Skelton honoured at ACR News Awards

UK: Marks & Spencer’s technical manager John Skelton won this year’s Alan Moor Award for contributions to the industry at last night’s ACR News Awards in London.

The event enjoyed by 200 people at Plaisterer’s Hall in the City also saw triple award success for air conditioning distributor Cool Designs and humidity control company Humidity Solutions.

A fellow of the Institute of Refrigeration, John Skelton can boast 40 years’ experience in the refrigeration industry since starting as a refrigeration apprentice at Sainsbury’s. During his career which covered the many facets of refrigeration engineering, he also spent six years at energy monitoring and refrigerant detection equipment company Parasense, latterly as group projects manager. He joined M&S in 2019 after a second stint of 13 years at Sainsbury’s where he became senior engineering manager.

Outside of the 9 to 5, Skelton has worked tirelessly for the wider industry in roles that have included chair of the BRA end user group, vice president of the BRA, IoR board trustee, ACRIB director and founder and chair of the the current IoR education and training committee.

It was also a big night for Surrey-based Humidity Solutions, bagging the Humidity Control Product of the Year award for its Vapac VE electrode boiler, as well as winning the award for the best humidity control project. To top it off, the company also won Technical Support Team of the Year.

Meanwhile, Gateshead-based Cool Designs Ltd won the much sought after Wholesaler/Distributor of the Year title, while also seeing staff members Peter Bradley and Shawni Dunn picking up individual awards. Cool Designs product manager Bradley was recognised as Technical Support Engineer of the Year, while Dunn won the Trainee of the Year award.

The full list of 21 awards and winners were:

Air Conditioning Product of the Year
Carrier
IdroFan 36XH Hybrid Hydronic Terminal

Refrigeration Project of the Year
G&O Refrigeration and Bitzer UK
Lee Valley Ice Centre

Commercial Air Source Heat Pump of the Year
Swegon
BlueBox Omicron Zero

Domestic Air Source Heat Pump of the Year
Panasonic Heating and Cooling
Aquarea R290 L Series air-to-water heat pump

Trainee of the Year
Shawni Dunn, Cool Designs

Chiller Product of the Year
KGM Refrigeration and Bitzer UK
AMChill

Industry Initiative of the Year
Area Cooling Solutions
Areacademy and virtual reality training tool

Air Conditioning Project of the Year
Ciat
The Seagreen offshore wind farm project

Refrigeration Product of the Year
Energy Recovery
PX G1300

Accessory of the Year
Samon
Glaciär Midi

Humidity Control Product of the Year
Humidity Solutions
Vapac VE Electrode Boiler

Training Provider of the Year
Meridian RACHP Training

Wholesaler/Distributor of the Year
Cool Designs

Environmental Initiative of the Year
Sensibo
Air Pro

Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Award
IoR Women in RACHP

Community initiative Award
A-Gas

Humidity Control Project of the Year
Humidity Solutions

Technical Support Engineer of the Year
Pete Bradley, Cool Designs

Technical Support Team of the Year
Humidity Solutions

Customer Service Team of the Year
Smiths Brothers Stores

Alan Moor Award
John Skelton, M&S