Finance Director Daniel Miller takes on the mantle of Managing Director with new additions in sales and operations to bolster experience
CoolKit, the UK’s largest specialist in temperature-controlled vans, has completed a restructuring of its executive team following the recent announcement of its record order intake of £20.1 million for 2022.
Founder and chief executive, Rupert Gatty has promoted finance director Daniel Miller – who joined the business last year to oversee digital transformation and growth – to managing director.
Motor industry veteran, Mike Scappaticci, has joined the business as head of fleet sales and is joined by Matthew Kershaw, a highly experienced engineer and director of the Northern Automotive Alliance, as head of operations.
With an ambitious plan for growth, the first target for CoolKit’s new team is to optimise production output to meet the increasing demand for its products – which includes temperature-controlled van conversions and insulated box bodies, ready converted vans and portable refrigerators – across its core customer sectors.
Commenting on this new direction for the business, Rupert, who launched Burnley-based CoolKit in 2005, said: “Bringing in consummate professionals in their respective fields to the business is a crucial, transformational step change for CoolKit.
“By creating an experienced executive team, we are now firmly out of the blocks for 2023. I’ve never been more excited about the prospects for the business as we support our customers on their journey towards more sustainable fleets by choosing alternatively fuelled vehicles and more.”
By promoting Daniel to managing director, Rupert’s intention is to step away from the day- to-day management of the business to concentrate on strategic development.
He said: “Daniel has already brought in a great deal of positive change across the business, and it is my intention now to allow him to build on that by focussing on strategy implementation and innovation.”
Chartered accountant Daniel joined the company in February 2022 from Finnish paper and energy technology supplier Valmet, where he was UK managing director.
He said: “I am excited by the opportunity to introduce new initiatives across the board – ones which will support employee retention, personal development and product quality.”
For the last 25 years, new head of fleet sales Mike worked within the Mercedes Benz commercial vehicle dealer network and headed up the e-Grocery side of the business for 12 years.
He said: “CoolKit already has a phenomenal business model, but it’s my intention to build further upon that by taking collaboration and communication to a new high.
“With my experience I intend to develop relationships with new prosepcts, and to strengthen relationships with existing customers.
“My role is to ensure that the company’s vision of seeing a CoolKit converted vehicle on every high street in the UK becomes a reality in the near-term.”
Quality, safety and efficiency are the aims of new head of operations Matthew, 47, who brings his career-long experience as an engineer in the automotive industry to CoolKit.
He spent 14 years with SETCO Automotive UK, a company designing turbochargers who worked directly with major OEM’s including Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo on the development of their engines from initial design, through vehicle testing, to supply to the customer. Matthew also holds a position as a director of the Northern Automotive Alliance, whom he assists by promoting and supporting the interests of the automotive industry across the Northern Powerhouse region.
He added: “CoolKit is a business which has clearly enjoyed substantial recent growth but is also one that still has enormous potential which I look forward to helping to realise.”
“As we aim to increase output to exceed 1,500 vehicles a year, I believe we need to embed the principles of quality, safety and efficiency – and that is what I am most excited about achieving.”
For more information about CoolKit, please visit www.coolkit.co.uk
