New managing director prepares to steer Airedale forward

Airedale Air Conditioning’s new managing director Sam Skobel has declared that the company ‘represents a significant growth opportunity and will be the cornerstone for Modine’s [the US company that has acquired Airedale] future world-wide air-conditioning products’. His appointment follows the retirement after 39 years in the industry of joint managing director and co-founder of Airedale Alan Duttine. Peter Midgley, the other joint managing director and co-founder, stays on for a year to assist in the transition to Modine. Alan Duttine says, ‘My decision to retire prompted Peter and myself to look for “safe hands” to ensure the continued success and future growth of Airedale. We identified Modine as the way forward for Airedale, and Modine saw Airedale as a way to develop into Europe and the air-conditioning sector. It was a meeting of the minds and will be successful for that reason.’ Sam Skobel is relocating to the UK. He has been with Modine for 21 years and was previously general sales manager of the commercial HVAC&R division. The Leeds operation of Airedale will become the European headquarters for the Modine HVAC&R division. The Leeds facility will become the worldwide design centre for the manufacture of air conditioning and will continue to supply the UK and Europe with air-conditioning products and services. Mr Skobel says, ‘Modine intends to fully utilise Airedale’s existing resources in the process of developing the air-conditioning products long-term strategic plan. The contribution of the current workforce and skills will be invaluable to accomplish these goals. We share the same philosophy, and our two modes of operation reflect our very well aligned cultures.’