LG Air Conditioning’s new general manager Graham Hendra promises a fresh, energetic, ‘can-do’ approach in his new role
GRAHAM Hendra is LG Air Conditioning's first ever general manager to come from a technical and operational background, rather than sales, and sees this as showing the contractor and the consultant just how seriously LG views the quality of its technical credentials.

The appointment of Graham Hendra, who has nearly 20 years' experience in the UK air conditioning market, coincides with the launch of a wealth of new products over the next few months and more appointments in an expanding technical department.

Pledging his commitment to LG's distributor partners as the route to market, he told ACR News: 'We have a lively set of distributors who offer a local and national service. We have some who concentrate on the splits market while others give attention to developing VRF.

Our loyalty to them has been and will be constant - no matter what is the latest gossip or rumours from street-wise regional salesmen more interested in a quick result than delivering true customer value.

New products
Over the next couple of years LG plans to launch and introduce product developments and innovations which the company maintains will answer all needs at all levels in the air conditioning industry. 'We have already shown our flair with the proven Art Cool range.

The recently introduced new cassette range - slimmer depth, more user control over the four-way airflow - again signals our intention to take the standard product and improve them with some style and panache,' he says.

'The whole industry knows who is and who isn't the market leaders and the industry knows that to catch the two main players you have got to either do what they do - cheaper; or do what they do with better products, better service, better prices and better everything'.

'The UK market is an absolute one-off, there's nowhere else like it. It has its very own set of circumstances, customs and personalities. The climate still dictates the marketplace for both splits and VRF. Although with VRF, the seasonality is not quite as extreme as splits.'

'We want to shake the market up with a fresh, energetic, 'can-do' approach. For me personally it is an intense challenge. I have never operated directly in the commercial arena but see that as meaning that I will see things clearly, as they are - not half-empty or half-full, but as they actually are.'

Amongst some of the innovations planned by Mr Hendra are technical support services away from office hours and the working week.

'From my own experience I know that sites usually have a problem when you, as an engineer, least want them - weekends, bank holidays etc - so we will be addressing that and expanding the staffing levels in our technical support department.
'The company is already at work on a new incentive scheme which will deliver 'the highest possible incentive values',' adds Graham Hendra.

'These are really exciting times with LG poised to take its rightful position in the UK marketplace. We want the contractors and consultants to come to us with any job, any proposal, and any ideas. We will be the company that's easiest to do business with and that always says 'Yes, we can,' says Mr Hendra.