Wilo has announced a new appointment to its Business Development Team to support merchants and colleges across the UK.
Joining existing member Chris Gray, Oli Thurlow (pictured) has been appointed to Wilo’s Business Development Team with the pair set to travel the UK to support merchants and young installers.
The move is said to signify Wilo’s continuing commitment to improving residential dwellings as it aims to heighten awareness and education about how energy efficiency can help ease the cost-of-living crisis. With Oli and Chris on the road, merchants and colleges up and down the country will have free access to education on how heating and hot water circulator products can reduce energy bills.
With Oli covering the north, and Chris covering the south, the pair bring over 19 years of experience between them. Both business development representatives will be arranging trade mornings at merchant branches, using their Wilo vans to showcase the latest innovations in heating and hot water circulator pumps, sump pumps, macerators and more.
The plumbing industry is no stranger to Oli, as he has worked his way up from a plumbing apprenticeship to his new business development role at the efficiency-first manufacturer. Chris meanwhile is now approaching his fifth year in the sector.
On the outlook for the rest of the year, Chris said: “We’re seeing a steep increase of new customers, and that means there’s always a need to continue developing the presence of Wilo to provide the industry with high quality products that continue to push the boundaries of what’s gone before.
“One of those products I’m keen to share with merchants and installers is the Star-Z Nova T. This pump can work both for drinking water and secondary hot water applications and is packed full of features like an integrated time switch, thermostat and automatic thermal disinfection detection.”
He continued: “All these features can then go on to help meet legal requirements, such as protecting people from Legionnaires’ disease, in certain buildings like care homes and social accommodation. The opportunity of meeting new people behind the counter or on the tools is always exciting, and I’m particularly looking forward to supporting the future of our industry.”
With his background working with plumbing and heating merchants, Oli is keen to take this experience forward into his new role. He said: “I joined Wilo because of the outstanding reputation the company has for innovation. The Yonos-PICO is one of the most reliable and efficient pumps I have ever worked with. In such as competitive domestic pump market, this product really deserves to be the core range for national and independent merchants.”
Alongside merchant visits, Wilo is committed to inspiring and developing future industry talent. Oli and Chris will also be visiting colleges throughout the year to deliver talks and lectures to young installers. Their aim is to help them understand more about how residential pump systems work and their critical role in reducing energy bills.
Andy Thompson, National Sales Manager for Plumbing and Heating, said: “We are facing some of the most challenging times we have seen within the industry with lots of different information about energy-saving and pump efficiency, which isn’t always accurate. That’s why we feel even more strongly about having Chris and Oli going out to engage with merchants and installers, ensuring that those behind the counter and coming through the ranks are equipped with the right knowledge and products to tackle these issues. Simply ring or email them and they can come and do a visit to dispel any myths and ensure best practice.”
To contact Oli and Chris to arrange a branch trade morning, please contact Wilo at www.wilo.co.uk/merchant-support-team
