
Midcounties Co-operative awards double contract to DCI Refrigeration
The Midcounties Co-operative has awarded a pair of estate-wide refrigeration, air conditioning and ventilation contracts to retail specialist DCI Refrigeration and Electrical Limited.
Chosen through a rigorous tender process, DCI is now providing service and maintenance for the organisation’s refrigeration and HVAC facilities at more than 350 sites and has also won the development contract for all new installation and upgrade works.
With an estate which extends across the Midlands, into the North, Wales and even the South, The Midcounties Co-operative is the largest UK co-operative fully owned by its members. It has grown to a membership of 700,000 plus since its establishment in 1844.
DCI has expanded its team of engineers and vehicle fleet to provide dedicated support across the diverse portfolio of outlets which includes food retail stores, travel stores, pharmacies, funeral care, childcare facilities and also offices for the organisation’s energy and communications businesses.
Speaking about awarding the contracts to DCI Justin Jones, Head of Feasibility and Development for The Midcounties Co-operative, said: “Aside from DCI’s proven technical capabilities and valuable retail expertise, the ethos of our businesses align in many ways – from service standards and staff welfare through to a commitment to operating the most energy efficient and eco-friendly refrigeration and HVAC systems that we can.”
DCI’s day-to-day support for the operation will include reactive service for repairs and breakdowns and a programme of pre-planned maintenance to ensure the estate keeps running at peak efficiency. A popular feature provided by DCI to The Midcounties Co-operative’s operations team is remote access to its service portal. The client can access real-time information on current and completed jobs as well as site-by-site asset lists and historical records of all works. The system also integrates the client’s SLAs and KPIs into the system to aid monitoring as part of the monthly contract reporting.
Under the development contract, DCI will design and install refrigeration and HVAC systems for all planned new stores over the next three years. In addition, ongoing investment in the existing estate will see DCI providing end-of-life replacements for equipment such as refrigeration cabinets, plant and air conditioning systems. It will also provide refrigeration alarm networks and full refrigeration and HVAC systems as part of planned re-fit projects.
DCI’s Projects Director Simon Chambers said: “We are incredibly proud to have been chosen as a key partner by a business as respected and progressive as The Midcounties Co-operative. In what has been a challenging year across our industry, these contract awards mean we’re expanding our business and creating new jobs. We’ve already hit the ground running and are looking forward to proactively delivering business benefits through the latest technology. Not only can we ensure clients meet new guidance and legislation, but we can also provide cost-efficiencies in tandem with environmental improvements.
With over 25 years of expertise and experience DCI Group is an award-winning refrigeration, air-conditioning, ventilation and electrical contractor. The company is at the forefront of designing, building and maintaining innovative temperature control solutions for clients throughout the UK – from supermarkets, cold storage distribution and office blocks to plant nurseries and wine cellars.