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Eurovent Certification reinforces German ties
Each country has its stereotypes, and when it comes to manufacturing, Germany is renowned for the quality of its products. While German engineering enjoys an enviable reputation, competition in the HVAC and refrigeration (HVAC+R) industry remains fierce. In today’s world the savvy decision maker is not swayed by brand perception alone, and even the famous ‘Made in Germany’ stamp can be lost against a sea of rivals in an ultra-competitive market.
With regulations ever tightening, the digitalisation of the industry, and customers calling for innovation, reliability and energy efficiency, the German market is seeing an increasing demand for independently verified, up-to-date, certified product data. For those specifying, designing, installing, and buying HVAC and refrigeration systems, Eurovent certification ensures products perform as expected, can be directly compared for informed decision making, and that manufacturer claims can be trusted.
Due to its proud manufacturing heritage and a reputation for innovation and quality, Eurovent Certification has been steadily building its base in Germany. Recognising the intricacies of the region, and its importance within Europe and beyond, the first step was to employ Tim Kroeger as a dedicated Sales Manager. The next step is underway with the opening of a new office in Frankfurt. We caught up with Tim to talk about his role at Eurovent Certification, the German market, and the plans for the region ahead.
Why did Eurovent Certification create the new Sales Manager role?
Eurovent Certification has always acknowledged the importance of the German speaking (DACH) region. Whilst our headquarters are in Paris, France, Eurovent Certification is a truly international organisation, with a reach across countries and continents around the globe. With this experience comes the knowledge that different regions require different approaches. I am a native of Germany but have spent most of my working life internationally. My background was seen as a good fit to help Eurovent Certification to both look after our existing participants as well as capitalising on new market opportunities.
What made you decide to work for Eurovent Certification?
Funnily enough – having spent the last twenty odd years overseas – I was not fully aware of the benefits of product certification. My misconception – which is actually typical for a lot of people – was that certification stands for labelling based on self-declaration. It was only when I learned about the highly demanding and technically complex process of certification that I really got interested in this challenge. With this in mind, I see one of my main mission objectives to promote certification in the market. I am looking forward to working in an international, highly diverse, transparent, and ethical organisation.
What are your goals for the next couple of years?
The immediate short-term goal for me personally, is to re-establish my European network in the industry after returning to Germany. For Eurovent Certification as a company, we need to promote our new certification programmes and strengthen our existing ones such as our programmes for heat exchangers for refrigeration and cooling towers. Also, my goal is to establish our certification programmes further by inviting new prospects. Long term, I would like to see product certification to become a qualifier rather than a differentiator, which it is today.
How does having a German Sales Manager help Eurovent Certification to achieve their goals in the market?
I think it is important to communicate to the market that Eurovent Certification is not only operating globally, but that we have established a firm presence in the DACH region. As a matter of fact, we are in the process of opening a new office in Frankfurt, further solidifying our position in the German HVAC and refrigeration industry.
What benefits does this role bring to existing Eurovent Certification participants?
It is important for Eurovent Certification to support existing participants in their marketing endeavours and respective markets. We promote certified products face-to-face at events, via traditional and digital marketing channels, and by supporting certified manufacturers own marketing teams. This includes workshops like the recent VDMA cooling tower event in Frankfurt, and joint presentations at industry events such as Data Centre World in London earlier this year. We promote German certified manufacturers across Europe and beyond with a strong presence at a number of renowned international trade shows such as Acrex India, HVAC Expo Saudi, Mostra (MCE), Nordbygg and Climatización Y Refrigeración (C&R) to name but a few.
We also aid manufacturers by actively promoting certification to decision makers and HVAC+R industry professionals via the trade press using advertising campaigns, articles, and case studies, and via our own digital communications channels such as our website, newsletters, and social media. We see marketing as a joint effort with local sales teams, and so we will be developing webinars and toolkits to help our participant’s salespeople to communicate certification to their audience. Participants can also share their ‘certified success’ stories with us, which are then distributed throughout our network.
Has Eurovent Certification planned any specific events/marketing activities in the German speaking (DACH) markets for this year?
Building on the success of last year’s colloquium in Darmstadt, we are organising a high-profile industry event “From Farm to Supermarket” together with our participants. This will be a great networking opportunity and strengthen the position of our participants in regard to the benefits of certification.
The two-day colloquium, taking place from 4th-5th June at the Eberbach Monastery near Wiesbaden, is dedicated to the topic of reliable refrigeration systems on the food cold chain journey "from farm to supermarket". The first day will feature a programme of nine specialist lectures and one discussion round, and include an evening experience, with dinner, exploring the monastery. The second day sees delegates visit refrigeration plants (CO2, NH3) in Wiesbaden-Erbenheim and Raunheim near Frankfurt, to view refrigeration systems, a green farming market with fish farming, and a logistics warehouse. Find out more about the EUROVENT KÄLTE KOLLOQUIUM 2024 (page in German).
I will also be making the most of the various trade events being held in the country by such as Chillventa in Nuremberg, DKV Tagung in Dresden, Data Centre World Germany in Frankfurt, BIM World Munich, to talk to existing and potential certified manufacturers. Of course, I’m always available for meetings to discuss certification in the DACH region in person, drop me an email to find out more.
Our face-to-face efforts to promote certification will be backed up with a dedicated advertising and editorial campaign in the German trade press, including articles and case studies. We’ll also be using our own in-house marketing channels to spread the word.
Great talking to you Tim, thank you for your time.
If you want to know more about our certification programmes and wish to book in a meeting with Tim, please email Tim Kroeger to book or find out more.