David MacRae RIP
18th July 2018
UK: David MacRae, a man whose name became synonymous in the UK air conditioning industry with both Carrier and Toshiba, has died.
In a career spanning nearly 50 years in consulting, contracting, manufacturing and distribution, MacRae was a British air conditioning pioneer and instrumental in helping to establish Carrier in the UK.
Before retiring in 2008, David MacRae had spent nearly 20 years with Carrier, first with distributors the How Group and, later DES. He was appointed Carrier Air Conditioning’s assistant MD when the US manufacturer acquired its UK distributors in the mid-80s.
He was later appointed to launch Carrier’s air conditioning distribution subsidiary Bryant Air Conditioning, selling branded Fujitsu equipment.
In 1989, MacRae started his own distribution business, Coldpoint, based in Sevenoaks, Kent. Coldpoint quickly became one of the leading Toshiba suppliers in the country.
Ten years later, after Toshiba reverted to direct sales, David MacRae joined Italian ac manufacturer Clivet as UK sales director. He eventually became MD before leaving to renew his association with Carrier as commercial director for Toshiba in November 2003.
At the time of his appointment, Carrier’s then UK MD David Appel (now president of Carrier Transicold) said: “I believe we have struck gold. It is unlikely that there is anyone else in the UK air conditioning industry quite as experienced or as gifted as David.”
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