Lowe Rental, a global market leader in the rental of commercial refrigeration, has appointed respected industry leader James Bailey as its new Technical Director of Refrigeration-as-a-Service (RaaS).
A Chartered Engineer with over 25 years of sector expertise, and founder of specialist consultancies Wave and Omega, Bailey brings a wealth of experience in the assessment and adoption of emerging refrigeration technologies. His technical expertise and commercial insight have shaped the refrigeration strategies, technical specifications and design standards of the UK’s largest grocery retailers, including Aldi, Asda, Co-op, Costco, Iceland, M&S and Morrisons.
Widely regarded as one of the refrigeration industry’s technical authorities, Bailey received the RAC Cooling Industry Gold Award in 2022 in recognition of his contribution to the sector. He now brings that experience to Lowe Rental. As the company continues to scale its Refrigeration-as-a-Service (RaaS) rental model, Bailey will lead on its technical development and delivery with a customer-first mindset.
Founded in Northern Ireland in 1977, Lowe Rental provides commercial refrigeration rental solutions to the world’s largest retailers. Through Refrigeration-as-a-Service, the company is disrupting the traditional purchase model by giving grocery retailers access to energy efficient, low-GWP refrigeration through an end-to-end rental service.
Design, installation, planned maintenance, breakdown response and replacement is provided within a predictable monthly fee, with no upfront capital expenditure. It is designed to help retailers modernise their estates, respond to changing refrigerant regulations at pace and retain capital for investment in their core business.
Bailey said: “The shift from purchasing assets to accessing Refrigeration-as-a-Service is one of the most significant changes underway in our industry. Lowe Rental is driving that shift, and has the scale and experience to accelerate it across the global retail sector. The opportunity to join a business with that momentum was incredibly compelling. I’m looking forward to contributing to the continued growth of RaaS and working with customers and colleagues across the business to redefine what refrigeration access means for retailers.
Rachel McCausland, Chief Executive Officer of Lowe Rental, said: “Retailers need a less capital-intensive way to keep their refrigeration estates compliant, efficient and fit for the future. RaaS is fundamentally changing how refrigeration is funded and managed, shifting the focus from owning assets to securing performance as-a-Service. James’s appointment brings exceptional technical authority to our rental model, which is directly challenging the traditional paradigm of purchase and setting a new direction for the industry.
