From small beginnings to a £25-million enterprise, Coolair Equipment delivers cutting-edge HVAC solutions with a customer-centric ethos
National supplier of advanced cooling and heat pump systems, Coolair Equipment, has a reputation for second-to-none customer support and engineering excellence. The company combines a people-first approach to business with advanced technical abilities to provide a service that clients keep coming back for, as Managing Director, Mark Garstang, begins: “We’ve been operating in the industry since 1980, which makes next year our 45th anniversary. Originally, we were a distributor of air conditioning products for Toshiba and Daikin.
“The company then went through a transition phase in the early 1990s and eventually dropped the distributorship, focusing solely on becoming an air conditioning and ventilation contractor. Since then, we’ve gone from strength to strength. We grew into a large-scale contractor, with a bigger team of employees, and turnover of around £25 million a year. We have continued to refine our service offering, providing installation, commissioning and aftercare maintenance solutions provision to clients across the UK.
“Today we operate exclusively in the built environment and construction industry. We have a depth of in-house expertise that means we can install a range of products based on the design requirements of the structure. We deal with all the major manufacturers, such as Mitsubishi, Daikin, Toshiba, Samsung, and so on, so we can provide services on all the major equipment types.
Personal service
“We also provide design and build services. Our team includes some excellent mechanical engineers who work closely with clients to offer additional support with the product and project design. There’s also an after sales division, which looks after our commissioning of the equipment, as well as maintenance and repair services. Offering a wider range of services has helped us generate growth over the past few years – we take people from concept and design, all the way through to the completion of the project. Not only that, but we look after their equipment following completion of the installation, which lengthens its lifespan and offers greater value for money. Everything is offered as a single packaged service, meaning we can take a lot of stress and burden off the client. They’re not just getting a product; we’re also taking something off their to-do list.”
The company keeps its customer base close by prioritising people above all else. As Mark details: “We provide educational, personable, and flexible installation services catered to the client’s needs and schedule. We also present the products in a way that demystifies the process and allows our customer base to make informed decisions about what’s best for them. The support we provide at Coolair Equipment is unparalleled, and as a result we have a very high rate of repeat business. Our relationships with clients span years, sometimes even decades, and that’s because we’re easy to do business with. We operate in a way that makes it easy for clients to get the information, support, or service that they need.
“It has a lot to do with our company culture. We remain professional while being approachable and friendly. We’re knowledgeable and skilful, but we are adept at communicating that knowledge in a way that’s useful to everyone in the room. And, at the end of the day, we are highly capable at what we do. Our installations are high quality, and they come with a lifetime of maintenance and repair support. Not only this, but we’re able to maintain a high level of quality over long periods of time. That kind of reliability is increasingly hard to find, and it gives us an edge over the competition.
“I’m incredibly proud of our team. From the designers to the installation team, and the after sales division. Everyone works together as a well-oiled machine, and the proof is in the end product. The value of high-quality installation and maintenance is drilled into every member of staff, from the very beginning of their career with us. Everyone is highly trained, and as a result, our customers want to continue working with us.”
Community support
Extending its community spirit well beyond the office walls, Coolair Equipment is known to support its local football team, as well as local charities and community hubs: “Stalybridge Celtic is based just down the road from our Manchester Office. We’ve supported them by providing new kits — they’re in blue and white, which are the Coolair Equipment colours. I think it’s important to be a part of the community as much as possible. Sports sponsorship is a great way to get our name out there, while also doing something positive for the people in our surrounding area.
“Over the years, we’ve raised close to £1 million for a whole host of different charities. We’re a large company, and so we have a responsibility to give back to the people who’ve supported our success. Our staff are closely involved in choosing the charities we work with, and a lot of the causes we support are personal to our team members in some way. We’ve done sponsored bike rides, hosted numerous dinners, and we even did go-karting one time. It’s one of the most rewarding parts of running a business — it makes everything worthwhile,” Mark enthuses.
Keeping its community alive will no doubt safeguard the future of Coolair Equipment, as Mark concludes: “We want to continue growing over the coming years, but it’s important that we manage this growth responsibly. We want to be able to maintain the quality of our work, while distinguishing ourselves as a leading contractor in our industry. We’ll continue to prioritise our people, focus on training, and potentially invest in some of the latest technologies. Our goal is to ensure that our customers remain supported with up-to-date services that will keep them coming for another 45 years.”