WR Refrigeration press release

[careerman]

New press release from WR Refrigeration

[Fixitman]

Well I'm surprised that there have been no comments on this post yet .
Well IMO it sucks . It does effect me and a lot more ppl .
The md has his roadshows to tell us how good he is and how well we are doing .
But he doesn't show his face with news .

[install monkey]

most companys have the top nob that spout s**t and talk about restructuring and new horizons, just an excuse for them to cut overheads,streamline the company,boost his profits and shift some of the f**kwits that arent team members!- our gaff is the same

[tony--1]

most companys have the top nob that spout s**t and talk about restructuring and new horizons, just an excuse for them to cut overheads,streamline the company,boost his profits and shift some of the f**kwits that arent team members!- our gaff is the same

They aren't shifting any f**kwits but loosing admin,stores,branch managers,supervisors all been put on redundancy notice .
Yes you could say they are ****wits but you need ppl behind the engineer

[careerman]

This can only get worse for WR on the announcement of Tesco reducing new stores this year and all major retailers cutting back on store revamps. i think they expanded too much last year which was not sustainable in 2013. There cash flow must be rock bottom?????

[Copperteck]

Yet again a new md comes in saying hes going to be a peoples person and goes around saying how the branch network is our point of difference, then the next thing they are shutting branches! I just hope he knocks the branch road shows on the head as I'm not sure i could sit there and listen whilst he spouts another load of rubbish again. Lets face it were all just mushrooms at the end of the day.

[careerman]

I just hope he knocks the branch road shows on the head as I'm not sure i could sit there and listen whilst he spouts another load of rubbish again.

Well he wont have so may branches too visit on his future road shows.I would advise all employees to have a plan B just in case, grab a job before the market is saturated with EX WR employees.
£62 million turnover and only showing £80,000 profit amazing NOT. He ought to change the management and recruit some good people who can actually run a business, like a decent financial director who knows whats going on.

[NB12]

This is odd I was under the impression WR had really turned things around from making big losses back into profit.

[careerman]

Very low moral, no company cars available, no bonus, no wage rise, suppliers on stop not good here at HQ

[Copperteck]

You'd be in a better position to know being at head office. I've heard a couple of rumours about whats going on but I do wonder where these start and how information gets. I have noticed an increase in being on the stop a lot more as of late, but as we get told people only give us 60 days and we don't pay till 90. In what respect are company cars not available? I thought they were only given to set people anyway?. If you think moral us low up there you want to be out on the tools. Everyone speculating whats going to happen. I myself can't see it working well but well only know once the big red button has been pushed I suppose!

[careerman]

New boy in the company Richard Crotty promoted to 2nd in command, national contracts manager must be spitting dust.

[Copperteck]

I'm sure he's not the only one who will be spitting dust! I really hope these changes end up surprising us all and making the company a better place but I have my reservations. I for one am proud to wear the wr logo and everything that comes with it and I know a lot of others that are too. I don't go to jobs with the I don't care outlook like some other companies seem too. I just hope those at the very top care as much as those further down the ladder!!!

[coolhibby1875]

I'm sure he's not the only one who will be spitting dust! I really hope these changes end up surprising us all and making the company a better place but I have my reservations. I for one am proud to wear the wr logo and everything that comes with it and I know a lot of others that are too. I don't go to jobs with the I don't care outlook like some other companies seem too. I just hope those at the very top care as much as those further down the ladder!!!

Hi Copperteck, i am sure there are other things at play in the back ground, i think when it all settles down there will be an anouncement about a take over, it's a shame that a lot of good admin people out there in the branches are being made redundant, but the truth is, this should have happened a long time ago, there is just no need for 18 branches in the uk, there are branches within 30 miles of other branches, i would not be supprised if they close the remaining 5 branches within the next couple of years also! we have always lacked the technolgy at WR to move with the times, but the introduction of the tablets and impending operating systems it should make things easier to control from a single point in Leicester, as from an engineering point nothing is changing, its just we are moving with the times, and as long as there are good people like yourself and i who are still proud to pull on the WR shirt then im sure we will go from forward posivtivly

[Grizzly]

Hi coolhibby.
This is an interesting post with I presume a vested interest to many who have posted here.
Most companies certainly within the South West have ,rationalised or downsized or re-grouped.
Irrespective of the name used or whether it's admin or engineers real people get hurt.
Any idiot can show a increase in profit and justify this modern course of action.

The sad truth is when you squeeze the system this tightly and many have.

The company rarely re-grows.
It is manging a shrinking empire.
This modern use of skilled labour is is stupid and counter productive,
So WR shutdown one depot here in Devon and run it from Birmingham.
A local customer phones for assistance. Who is going to take his call? What accent will the operative have?

The local guy ain't going to stay with WR for long.

I can name many before that have gone down this route, Buswells Hussman, General Refrigeration.
York / Johnson Controls, Grenco etc etc.

Our whole industry is littered with specialists sadly!

I commend you for being proud and loud!

No doubt you actually keep customers and make the company money!

Good staff are a huge asset and having been on both sides of the fence. The customer does not always like being given Bad News. But does appreciate the truth and definitely likes a local content.

Talk to some (if only they could admit it) who have walked away from the TUPE specialists.

Downsized and are making money.


I hope things work out for you guys?
You deserve it.

But as an outsider the shi* being peddled is still shi*!

Please don't believe this single point of service crap!
The point of service that counts is the one you attend every day.
Grizzly

[coolhibby1875]

Hi coolhibby.
This is an interesting post with I presume a vested interest to many who have posted here.
Most companies certainly within the South West have ,rationalised or downsized or re-grouped.
Irrespective of the name used or whether it's admin or engineers real people get hurt.
Any idiot can show a increase in profit and justify this modern course of action.

The sad truth is when you squeeze the system this tightly and many have.

The company rarely re-grows.
It is manging a shrinking empire.
This modern use of skilled labour is is stupid and counter productive,
So WR shutdown one depot here in Devon and run it from Birmingham.
A local customer phones for assistance. Who is going to take his call? What accent will the operative have?

The local guy ain't going to stay with WR for long.

I can name many before that have gone down this route, Buswells Hussman, General Refrigeration.
York / Johnson Controls, Grenco etc etc.

Our whole industry is littered with specialists sadly!

I commend you for being proud and loud!

No doubt you actually keep customers and make the company money!

Good staff are a huge asset and having been on both sides of the fence. The customer does not always like being given Bad News. But does appreciate the truth and definitely likes a local content.

Talk to some (if only they could admit it) who have walked away from the TUPE specialists.

Downsized and are making money.


I hope things work out for you guys?
You deserve it.

But as an outsider the shi* being peddled is still shi*!

Please don't believe this single point of service crap!
The point of service that counts is the one you attend every day.
Grizzly

Hi Grizzly, i agree withwhat you are saying, however at WR 95% of our business is National works I.E all the major supermarkets, and most of the not so major! our customers want a single point of contact, and really dont care what acent they they have, they want real time reporting and information, and that is easier to manage through a call cntre backed up with decent it systems, as for regional business there will still be 5 service centres based through out the uk, staffed with the same engineers and management (just with different titles),
WR have proved with running service centres with dedicated call centre staff and engineers, that the customers like this and back it up with improved contracts better terms and conditions but more importantly giving us 5 year contracts, which inturn settles the work force, IE less TUPE transfers and getting a chance for engineers to settle down, this is only my take on it, but i think any company that doesnt adjust to the times, and carries on doing what it has alawys done will stagnate! as stated in my previous post there is more than likely someother things at play in the board room, i just hope its for the better/

[Grizzly]

Hi Coolhibby.
What you say makes sense.
I hope it all works out.

Good luck.
Not that good engineers need it.
Grizzly

[Copperteck]

Any more on this careerman

[tony--1]

Well first week of the new way and it can only get better . Don't think the customers well stand for it very long .

[careerman]

Any more on this careerman

Financial Director and National Contracts Manager have gone. Big boots with egg shells time, were all treading carefully.

[Copperteck]

What I've found flabbergasting is that they seem to think they can replace people who have years of experience ordering parts and sorting out who gets what jobs in what areas with people off the street who haven't got a clue. Yet again the engineers are left to try and bring some kind of order to the madness. We're left to deal with the customer and answer questions. We can see its not working as it should, but no one asks us how we think it would work better and more efficiently. Pen pushers with no experience fixing anything, who know nothing about refrigeration trying to tell us how we should do things. Total madness. I hope people at wr read this thread and realise what there doing might have good intentions but as it stands today they need to listen to us engineers fast. Nearly 2000 views and not many people willing to post!

[hookster]

Hi all and for my 2p worth at least WR are retaining technicians and customer base. The reality is in the modern word that replication of duties is a waste of time effort and money. Think when you want to track a parcel you don't want to chase all over the country looking for a local depot! You want to phone 1 number, find out where it is and when it will arrive. Centralised operations is the future and companies need to embrace this. There are a lot moving to this method of operation but the bigger companies struggle to embrace it with the technology required and changes to methods of operation. It takes investment and changing mind set for it to work well and efficiently. As the economy shrinks, the service industry will be squeezed and squeezed. Mitie have pulled out of M&E as the profit is just not there. The centralising of service management to a central location lets you keep technicians on the road and in a countrywide spread while reducing the office wastage, negotiating greater volume discounts from suppliers, enable cross department support(enable staff with slack periods to be able to support overloaded departments) and maintain 1 set of terms and conditions for all. The supermarkets have experienced the same and if you look at Tesco they have had to reduce estate management etc. and centralise.

[careerman]

It takes investment and changing mind set for it to work well and efficiently. negotiating greater volume discounts from suppliers,.

Item 1, investment don't make me laugh, cost cutting more like. The MD always preached how proud he was of his 17 branches nationwide. As soon as the penny dropped that the company only made £56K on a £68 million turnover the branches soon got the chop.

Item 2, volume discounts lol you have to pay what you owe first.

Item 3, get ready for a sale notification.

If WR survive the current situation it will be a miracle of biblical proportions and we will talk about it for years.

I could not name 1 employee at head office who is not seeking employment elsewhere.

[Copperteck]

Careerman, two more posts and I think I can pm you. Hookster I totally agree than centralisation of a business in today's economy would make sense. The problem I have is this is a rushed change with what seems little thought for how it will work. All the engineers know the rumour behind all this but no one will really tell us. I've talked with people from the newly stated call centre and I can tell the strain there under. Everthing career man has said is 100% true and I know it. As I said earlier at what point will they realise thing needs can't work as they are now. Maybe they don't care at the top, if the rumours are true !

[Magoo]

It is a global problem for any service company that focuses on supermarket work.

[careerman]

A quick WR history lesson, why did an Icelandic bank buy the Huurre Group from Bridgepoint capital an investment company in 2003. The get rich scheme by bankers investing money and receiving a quick return with no real money changing hands.One problem the bank crash and all of a sudden no working capital available from Icelandic bank Kaupthing.

Result was no overdraft facility from the bank plus the massive repayment structure required paying back to Kaupthing. In real terms meaning no cash flow what so ever available for WR, unless the MD travelled to Finland cap in hand and on bended knee. Once again we are on the stop with all suppliers the key thing here is the date 21st which is pay day at WR Refrigeration.

Unfortunate for WR is Kaupthing is in a finacial pickle as all the banks are which in real terms mean WR are available to the highest bidder which shouldn't be alot with book debts or cash reserves.

Only one more post copperteck

[careerman]

Forgot to mention EPTA is being banded around the office as the potential buyer + the IT department have introduced very high security on computers concerning certain web sites so i can only post when at home these days.

[Copperteck]

You have some very interesting comments career man. Ill pm you shortly!

[jonjon]

Quite interesting it sounds like they've hit the self distruct button. It's not the only firm run by people who have no idea.

[monkey spanners]

Seems anyone supplying supermarkets, either with produce or services is on borrowed time, they don't pay enough to make the job profitable.

[r.bartlett]

Seems anyone supplying supermarkets, either with produce or services is on borrowed time, they don't pay enough to make the job profitable.

You can make money, you just have to be smarter than them. The problem lies in the fact that most think they are smarter: it's only when they go bust they find out that isn't the same thing...

[Magoo]

Hello r Bartlett can you share your insight and knowledge of how to break the grip on our industry by super market operators globally.

[RONB]

Careerman

You work for WR and you will know the reason why we only made such a small profit last year. Some of the managerial and company structure has been changed. No one wants to see people loosing their jobs but if you look at the big picture this company can go places. The contracts department are extremely busy,the service restructure may take a while to bed in etc but I am sure
it will get there. We are the lucky ones to still be in a job and if we all knuckle down and try to do our best for the company the only way is up. It may take a while to get back to making a decent profit but we are the only ones that can help this to be achieved. With the company having numerous customers we are in a position that some of our competitors would love to be in. Also just to let you know I am not management I'm just one of the lads on the tools.

[careerman]

Hi RONB

Managers within the WR organisation received the bomb shell during the last review meeting in Derby which was announced at the end of the day and was a complete shock to all concerned. So many individuals put their life on hold for the company during the last 18 months under great pressure and certain individuals suffered from stress related problems. The current restructure could have been implemented with more thought towards long time service employees rather than a quick chop all conceived and implemented within 60 working days. I have worked @ WR in excess of 8 yrs in a mangaement position,which i have and still enjoy (sort of).

We have lost individuals who lived and breathed WR who were let down by the incompetance of the Financial Director. Words which will resonate within the group for years is "Operation Leopard" rather a strange name as leopards never change their spots. Another shock was the departure announcement of the National Contracts manager, after his long years of service the MD could not even be bothered and left it to his new 2nd in command. Maybe the MD's contract is up which should be within the next 8 months as i understand he only had a 3 year schedule.

I hope we come through this as we have some excellent managers and service staff but just how much more can we take??????? Another consideration is the skill set we have lost and should they decide whether too approach regional customers and set up their own companies. I for one would support any individauls in setting up their own companies off the back of WR and wish them well.

Far more reaching implications to come from Operation Leopard.

[chillerman2006]

bottom line here is the tesco and sainsburys teams make money being run from head office limiting overheads & office staff

the depots were not

its a purely business decision to make money by the bean counters

sadly jobs have gone but its the right time of year with plenty of jobs out there

the other choice was close the depots and make all redundent !

biggest issue I see working on the coal face is for every good engineer there are two that are nothing more than pipe slingers, winging it, causing recall after recall & good replacements are just not that easy to find

lowering recalls & gas useage is the way forward & then we might see some decent pay rises

until then I'll just be happy earning £50k+ for working on relatively simple equipment with door to door travel, decent van, 25 days holiday plus bank holidays, which adds up to a pretty good package in my eyes for turning nuts n bolts

[careerman]

until then I'll just be happy earning £50k+ for working on relatively simple equipment with door to door travel, decent van, 25 days holiday plus bank holidays, which adds up to a pretty good package in my eyes for turning nuts n bolts

Will you be just as happy when we introduce Monthly pay for engineers??????

[chillerman2006]

Will you be just as happy when we introduce Monthly pay for engineers??????

makes no odds to me mate, I am not tied to one part of the industry so when the package dont suit I'll find another

being remote & being run from a call centre with no monday morning engineer chat sharing faults & winding up the kings of recalls dont really suit me, but hey it still (at the minute) pays my bills and keeps my girls happy & in new shoes

no one likes change but its just enevitable

wait till everyone is run by tracker & the magic pens go !

now thats gonna be a firework show

[Copperteck]

Chillerman. The magic pens are long gone, I havnt used one for over a year, and were tracked by position using our tablets that does our job sheets amongst other things. Think you missed the fireworks, maybe you were busy in a chiller! ;-)

[careerman]

wait till everyone is run by tracker & the magic pens go !

now thats gonna be a firework show

Hope for the best, prepare for the worst, expect nothing, and you'll never get hurt.

[chillerman2006]

Chillerman. The magic pens are long gone, I havnt used one for over a year, and were tracked by position using our tablets that does our job sheets amongst other things. Think you missed the fireworks, maybe you were busy in a chiller! ;-)

Not all have yet {lokold still on pens/tesco team pda's} and only certain people are authorised to access tracker at present

When the big screens go up in the call centres showing real time location & wages are paid as per the tracker is still to come

there would have been no need for either the trackers or depot closures had profits been made

I wonder who knew that profits were not being made and who is to blame ?

[chillerman2006]

Hope for the best, prepare for the worst, expect nothing, and you'll never get hurt.

perfectly summed up careerman

[hookster]

Hillary Devey from Dragons Den has a saying "Turnover is vanity" "profit is Sanity". if this thought was applied more to business models there would be a lot more stable and successful businesses operating. I bet while WR heads to the bunkers to try and consolidate, its the competitors in our industry. Who will be turning the knives with their contracts and the supermarket buyers rubbing their hands together as they drive a better bargain.

[Copperteck]

The problem is as I see it

Supermarkets constantly need to show more profits>>>>

Supermarkets screw down prices, buy cheaper cabinets which break more, cut budgets On service and install>>>

Installs don't get check for quality anymore, so installs are thrown in and service pick up the mess. >>>>

Service side blow the service budget due to all of the above.

It's madness. Getting called out to calls in the middle of the night that could wait till the morning. Fixing the mess other companies make and you end up getting calls for when they leave site. Supermarkets expecting more and more for less and less money. It can't go on for ever and we seem to be in the middle of the explosion of businesses effected by it all. There is no winners. Even the supermarkets who think they win just get worse service!

[jonjon]

The problem is as I see it

Supermarkets constantly need to show more profits>>>>

Supermarkets screw down prices, buy cheaper cabinets which break more, cut budgets On service and install>>>

Installs don't get check for quality anymore, so installs are thrown in and service pick up the mess. >>>>

Service side blow the service budget due to all of the above.

It's madness. Getting called out to calls in the middle of the night that could wait till the morning. Fixing the mess other companies make and you end up getting calls for when they leave site. Supermarkets expecting more and more for less and less money. It can't go on for ever and we seem to be in the middle of the explosion of businesses effected by it all. There is no winners. Even the supermarkets who think they win just get worse service!

Thats why big customers expect a champagne service on a shandy budget it simply doesn't work,then They get arsey when the shops in the shi?e!!

[careerman]

After only 10 days of service being handled by head office which has been awful it all gets handed back to the remaining 5 regional offices. No more individual offices or meeting rooms in Leicester as all being removed for new staff. Directors not happy with loosing their cosy private rooms.

[install monkey]

Even I know many company of Refrigeration has made a number of management appointments designed to further strengthen the business and improve its service to customers.

Apex has designed & installed green and energy air conditioning system

wtf has apex air con system got to do with a fridge company restructuring?

[Grizzly]

wtf has apex air con system got to do with a fridge company restructuring?

You said it I thought it IM.
Wait for the sales pitch!
Pity about the quality of the English Used!
Grizzly

[chillerman2006]

wtf has apex air con system got to do with a fridge company restructuring?

haha green background for RE & Blue is facebook or is your language allowed here now you have all them green squares

[careerman]

Central call centre now classed as a failure in the short term, more work required. Remaining regionals back in charge of service. Rumors growing stronger on EPTA completing purchase of WR.
Waitrose were not happy at all and gave WR 5 days for rectification of service centre failure or bye bye waitrose.

[careerman]

Discussions with Epta have failed as they did not want the whole group, huurre. Deal has collapsed so no improvement in WR's financial situation.

[careerman]

Sale notification within the next 2 weeks and it looks like WR owners will be from across the water, a little further than expected. The land of the rising Sun continues its advance.