IN THE HOT SEAT


In the Hot Seat


Q. When did you start at Diff usion, and what experience to you bring to the role?


A. I joined Diff usion at the beginning of July this year. I came from Johnson Controls, where I had spent the last two years as head of sales for HVAC covering UK and Ireland. My career started as a technical support engineer for the ADT brand, which is also owned by Johnson Controls. From there I moved into sales where I progressed into sales leadership becoming an account director for the global accounts team and ultimately sales director for the oil, gas and marine business. Six years ago, I joined the HVAC division at Johnson Controls. My background has given me a deep understanding of the industry, especially in terms of helping customers and teams navigates challenges in the HVACR sector.


Q. How familiar are you with the ACR Sector, and how has your previous experience prepared you for your role at Diff usion? A. I have been heavily involved in the ACR Sector for the last six years running sales teams in the HVACR industry, with multiple routes to market. This included the supply and commission of large chillers and air handling units into the contractor space, which involved design and specifi cation. I also looked after the retrofi t sales team and the service sales parts of the business too. So, I have had good oversight of the opportunities and challenges within the ACR sector. This experience gave me valuable insight into the market dynamics, including the growing importance of energy effi ciency and carbon reduction. So, I feel well prepared to help Diff usion engage more with customers in this space.


Q. What is your strategy going forward? A. Our key strategy is to build momentum by


focusing on innovation, customer engagement 26 December 2024 • www.acr-news.com


and fostering a winning culture. Diff usion has already produced some award-winning products, with our new Modular Highline 235 fan coil range winning the ‘Product or Innovation of the Year – Thermal Comfort’ category of the CIBSE Building Performance Awards 2024. We need to build on these successes by expanding our presence in the ACR market, particularly in areas like refurbishment projects. As we head towards the UK’s 2050 net-zero


target it has become more important than ever before for manufacturers to help specifi ers create low carbon buildings by innovating to develop the next generation of fan coil units. We are positioning ourselves as the go-to supplier for energy effi cient, low-carbon solutions that meet the evolving needs of commercial buildings.


Q. What opportunities do you see for Diff usion, especially considering current market trends? A. Refurbishment is a huge opportunity. According to the Construction Products


Association’s recent report ‘Construction Industry Forecasts 2024-2026’ total construction output is forecast to fall by 2.9% in 2024 for FY25 there’s a bit of bounce back of 2%. But one exciting area that the report mentions is the refurbishment space. Firms working in commercial refurbishment and change of use in existing commercial developments are continuing to report strong activity. This is crucial since 80% of the buildings that will exist in 2050 are already built, so the focus has to be making these structures more energy effi cient and sustainable. With our expertise and knowledge at Diff usion we are well positioned to help support contractors in tackling these complex retrofi t projects.


Facilities management (FM) companies are also going to have a part to play. Many large FMs now have contracting arms which are increasingly focusing on major decarbonisation refurbishment projects but they need help and support. We are fi rmly placed to off er this as we have the expertise, we have the knowledge, and we have


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ACR News speaks to Jason Pendlebury, Diff usion’s newly appointed sales director – commercial and industrial, to discuss his vision for the company and his insights within the air conditioning and refrigeration sector.


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