Climalife is double winner at ACR Awards

UK: Refrigerant supplier Climalife was the big winner at last night’s ACR News Awards, winning two categories.

Over 300 guests at the new Vox conference centre at the NEC, Birmingham, saw Climalife pick up awards for Website of the Year with its F-gas solutions app and Environmental Project of the Year for its application of lower GWP refrigerant R449A in the Lincoln Co-op.

Toshiba also tasted success for the second time in less than a month with further acclaim for its SMMS-e VRF air conditioning system. Replicating its victory in the National ACR & Heat Pump Awards in January, Toshiba’s new VRF was chosen as Air Conditioning Product of the Year in the ACR Awards.

One of the highlights of the evening was a fine speech by Chris Baillie, winner of the silver medal in Refrigeration at last year’s WorldSkills competition in Brazil. An apprentice with Belfast-based BL Refrigeration and Air Conditioning, Chris paid tribute to and presented this year’s competitors in the UK’s SkillFridge competition which is taking place at the NEC during this week’s ACR Show.

Himself a former SkillFridge Gold Medal winner, Chris described how the opportunity to subsequently represent the UK at the WorldSkills competition had been the best experience of his life. He revealed how it had helped him both professionally and personally, making him more dedicated, determined and driven. His presence and self-assured presentation on the night, from someone still so young, was testament to that and suggested that the industry had found itself a fine ambassador. 

Full list of winners

Training Initiative of the Year
Birmingham Society of Refrigeration & Air Conditioning

Website of the Year
Climalife

Contractor of the Year
Stonegrove Refrigeration

Marketing Initiative of the Year
Cool Science

Consultant of the Year
Business Edge

Environmental Project of the Year
Climalife

Environmental Product of the Year
Klima-Therm/Gree
PV-powered centrifugal chiller

Wholesaler/Distributor of the Year
Hawco

Refrigeration Product of the Year
Foster Refrigerator
Stayclear

Air Conditioning Product of the Year
Toshiba
SMMS-e VRF

Customer Service Award
Matthew Hearne, Capital Cooling

Alan Moor Award
Mike Duggan, technical manager, FETA

Related stories:

Chris Bailie wins Silver at WorldSkills – August 16, 2015
UK: Chris Bailie has won Silver in the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning category at WorldSkills 2015 in Brazil. Read more…

Toshiba VRF is Product of the Year – January 29, 2016