australia
Breaking the mould
An innovative Australian
home ventilation company is looking to bring a breath of fresh air to the UK housing
market. RUPERT BATES reports from Sydney
Sipping coffee and grazing on an omelette in a Sydney restaurant at The Rocks, former Australia rugby captain George Gregan is the picture of health, looking as fit as he did playing a world record 139 Test matches for his country. Gregan’s main business these days is coffee, helping his wife Erica run a collection of GG Espresso cafes across Sydney. But he is also now in the housing game as the face of Ventis, an Australian home ventilation
company currently exploring the opportunity to expand its rapidly growing franchise operation into Britain and work with UK housebuilders. Fresh air was in abundance (unless
the scrum-half was caught at the bottom of a ruck) on the playing fields of the world that Gregan graced with such distinction, including winning the Rugby World Cup with the Wallabies in 1999. But air indoors is another matter, and Ventis, as well as the economic, energy-efficient advantages of a warming and cooling system filtering fresh air, is marketing the health benefits of its product. A Ventis system seemingly has the same effect on dust mites as Australian fast bowler Mitchell Johnson on England batsmen. “Ventis removes harmful dust,
allergens, toxins and outside pollutants from the home, as well as damp, mould, mildew, household odours and condensation,” says Gregan, who became involved with the company when Ventis installed its system in his
(l-r) Blair Milnes, Michael Kennedy, George Gregan, Dave Kennedy
mother-in-law’s house. His parents have also since had Ventis put in. “Poor indoor air quality is the cause of a wide range of health concerns, from headaches and tiredness, to more severe conditions such as asthma and allergic responses, especially in children and the elderly,” adds Gregan. He now has an equity stake in Ventis,
run by brothers Dave and Michael Kennedy and Blair Milnes, who all worked in the ventilation industry before setting up their own company. “The product is designed to create
healthier, more comfortable homes,” comments commercial director Dave Kennedy. “Our product is a ducted home
ventilation system that captures naturally warm and cool air to warm and cool a house. It takes hot air from the roof space, pushes it through medical grade filters and distributes it throughout the home,” says Kennedy. “Cool air can also be taken from outside the house at night during
62| January 2014 showhouse
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