HEATING “W
hen you’re not ‘one of the big boys’, you need to set out your stall differently,” says Nigel
Jefferson, commercial drector at Sunderland- based Secon Renewables. That recognition has helped Secon transition from its USP as an early adopting renewables distribution business, to operating successfully in a market where renewables is now becoming more mainstream and everyone is trying to cash in. The response has been a careful strategy of adding customer value to allow it to sustain a premium service. This has seen the company win the prestigious Heat Pump Distributor of the Year Award twice in recent years. Secon Renewables started out in 1998 selling solar pump stations, solar controllers and pipework. It was bought by Grafton in 2009, prior to the addition of air source heat pumps to its range in 2013. Following a management buy-out in 2017, the company has been an independent merchant ever since. The business has grown – turnover has trebled in three years – as the product range and suppliers have increased. Today, the company carries in the region of £2 million of stock, offering a next day delivery service, anywhere in the UK and Ireland and to destinations as far as Dubai and the Falkland Islands. At the end of 2022, Secon moved from a 5,000 ft warehouse to a 27,000 sq ft facility with the ability to ramp up on demand. In order to protect its position and remain competitive in a still burgeoning heat pump market that is now courted by all the big manufacturers and merchants, Secon is fully utilising its heritage and technical expertise in the design and installation of heat pumps and low temperature heating systems. “Whilst we strive to be as competitive as possible in the market, we have a different, service-based, proposition to the larger merchants. We have to deliver something other than just low price as an incentive,” explains Jefferson.
“Not all merchants and manufacturers have good or easily accessible technical support. We wanted to be different to a standard merchant and provide technical knowledge on call, in- house. In 2022, we employed a heat pump installation engineer to provide customer support and it’s been very well received. He is taking the often lengthy and complicated manufacturer heat pump manuals and making quick start guides consisting of schematics and diagrams, something traditional merchants don’t have the scope to do.”
“We also set up a training academy, with a fully functional heat pump system, where we can take installers from design basics through,
Viessmann Vitocal 150-A and 151-A domestic air source heat pumps are now available through Secon Renewables.
PROUD TO BE DIFFERENT
BMJ finds out how Secon Renewables is setting itself apart
Right: Secon Renewables is now a stockist of Viessmann’s Vitocal 150-A/151-A domestic air source heat pump range. The distributor carries over £2 million of stock in its 27,000 sq ft warehouse with the ability to ramp up on demand.
installation, wiring, commissioning to trouble shooting diagnosis. Any manufacturer’s heat pump can be connected to the system, for manufacturer-tailored training. We are also accredited to deliver some manufacturers’ training on their behalf.
“The third element has been the
introduction of Secon Installer Pro software, an MCS tool for installers entering the heat pump market, which is provided free of charge. It assists with heat loss calculations, radiator sizing and all the MCS paperwork,” he says. “Thanks to these initiatives, we have a loyal installer customer base, businesses we’ve directly helped to grow. We also support other merchants that may not have the in-house technical capability. Installers sometimes come to us for the first time and comment that they can buy a heat pump a few pounds cheaper elsewhere, but once they have tried us, they realise that we can offer cost savings to their business. For instance our quick start guides
January 2025
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net
and telephone support can save hours of an installers time on a job, not to mention the time the Installer pro software saves.”
Adding to the line-up Secon Renewables has now partnered with Viessmann Climate Solutions UK to become a stockist of its popular domestic air source heat pump range, the Vitocal 150-A/151-A. “We had been looking to get Viessmann on board for some time. We already distribute the majority of Viessmann’s solar thermal systems in the UK and are therefore very pleased to have developed a mutually-beneficial supply deal for air source heat pumps as well. “We are really impressed with the Viessmann’s MCS umbrella Access scheme and Viessmann’s Vi-Guide technical service App. Together, our various initiatives provide a significant helping hand to heat pump installers, introducing them to the industry in the right way,” concluded Nigel Jefferson. BMJ
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