage of working for ACV is the diverse team we have in place now where everybody helps each other out.”
Tony Wilson joined the company to look after the South West. He had been working for Heatforce ever since he joined the business in 2004 as an apprentice. With experience in installing maintaining and designing heating systems for the last 15 years, he has moved on from being a senior engineer to a surveyor role which was focussed on sales and customer service.
Mr Wilson said: “I’m from three generations of industry workers and love a new challenge. During my time at Heatforce, I’ve come across a lot of ACV products and knew how well they performed. When I talked to Jason Hartigan who told me about ACV’s mission and innovative developments such as the Tank-in-Tank technology, it made me even more excited about joining the company.
“I’m looking forward to working with my colleagues who have been incredibly welcoming since I’ve started, but also to getting to know new clients and introducing them to ACV’s products.”
Andrew Greenall, who will be looking after the North East, is the last appointment for the ACV sales team. As a degree qualified building services engineer with experience working for both consultancies and contractors, he has held positions dealing with design, estimating and project management from small domestic to large commercial projects.
Mr Greenall noted: “I was initially attracted to ACV through Jason Hartigan. Having worked with him in a previous role, I was confident that joining ACV would be a positive career choice. In addition to working with Jason, I was already impressed by ACV’s exceptional product range in heating and hot water equipment, so much so that I used to specify it in a previous role as a design consultant. So, all in all, I saw it as a great opportunity to work for a forward-thinking company with a good product range.”
Jason Hartigan himself added: “I’m pleased to say our sales force is now complete. We have ambitious plans for this year and we cannot wait to put them into action with the help of our diverse team.”