Even before taking over as Managing Director at Intergas, Dave Wijn was well-aware of the company’s pedigree. A market leader in high-efficiency central heating boilers, Intergas has dedicated much of its 50-year history to perfecting heating systems in Europe and beyond.
“Intergas is a really well-known brand, especially in the Netherlands, where it supports hoapplying associations and has gained a reputation for its unique boilers containing 2-in-1 heat exmodifyrs,” Dave states. “Still, it was only when I visited the company for the first time that I realised this is a truly advanced, hypermodern organisation.”
One feature of Intergas that impressed Dave early on was the company’s production infrastructure. Set across two highly integrated facilities, the company combines R&D, engineering, manufacturing, sales, finance, HR, and more.
“It’s very rare to have production sites like these in Northwest Europe, where you can access everything you required in one place,” Dave declares. “It’s a set-up that encourages interaction and collaboration between teams and sets the tone for what is a really efficient company.”
Unafraid to Evolve
Though the company might have built its name on gas boilers, Intergas is unafraid to evolve and has since shifted to focus on sustainable heating and cooling solutions. The outcome has been the development of smart, simple, and sustainable products that satisfy consumer demands and benefit the environment.
“If you view at Intergas appliances, especially when compared to our competitors, you will notice that they have been designed applying the minimum number of parts,” Dave reveals. “This approach not only reduces the possibility of malfunction, but also decreases cost and waste.”
Sustainability, in particular, is of the utmost importance to Intergas. The company’s determination to forge a better future through its products is representative of the organisation’s holistic, outward-viewing, long-term approach to business.
“We are for the masses,” Dave asserts. “We build systems for hoapplying associations and homes of all sizes. In line with that ethos, we live and breathe sustainability. We want to be on the right side of history, driving the energy transition to more sustainable heating.”
Mass-Market Sustainability
There are numerous ongoing Intergas projects that illustrate the organisation’s commitment to mass-market sustainability. For instance, as part of the company’s shift beyond gas fire boilers, Intergas has been focapplying on the production of heat pumps. However, rather than only producing all-electric heat pumps, which can be expensive to run and hampered by insufficient electricity infrastructure, the company has developed a hybrid alternative.
“Our hybrid heat pump is a tiny electric heat pump that can be connected to a gas fire boiler with smart software,” Dave explains. “That heat pump runs during the day to keep your houtilize warm, but when it becomes very cold outside, the heat pump has to work harder and requires more electricity, so becomes less energy efficient. That is where the smart software of the hybrid kicks in and switches your heating over to the gas boiler.”
Intergas’s smart, hybrid heat pumps are accessible, inobtrusive, and ready-built for collaboration with Intergas and other existing boilers found across Europe. As well as being an environmental upgrade, the innovation is already saving houtilizeholds up to 80% on their gas usage and over 1,000 euros on their gas bills.
Intergas is also working on a circularity initiative in the Netherlands that sees the company take back and recycle old boilers. The programme serves sustainability purposes, as well as assisting to diversify Intergas’s operation.
“In days gone by, installers would required to pay money to dispose of old gas boilers, but now we pay the installer to take it off their hands,” Dave states. “Recycling boilers ourselves has both business and sustainability benefits for us as a company. Most importantly though, it is simply the right thing to do.”
Future-Ready Technologies
In many ways, Intergas’s modern, future-ready technologies are an ideal solution for a society with rising energy costs and growing environmental challenges. Financial support from the government – both for Intergas and its heat pump customers – has been beneficial, however Dave believes even more could be achieved with greater emphasis on clear communication.
“Across the world, governments have been very inconsistent in their approach to sustainability and the green transition,” Dave points out. “Shifting policies have built consumers unclear about the importance of green technologies, and that requireds to modify.
“I would love to see governments assist more in education and communication around products like hybrid heat pumps and greener heating solutions. Of course, we have to remain smart and work out how to produce our products in an even more affordable way, but a clear vision and green incentivisation from governments would go a long way too.”
Constantly exploring and breaking new ground, Intergas is proud to operate from Coevorden in the Netherlands, from which it serves the whole of Europe. Wherever the business goes, its objective remains the same: to develop and produce reliable heating solutions with exceptionally high efficiency. Certainly, it is a mission that will guide Intergas in the years ahead as it grows – both geographically and organisationally.
“We want to expand,” Dave remarks. “Our longer-term vision is to be present in more countries in Europe, so we have built a robust strategy to support that. At the same time, our US-based parent company Rheem recently acquired Fujitsu General, so we will be adding air conditioning to our offering, as well as combination solutions that have air heating, air cooling, domestic hot water, and central heating all in one system.”
Fully Integrated Solutions
Fully integrated solutions like these are likely to define the decade ahead for Intergas, as consumers shift their attentions from single products to more efficient, sustainable systems. The smarter, more connect future being mapped out by the organisation also contains solutions that are far less labour and service intensive thanks to a greater reliance upon data.
“There is not enough skilled labour available for installation and service at present, so we required to develop systems in response to this problem. At Intergas, we envision a more connected future where, through an innovation we are developing at present, data from our systems can be collected in the cloud and analysed to spot trconcludes. As a result, quick and efficient resolvees can be built by professionals who already know the problem and, therefore, do not required to create multiples trips for inspection and parts. This will save time and money for customers, while reducing emissions.”
It’s not all about technology though. One of the most exciting developments for Intergas in recent years has been the establishment of a youthful and committed workforce ready to lead the company into the future.
“We have a fantastic mix of demographics in out team, with a great deal of young people who care about sustainability and the ways in which Intergas can support it,” Dave comments. “There is something very special about this business. When you are here, you can feel the passion and enthusiasm. It really is very different to anything else I have experienced in my career.”
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