Former ICS men invest in Aqua

UK: Experienced chiller specialists Philip Wilson and Russell Wilson have joined the board of Hampshire-based chiller company Aqua in a large-scale investment in the business. 

The Wilsons, who were intrinsically involved in ICS Cool Energy, join Aqua’s board alongside the company’s original founders, Kevin Lancaster and Simon Davis. Philip Wilson will take on a consultative role as non-executive director, while Russell Wilson will be active within the hire side of the business.

Aqua was founded in 2001, focusing primarily on industrial and process cooling. A service business was formed five years later, with Aqua acquiring Stadco Cooling in 2010. Aqua won a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in 2015, and 2018 saw the launch of a hire division.

“Aqua has established itself as a market leader for technically-led cooling solutions but Kevin and I recognised we needed capital investment to move to the next level,” explained Simon Davis. “We have a great team with an over-arching belief that we can be number one in our industry. Phil and Russell joining us will be key to delivering that aspiration.”

Initially the new investment will be directed towards rental equipment, new premises, and personnel. 

Commenting on the investment, Russell Wilson said: “We aim to combine Aqua’s 20-year legacy and reputation with our industry experience, to create something really quite special for the marketplace. From a hire perspective, Aqua is now positioned to offer customers technical expertise, site specific hire solutions and a technically innovative fleet of equipment.”