Over the past decade, people have flocked to Manchester, creating a high demand for housing. According to Census data, the population of the City of Manchester increased by 9.7% from 2011 to 2021. Recognising the need for additional housing stock, earlier this year Manchester’s ‘Places for Everyone’ plan was formally adopted, which sets to build 175,000 homes in Greater Manchester over the next 15 years.

Mike Kane MP said: “It’s an exciting time in both the region and the industry, and it’s great to see a global company like Samsung investing in the Sale and North Wythenshawe area. We’re in the process of a vital shift in many industries, to reduce energy consumption and change where we get our energy from – and alternative heating technologies such as heat pumps will be a big part of that. A skilled workforce in the region will be central to this transition, so Samsung's new training centre will be critical to upskilling engineers in the North West and inspiring the next generation of installers.”

The local MP toured the space, including learning about heat pumps and smart controls, and discussed Samsung’s investment and dedication to upskilling hundreds of local installers in HVAC technologies. Upskilling installers in heat pumps, air conditioning and smart controls will be more crucial than ever in coming years. The centre is a day-to-day base for Samsung’s technical and customer service teams as well as local sales representatives, confirming Samsung’s commitment to growth in the region. Over 120 installers have attended training courses at Samsung’s Manchester Training Centre since opening in the summer, and in the last 3 months alone nearly 100 customers have visited

Andy Burrows, sales manager Northern England & Scotland at Samsung, commented: “I have worked in the HVAC industry here in the North West since leaving school 34 years ago – in fact I was born and brought up only 200 yards from this training centre and can see my old family home out of the window. I still live in the area to this day and having this space here fills me with a huge sense of pride, particularly with what the team at Samsung and our partners have achieved in the area. This is down to the great people we work with, and we are determined to keep improving day by day.”

The importance of a central hub in the Manchester, Trafford region is further strengthened by the key local customer relationships. Local customers James Hargreaves (heating wholesaler),Plug Me In, (smart energy infrastructure installer) and AXD Ltd, (HVAC installer) joined the Samsung team to discuss the work they are doing to move the industry forward in the local area with the changing regulations.

Andy Burrows added, “Our industry has changed a lot over the last 30 years, the increasing focus on environmental impact, legislation and technological advances, but one thing that has stayed the same is the need for training. We have received great feedback from the people who have already visited the space, with it acting not only as a space for learning but networking too. A centre like this where our team and our customers can come together to learn is a critical investment to ensure the region can continue to upskill and deliver on ambitious targets.”