Caerphilly-based ventilation manufacturer Nuaire has announced the appointment of Kevin Sargeant as its new chairman.

A highly-recognisable figure within the ventilation industry, Sargeant brings many years of relevant industry and private equity experience to the already well-established team at Nuaire. The new appointment coincides with company’s plans for further growth in both the UK and internationally.

Mr Sargeant said: “I’m delighted to have taken on the chairman role at Nuaire, having known the business for many years as a strong competitor and customer of my old business and joining it at an exciting period in its development. It is undoubtedly at the front of the UK commercial ventilation market and has real potential to be the leading residential ventilation supplier also, while it continues to strengthen its export business. Mark has developed a very strong management team and I’m looking forward to working with them in the future.”

Established in 1966, Nuaire is now a private equity backed Welsh company and a leader in the design and manufacture of energy-efficient ventilation solutions for the commercial, and residential sectors.

Nuaire’s reputation for using advanced technology comes from the invention of several key ventilation strategies that have been widely adopted by the air movement industry, including Positive Input Ventilation, and the first Constant Pressure Twin Fan System. The company has continued to strengthen its name through winning national awards for product innovation and manufacturing processes; most recently the CIBSE Building Performance Award for its energy-saving commercial heat recovery system – XBOX, and The National House-Builder Product Award for its Ductmaster range of thermal ducting.

Nuaire Group CEO Mark Huxtable said: “I am delighted to welcome Kevin onto the board as our new chairman. He brings a wealth of relevant experience to the business and potentially adds a further dimension in some key new areas of development.”

A qualified chartered management accountant, Sargeant has built an impressive career in the ventilation sector. From small beginnings at Initial Services PLC he became the Group MD in 1986 before leaving to form his own company - Airstream Products in the late 80s. His company was later bought by the Vent Axia Group, for which Sargeant became Group MD for a period of five years.

Sargeant was a VA board member when the company was bought out by Smith Industries PLC and in 2002 he led a management buy-out of Volution from Smiths Industries with Private Equity backing from Montagu. A secondary buy-out followed in 2006 with ABN Amro which he finally exited in February 2012 when the Volution Group was acquired by Towerbrook, a US based Private Equity firm.