18
INTERVIEW THE BIG
IN ASSOCIATION WITH:
by Ged Henderson
KEEPING HIS COOL
Rupert Gatty is still getting used to his new business role and you get the distinct impression that he’s not finding all aspects of the transition particularly easy.
The founder of CoolKit, the UK’s largest specialist in temperature-controlled vans and winner of the medium business category in this year’s Red Rose Awards, is stepping away from the day- to-day management of the business to concentrate on strategic development.
And to enable that to happen, CoolKit has recently completed a restructuring of its executive team. Rupert, who has worked hard to recruit what he describes as “consummate professionals” to key roles, describes it as a “crucial, transformational step change” for the business.
However, he admits taking that step back is a personal challenge: “I’m still remonstrating with myself how to remove myself from certain processes. It’s a transition that is still ongoing and I worry that I might become too distant and not have an adequate handle on what’s going on.
“I’m on a journey. The less day-to-day issues there are to think about, the more clearly can I concentrate on strategy implementation and innovation. And it is really good to see people taking ownership of their particular domain. It will make us a stronger proposition.”
Rupert has promoted finance director Daniel Miller, who joined the business last year to
oversee digital transformation and growth, to managing director.
Motor industry veteran Mike Scappaticci has arrived as sales director, joined by Matthew Kershaw, a highly experienced engineer and director of the influential Northern Automotive Alliance, as head of operations.
With an ambitious plan for growth, the first target for CoolKit’s team is to optimise manufacturing output to meet the increasing demand for its products – which include temperature-controlled van conversions and insulated box bodies, ready converted vans and portable refrigerators.
Chief executive Rupert, who launched the Burnley-based business in 2005, is massively enthused by the direction of travel. He says: “I’ve never been more excited about the prospects for the business. I feel we are on the springboard.”
He explains there wasn’t one single ‘light-bulb moment’ when he realised the need to bring in top level expertise to aid the growth journey he was embarking on.
Instead, he says: “I was always inclined to bring in people with more skills and more experience to try and help us and recognised the fact the whole business needed to be more accountable on all fronts moving forward. It can be really challenging but if you persevere you can find the right people.
“We are now at the stage where we have the
opportunity to really accelerate, and we are making some really substantial decisions to facilitate that acceleration.”
Those decisions include deciding which major investments will enable doubling of production by early 2024 and exactly which products will most effectively target the expanding e-grocery sector and its transition to net zero.
CoolKit has that drive to net zero firmly in its sites. For some time now it has been developing a range of innovative conversions for electrically powered vehicles (EVs) by addressing the multiple challenges of payload, range and total cost of ownership (TCO).
The work includes collaboration with world- class vehicle manufacturers such as Ford and Stellantis. They have engaged with CoolKit at an engineering level to benefit from their specialisation. Sales of EV conversions for temperature-controlled deliveries are now up to around six per cent and growing steadily.
The new management team has also devised a clear strategy to secure national customers with large light commercial vehicle (LCV) fleets, building upon the company’s traditional customer base of smaller fleet operators.
With a clear ESG agenda now defined, Rupert says the company has a clear focus on upskilling its workforce – with the added benefit of improving its versatility.
He adds that a new employee strategy has also been developed. It includes an employee
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