Amidst a global debate on CO₂ emissions, global warming and circularity, there are major developments in the field of refrigerant processing. In a rapidly changing world, the refrigeration sector is keeping very busy. Sustainable solutions, complex legislation, the transport of dangerous goods, regulations on storage and, ultimately, the regeneration of refrigerants for reuse. An enormously complex process that A-Gas manages from start to finish.
The best part? The European heart of A-Gas beats in Eygelshoven, a town of 8,400 inhabitants in the municipality of Kerkrade.
Jori Hamers is Operations Manager Benelux at A-Gas, the global market leader in the supply, collection of waste refrigerants and the circular processing of these refrigerants.
Eygelshoven as a central hub in Europe
Jori Hamers is Operations Manager Benelux at A-Gas, the global market leader in the supply and collection of waste refrigerants and the circular processing of these refrigerants. The company has been in existence for 30 years. Partly due to rapidly growing demand and Brexit, the company opened a site in Eygelshoven 3.5 years ago. At that time, there were just four people on the payroll. Now, there are more than 50 employees and the plant is on the verge of doubling its capacity. “The head office is in Bristol (UK), but Brexit has brought about a lot of changes. Here in Eygelshoven, we are now the central hub for Europe when it comes to refrigerant processing,” says Jori.
A-Gas has a service department called “Rapid Recovery”. This department acts as a partner for refrigeration companies and provides a unique service whereby installations are quickly, efficiently and cost-effectively stripped of refrigerant. In addition to stripping, they also handle the dismantling of the installations. All logistics, cylinders, labour, work reports and the disposal of the refrigerant are arranged by A-Gas. According to three standards, explains Jori: “safe, reliable and sustainable at low cost”
“We are a one-stop shop for everything to do with refrigerants,” Jori continues. “Service and taking the hassle out of things are our top priorities. A quote is often with the customer within 1.5 to 2 hours. And everything after that is fully handled by our engineers.”
Declaration of exclusive business use of delivery van for field service
Rapid Recovery on-site in the Netherlands
“Our engineers travel throughout the Benelux and have signed a UZGB declaration. This means they are only permitted to use the service van for business purposes.”
“I really appreciate knowing that everyone is on the road on time, nobody is running late, and our customers can be updated if there are any queries about arrival times. We also sometimes have to deal with emergencies – in which case we can immediately see where the nearest engineer is. We can then respond quickly,” Jori continues.
“Of the six engineers who had TrackJack installed in their vehicles, two initially found it quite difficult to use. The engineers now recognise the added value of the system. They use it for time recording. For us as an employer, it’s ideal for allocating travel and other costs to the correct project.”
This online journey log makes everyone’s life a lot easier”
CO2 emissions and zero-emission zones
It’s no surprise that sustainability is a hot topic for an organisation that helps the industry use raw materials as sustainably as possible. In fact, the global group aims to be CO2 neutral by 2035. The switch to an electric Vito van is currently being arranged and is also intended to raise staff awareness of the impact they themselves have. Jori: “It starts with awareness. Furthermore, due to changing legislation, zero-emission zones and public opinion, we will also have to make the transition to electric driving more quickly”.
Opting for a mileage tracking system
Jori gives us an insight into the search for a GPS tracker. “I had contacted several companies. The reason we chose TrackJack has largely to do with the fact that ‘people do business with people, not with companies’. By that I mean that I received a quick response, my questions were answered correctly and my requirements could be met”. TrackJack’s customer service makes all the difference for A-Gas. “They helped me set up drivers and everything else that could reasonably be expected.”
During the conversation with Jori Hamers, TrackJack’s Green Driving feature was also discussed, an extension of the journey logging system that not only compares drivers’ behaviour but also provides insight into CO2 emissions. “We’ll obviously get started on that straight away. It fits perfectly with what A-Gas stands for: Safe, reliable and sustainable.
