One of the major HVAC organisations, Dantherm Group has appointed a new Group Service VP - Karl Lowe to enhance service and spare parts across our global offices.
Karl Lowe brings with him 22 years of experience and knowledge of the HVAC service industry. Karl completed a three-year apprenticeship as a refrigeration engineer at the start of his career and then went on to do a BA Hons degree in Facilities Management. In his most recent roles he was UK Service Manager at Fläkt Woods for three-years, before being appointed UK & Ireland Service Manager and then European Service Manager at Munters for the past four-years.
With full responsibility for all Dantherm's Service and Spare Parts, Karl's goal for the first year will be to develop a winning structure and strategy for the Groups' service business and create a sustainable blueprint to enable double-digit growth in the years ahead.
To find out more we sat down with him to discuss his plans for the coming year and his long-term plans for the business.
What do you hope to achieve in your new position?
Karl LOWE: "I want to train our people and help them become a world leading service team and to raise the profile of service within the Dantherm Group and ensure that it achieves its true potential. My aim is to create a service organisation that has a culture of trust, empowerment and drive to be better.
What goals have you set for 2019?
K.L: 2019 is going to be a challenging and exciting year for myself and my team and I am excited about meeting all staff in our international offices to discuss, develop and implement the new service strategy.
Training the service management teams are key to implement the global objectives that I have set. This year we will be creating a training academy at our headquarters in Skive which I will take full advantage of to develop each member's skill set to deliver the first-rate service organisation I want the Group to become.
What is your vision for Dantherm Group Service?
K.L: To become a world class service organisation, generating high growth and becoming a partner of choice for our customers.
What does service mean to you?
K.L: Trust, innovation and out of the box thinking. Service is at the forefront of any HVAC business, we are the first to react when our clients need help in the field, it's vital that we lead by example create strong partnerships with our clients. No two years in service are the same and to continue to grow and develop we must innovate and think out of the box. What worked last year may not work this year, we must continue to learn and grow by taking ourselves out of our comfort zone.
I see service very much as a partnership between product and service. Good product needs good service. If service is weak then the product suffers, and our clients take their business elsewhere. Strong service benefits all.
Where do you see Dantherm Group service in 5-years' time?
K.L: An outstanding service organisation with double-digit growth of circa 15% year on year with a fully operational Service Training Academy and a Spares Centre up and running. I want to increase the number of service employees with our clients repeatedly scoring our Service organisation exceptional in client feedback surveys.
My ambition is that Dantherm Group Service within five-years will be a viable and sustainable business generating growth for the wider business.
With a challenging year ahead what are your interests outside work?
K.L: I love training at the gym, keeping active and spending time with my wife and two daughters."