Williams Refrigeration celebrates the incredible career of its hugely popular sales and marketing director
Malcolm Harling, sales and marketing director at Williams Refrigeration, is set to retire at the end of December 2026, after over 25 years with the company. Malcolm is one of the foodservice equipment industry’s most popular figures and began his journey in foodservice 47 years ago when attending Broadstairs Catering College to train as a chef. He says it was one of the best decisions he ever made, as he got to travel the world and even meet the late Queen. Those experiences were thanks to some summers spent on the P&O Oriana as a steward and working as a footman at Buckingham Palace.
As a qualified chef Malcolm has worked all over the globe, from Zurich to Sydney, including a stint in a hotel on the Great Barrier Reef. A change from a chef career brought Malcolm into the foodservice equipment industry. In 1991 he was appointed as an area sales manager with Falcon Foodservice Equipment and then, in 2000, became sales and marketing director at Williams Refrigeration.
Malcom’s career has seen him deliver some of the largest refrigeration contracts in the UK and around the world, including Wembley Stadium, the Sydney Olympics and Le Cordon Bleu, in both London and Paris. His dealer conferences, particularly those in Dubai, South Africa, and Las Vegas, were legendary.
His unmatched success at Williams Refrigeration and unrivalled support to the foodservice industry were first acclaimed in 2008 when he was elected as Chair of the FEA trade association. Since then, Malcolm’s remarkable career achievements have been recognised on many occasions – he received the CEDA Legacy Honour in 2021; the FEA Chair’s Award in 2022 and, in 2024, was honoured with the FEA’s Outstanding Contribution to the Industry Award.’
Tim Smith is CEO of the AFE Group and managing director of Williams Refrigeration. He says, “It is an absolute pleasure to celebrate this extraordinary milestone and the conclusion of the remarkable career of my great friend and colleague-Malcolm Harling.
“For over twenty-five years Malcolm has been at the absolute top of our industry. He has spearheaded all our sales and marketing achievements, representing our company to the highest standard in front of our customers and industry colleagues. Malcolm has equally been a great mentor, inspiring our team to greater success with his ultimate professionalism and has been outstanding as the ever trusted and hugely respected face of Williams Refrigeration.
“I know everyone at Williams will be sad to see him leave, but I also know they will join me in thanking Malcolm and wishing him and his wife Mandy the very best for the future, and a long and happy retirement.
“With immense excitement for the future, it is also my great pleasure to announce Garry Allitt as our new sales and marketing director. Garry richly deserves the promotion from his current position as National Sales Manager and is ideally placed to bring the next generation of energy and forward-thinking sales and marketing leadership to Williams.”