Journey from the company’s inception to representing World’s Largest Commercial HVAC Brand
Mr. Ahsan Aslam, CEO, Smart Climate Solutions talks to Engineering Post
The Pakistani company, Smart Climate Solutions (PVT) LTD, under the leadership of CEO Mr. Ahsan Aslam has been chosen as the authorized distributor for Carrier products in Pakistan. While talking exclusively to Engineering Post about this recent development Mr. Ahsan Aslam said “The negotiations of our company with Carrier started in mid-2019. Many companies were interested in Carrier but after extensive discussions, market reports and a lot of presentations Smart climate solutions was chosen by Carrier for the distribution of their complete range of commercial products. The biggest advantage was that we enjoyed good reputation with Clients, Consultants and Contractors. Due to which, when consulted, they put us number 1 on their recommendations list. Carrier’s previous distributors had also recommended us as the most equipped company to take Carrier brand forward in Pakistan,” While further explaining the position of the company Mr. Ahsan Aslam said that an in depth market analysis was required on a massive scale for this endeavor and the teams conducting the analysis were undeterred even during COVID-19 lockdown they kept on working. After months of research the official confirmation of the deal was received by the end of 2019.
Carrier is an American corporation based in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Carrier was founded in 1915 as an independent company manufacturing and distributing heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, The Company has since expanded to include manufacturing commercial refrigeration and foodservice equipment, and fire and security technologies. Currently Carrier Corporation is the world’s largest manufacturer and distributor of heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, and a global leader in the commercial refrigeration and food service equipment industry.
Smart Climate Solutions has already started supplying the products of Carrier in the market. Mr. Ahsan Aslam revealed that their company was on process of supplying the equipment to the contractors for DHA Business Hub and Penta Square. Other Finalized projects include Cardiac Hospital Gilgit, Imtiaz store Gujranwala, The Forum and many others. During the interview Mr. Ahsan explained that their previous affiliation with Hisense had also proved to be very beneficial for the company. “In a way Hisense and Carrier complement each other. With Hisense, we have a brand that specializes in VRF Technology which goes together with our philosophy of representing only the best brands in the industry” he said.
Smart climate solutions understood the importance of this alliance since the first day. Even during the lockdown of COVID-19 in Pakistan the company did not rest and worked for the establishment of proper infrastructure for after sales service of the product along with market research. “The stagnation during the lockdown helped us to think over our way forward. It provided us with ample time to reorganize ourselves and strategize for the future with carrier. Now we are in a very strong position to provide the adequate services for Carrier in the market” elaborated the CEO of Smart climate solutions.
During the conversation Mr. Ahsan Aslam elaborated on the humble beginnings of his company and his learning period. “After graduating from London school of economics I came back to Pakistan to join the business. I learned all the essentials of my carrier from Aslam Sb and Imran Sb. They taught me all the technical and the non-technical aspects of the trade from stocking to import export of the products,” he said. “When we started the company for the first few months we did not have the revenue of a single rupee because the HVAC market is a very close-knit community and only a handful of companies work on all the projects in the country so we encountered barriers of entry up to an extent but Alhamdulillah our services and products proved to be reliable and we gained the respect of the market” he added.
While explaining the working environment at his company he said that their company structured in a very flexible manner. A rigid hierarchy is neither followed nor appreciated “This provides us with a clear advantage in response. We are flexible which makes us fast. Fortunately, Carrier as well as Hisense is structured in a similar manner. Everyone required for any assistance is always just a phone call away.” This kind of environment not only helps a company progress but also helps provide quick solutions to the problems.
Mr. Ahsan Aslam told Engineering Post that after distribution agreement with Carrier was finalized, Smart Climate Solutions had to bring quite a few changes in the company structure from raising new departments to hiring new people. “Before carrier, we were basically a sales organization. Our focus used to be on sales. But now we have structured ourselves as a solutions provider. Our head of aftersales department with a vast experience under his belt. He helped hire a whole new team for after sales services department. Furthermore, the whole team was taken for a week of training at AHI-Carrier Head-office in UAE to make them acquainted with the services,” he revealed. During the Interview he said that after the introduction of Carrier now the main goal is not sales rather it is the positioning. “Now we bid on technical grounds in response to the underlying requirement, and its most optimal solution” he said.
While talking about the future plans of the company as far as Carrier is concerned Mr. Ahsan said “All contractors and consultants know about our services and many are happy that we have been given the opportunity to distribute Carrier. For now, we will be focusing on completing projects successfully. Once we have proven ourselves in the market we plan to initiate the manufacturing of Carrier products in Pakistan.”
The future prospects for Carrier in Pakistan are very positive. The brand has established itself all over the world with more than a century of service and experience in the realm of HVAC. Mr. Ahsan said “With the addition of carrier, now we have a versatile variety of HVAC products in our arsenal be it Rooftop packages, AHUs, Air handlers, Centrifugal chillers, Screw Chillers everything is available with us. Now we are looking forward to completing projects for our customers and to provide state of the art after sales services them,” he added
