25 August 2022 – CoolKit, the UK’s largest manufacturer of temperature-controlled vans, has appointed a graduate process improvement engineer to upturn operational efficiency across the business as it continues its strong growth trajectory.
Akash Kumar has joined the Burnley-based business via the Manchester Metropolitan University’s Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP), a UK-wide programme led by qualified graduates that helps businesses improve their competitiveness, innovation, and productivity through the sharing of knowledge, technology and skills.
CoolKit is widely recognised as a pioneer of highly innovative temperature-controlled and refrigerated light commercial van (LCV) conversions and conversion kits used by the pharmaceutical, foodservice, retail and courier sectors. It recently reported a revenue increase of 50% and a 233% surge in pre-tax profits for its financial year ending June 2022.
As part of his role, Akash – who holds a master’s in engineering management – will provide support to CoolKit’s senior management team. He will focus on operational efficiency, rethinking and maximising existing systems and processes to increase output for its customers, and unlock more value for the business.
In addition, he will be working on the design and implementation of a new modular customisation solution that will enable CoolKit to reduce manufacturing time and meet the needs of the evolving refrigerated LCV industry as it targets international markets.
Commenting on the appointment, Danny Hough, head of technical and development at CoolKit said, “We’re delighted to welcome Akash to the team and look forward to taking advantage of the Knowledge Transfer Partnership to see how we can evolve the way we work and further increase our product innovation.”
Akash added: “It’s fantastic to have the opportunity to be part of the CoolKit team through the KTP. I was initially attracted to the business as it is already a market leader. It’s an exciting time to join as there is so much opportunity to support its growth and expansion. I look forward to working with all departments to see how we can increase efficiencies across the board.”
Since 2005, CoolKit has solved the complex transportation problems faced by temperature-controlled fleet operators, optimising the productivity of their light commercial vehicle (LCV) fleets, whilst also aiming to minimise the associated owning and running costs. CoolKit’s product range uniquely includes van conversions and box bodies, ready-converted vans, kit-form conversions, and portable refrigerated containers.
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