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Michael Cotton has joined Fluid Dynamics as our new Business Development Manager.
Michael Cotton has joined Fluid Dynamics as its Business Development Manager
Mick, who has spent the last 10 years as Managing Director of Radiator Direct, has now joined Fluid Dynamics as its Business Development Manager.
“Mick has had an enormously successful career in heat exchangers and thermal control solutions and is a great asset for us. With over 30 years’ experience in heat exchangers in diverse industries, he is a great fit during a time of dynamic growth for our business” says Fluid Dynamics’ General Manager, Mike Surridge.
Mick’s career started in the late 1980’s and has seen him work in various levels of industry in heat exchanger and air conditioning workshops and component manufacturers for some of the largest national suppliers in Australasia.
In the mid 1990’s Mick joined the sales department of what was to become CoolDrive, moving up to a product management role that saw him travel the world extensively sourcing products from leading component manufacturers and instrumental in developing a dedicated line of heat exchangers.
In 2007 Mick launched his consultancy business with a long list of large automotive companies as his customers including Repco, Hella, and Ashdown-Ingram. He also worked with Ozito power tools where he restructured their products department.
In 2011 Mick launched Radiator Direct, a business specialising in heat exchangers and climate control products for automotive and industrial applications.
Mick’s success in business has come from being customer focused, just like Fluid Dynamics, and we are delighted to have him join our team of heat exchange experts.
Mick has the right combination of all the values to which Fluid Dynamics aspires – honest, friendly and knowledgeable with a genuine desire to ensure each of our valued customers always get the very best solution for their heat exchange needs.
Contact Mick at mcotton@fluiddynamics.com.au and at 0497 641 267
Mike Surridge (ex HRS, APV, SPX and GEA/Kelvion) - is the new General Manager of Fluid Dynamics.
Mike, who has spent the last 6 years with SPX - APV as its Head of Heat Exchange for Australia and New Zealand, has re-joined Fluid Dynamics as our General Manager.
"We affectionately refer to Mike as ‘Captain Magic’ and 'Mr. Heat Exchange' " says John Bolton, Fluid Dynamics’ Executive Chairman “... and we are delighted to have a person universally regarded as the pre-eminent expert in heat exchangers to lead us through a period of dynamic growth in our business. Mike, who has an absolute passion for and pride in what he does, not only has an incredible knowledge of heat exchangers, but put simply, he also understands the business of heat exchange. He is the perfect fit for Fluid Dynamics. "
Mike’s life in heat exchangers commenced in 1982 (a year after Fluid Dynamics commenced operations) at the tender age of 15 when he commenced a 5 year fitter/welder apprenticeship with Watford Steel Fabrications in the UK, a company involved heavily in both manufacturing and heat exchangers.
He has literally known only one industry, heat exchangers, starting at the bottom and rising to the top.
In 1987, after a solid grounding in all aspects of the design and manufacture of heat exchangers, Mike moved to HRS, an internationally recognised heat exchanger manufacturer, where he spent four years as a Service Engineer, moved on up to Sales in 1991 and advanced to National Sales Manager in 1997. In his time in Sales with HRS Mike quadrupled its turnover in aftermarket service and spares.
In 2000, and still in the UK, Mike moved to APV as its UK Business Development Manager, a role that eventually brought him to Australia as APV’s Australian BDM.
Then on to GEA in 2008 as its National BDM for Heat Exchangers until it sold its Heat Exchanger Division to Kelvion in 2013.
Mike then brought his incredible skills and experience to Fluid Dynamics for the first time.
SPX, now the owner of APV, was very keen for Mike to return and was able to convince him to take on the role of Head of its Heat Exchange Division for the Australian & New Zealand operations. After two years with Fluid Dynamics, Mike left us and moved over to SPX-APV for six years where he doubled its heat exchanger business.
Now Mike has returned ‘home’ to Fluid Dynamics as our General Manager. “I first met Mike at a trade show in 2007 when he was with APV…” says John Bolton. “We became instant friends and have remained so ever since. Although I was disappointed when Mike left us in 2015, it was the right move for Mike. I have to say that both Mike and Mark Greaves, Mike’s new boss at SPX-APV, handled the process exceptionally well and I have a deep and lasting respect for them both. If anything, the relationship between each of us personally and our respective companies was strengthened.”
In testament to this mutual respect, SPX-APV has now appointed Fluid Dynamics as its Australian Channel Partner for its APV range of Gasketed Plate Heat Exchangers.
Mike has devoted his life to the heat exchanger industry, but he hasn’t lost any of his energy and drive. “I just fell in love with heat exchangers” says Mike. To anyone who has met or just spoken to Mike, this is obvious.
When asked what stands out as the most rewarding aspect of his life in the heat exchange industry, Mike humbly replied “Being able to significantly increase the businesses of each of the companies for which I have worked, leaving each of them on very friendly terms and having had the opportunity to work with some of the best likeminded people in the industry from whom I have learnt so much”.
It is noteworthy that Mike’s old employers, SPX-APV, HRS and GEA, are all customers & suppliers of Fluid Dynamics.
Nice one Captain Magic! Welcome aboard the good ship Fluid Dynamics.
P.S. Fluid Dynamics has the largest range of heat exchangers going and Mike is across them all. To our valued customers who are looking for the best heat exchange solution available, contact Mike for a chat or email him at msurridge@fluddynamics.com.au