A COMPANY is riding a wave of success.

Wheatlands Aire Valley Engineering (Wave) Ltd enjoyed a bumper 2018 ­– culminating with the firm winning the inaugural RAC Cooling Business of the Year Award.

And that success has continued this year.

The business, a refrigeration and building services consulting partner for household-name retailers, was established four years ago. It has relocated to its own premises at Cross Hills after previously renting space in Cavendish Street, Keighley.

The team, which has over 200 years’ combined experience, is now working with four major UK food retailers and providing consulting services to Fortnum & Mason.

Two ‘rising stars’ have flourished.

Project consultant Ellie Clare – who joined the company as a trainee administrator – has managed Wave’s back-office function while handling high-profile projects for food redistribution charity FareShare, which the business supports at no cost.

She this year won the Trainee/Young Professional of the Year accolade at the Keighley & Airedale Business Awards.

Wave director and founder, James Bailey, said: “Ellie has demonstrated that age is no barrier and we were delighted that she won the Young Professional of the Year Award – this for me was the proudest of all our successes to date.”

Technical consultant Sam Cameron, from Oxenhope, has equally impressed.

He was shortlisted for the RAC Cooling Awards Trainee of the Year title.

Director of engineering, Nabil Cook, said: “Sam’s technical acumen and problem-solving skills are excellent and we were all incredibly proud that he made the shortlist.”

Two new appointments have further strengthened the team – Jack Brockbank has been taken on as a technical trainee, and Becky Barr as business administrator.

The company also has a strong focus on community and environmental projects.

It sponsored the Keighley Cougars Pride Festival earlier this year and launched an initiative – with the support of Cougars’ Jake Webster – centring around the 17 global sustainable development goals set by the United Nations General Assembly. Wave has committed to achieving its own targets aligned to the UN venture and project lead Ellie Clare has organised for the team to take part in a beach clean-up at Blackpool.