Carter Synergy

In late 2021, Carter Synergy was approached to commence operations at Ryecroft Hall Public House in Hambleton. Our team was entrusted with the decommissioning of the site’s existing refrigeration beer cellar systems, air conditioning, natural gas, and electrical services, effectively preparing the location for demolition—this marked the beginning of an ambitious four-year venture.

The objective? To develop a state-of-the-art Central England Co-operative store, complete with residential flats above, spanning 0.55 acres.

However, this was not just another retail development. The vision was to establish an ‘Eco Store’—a flagship project that seamlessly integrates the latest sustainable technologies throughout both the construction and fit-out phases. Carter Synergy played a pivotal role from inception to completion, designing and installing the mechanical, electrical, refrigeration, and public health services that would underpin the store’s exceptional green credentials.

Our client, Avarto Bertelsmann, sought our expertise for a vital temperature-controlled facility designed for a variety of high-value pharmaceutical stock.

Having collaborated with the client previously on a comparable project in Kings Norton, Birmingham, Carter Synergy & Carter Coldstores were perfectly positioned to execute this prestigious undertaking. The facility is located at the East Midlands Gateway site, near Derby, within the Segro development Logistics Park, conveniently situated just off the M1.

In collaboration with the construction partner Uplands Construction Ltd and the crane lift team from DJ Transport, Carter Synergy successfully navigated substantial challenges during a recent refurbishment of a Tesco Metro site in Central Birmingham.

This store occupies the basement, ground, and first floors of a seven-storey building, with the roof identified as the only viable location for the installation of new refrigeration units essential for the project. The site’s central location in the city posed additional challenges, including exceptionally narrow roadways and heavily restricted access.

A prominent client located in Leek, Staffordshire, requires substantial cooling solutions for their cheese production facility. Historically, this cooling has been achieved through chiller packages operating in conjunction with chilled glycol loops. 

As the chillers approach the end of their operational lifespan, it has been decided that Carter Synergy will spearhead the design, specification, and installation for a phased replacement of the existing machinery, ensuring that production remains uninterrupted.

Carter Synergy has a number of key clients, one of which is a large food wholesaler and distributor based in Birmingham. A number of high profile and extensive projects have been undertaken in collaboration with the client in the last five years. Most recently one of the client’s critical freezer coldstores was determined to have reached the end of life and a solution had to be developed to replace this room, plant and all the associated electrical, construction and mechanical works to support this. 

The initial assessment of the project immediately highlighted that the existing plant was inefficient and posed a high level of financial risk due to the refrigerant in use. Originally designed as an R22 system the four large reciprocating compressor/receiver sets had previously undergone two retrofits, first to R422d and then more recently to R438a (MO99). The client in conjunction with our design department settled on a natural refrigerant solution based on CO2 and a further consideration required the system to include a heat exchanger which would redirect rejected heat from the system into the ambient warehouse area and act as comfort heating for the staff. 

Carter Synergy was approached by our esteemed client, The Co-operative Group (TCG), to adapt our integrated CO₂ solution for a trial across their estate. Collaborating closely with Green & Cool Refrigeration (G&C), we customised our already successful system specifically for the Hulme store. 

The key objectives for TCG included:

• A system based on natural refrigerants
• Reduction in energy consumption
• No adverse effect on customer experience
• Financially sustainable technology

Our system has successfully met, and will continue to meet, all of the above criteria.

The industrial application of transcritical CO₂ technology has enabled us to showcase that this innovative solution is not only suitable for larger systems but also remarkably cost-effective.

The straightforward nature of the technology and its components allows us to harness many advantages observed in food retail for much larger applications. A prime example of this is the utilisation of copper pipework for installation.

As this technology is no longer regarded as “specialist” equipment, the maintenance costs are significantly lowered, making it a practical choice for industrial use.

Carter Synergy has recently completed a new store for the Central England Co-operative at their site at Openwoodgate, Belper. 

The project needed to be completed in a shorter timeframe than usual and this meant all works to the site had to be finished in a 3-week window. This new store included a number of new concepts and Carter Synergy was chosen to deliver all the main ME&R services for the site. 

Refrigeration Installation services, offering cold rooms, refrigeration plants, leak detection, alarm & monitoring systems, air conditioning, and ventilation solutions.

Total Produce boasts a turnover exceeding €4.25 billion, making it one of the world's largest and most accomplished suppliers of fresh produce. Operating in 39 countries and serving many more, their industry-leading vertically integrated supply chain spans the globe. This includes over 260 facilities such as farms, vessels, manufacturing plants, cold storage warehouses, and packhouses. 

The Liverpool site represents the merger of two existing facilities in Liverpool and Bolton, creating a modern distribution centre that caters to a diverse range of wholesale clients. These include independent retailers, wholesalers, catering suppliers, farm shops, supermarkets, and schools. Operating six days a week, they provide deliveries to Cheshire, Merseyside, The Wirral, North Wales, and Lancashire.

Installation of refrigeration systems, including cabinets, cold rooms, refrigeration plants, leak detection, alarm & monitoring systems, and ventilation solutions.

Wing Yip is widely regarded as the UK's premier supplier of Chinese and Oriental products, boasting stores and a national distribution network that caters to the majority of Chinese restaurants and takeaways across the country. As a well-established family business, two generations of the Wing Yip family are actively involved, supported by 40 years of experience, ensuring the sourcing of quality and innovative products.

The Group's head office is situated in Birmingham, complemented by warehousing and a national distribution centre, as well as superstores located in Birmingham, Manchester, Cricklewood, and Croydon.

The objective of this project was to introduce CO₂ refrigeration to the BP estate, ensuring optimal value and benefit regarding environmental impact.

As a key supplier, Carter Synergy designed and implemented a fully integrated refrigeration solution, focusing on the following essential components:

• Provision of all refrigeration capacity
• Introduction of a secondary temperature zone for air conditioning
• Delivery of all building heating through heat recovery systems

The design was presented and received approval in late 2013, with the St Ives store selected for a trial. The installation was completed and became operational by July 2014.

Post-installation, a period of monitoring commenced, allowing for a direct comparison with a similarly formatted store in Cockfosters, and this has been ongoing to date. 

This document provides an overview of the initiative and outlines the findings from the monitoring process thus far.

The Birmingham Wholesale Market is the largest fully integrated market in the UK, featuring Horticultural products, Fish, Meat and Poultry, as well as Flowers. The original Birmingham Wholesale Market, located in the heart of Digbeth, officially closed on 5th May 2018 and reopened at its new site in Aston, Birmingham, on 8th May 2018.

Carter Synergy, a Birmingham-based company, is proud to have been awarded several Full Design & Build projects for numerous market traders. Our projects included the construction of mezzanine structures, offices, and toilets, alongside essential mechanical and electrical (M&E) works, ventilation systems, sprinkler systems, and fire alarm installations—all completed in accordance with building regulations and to the satisfaction of both the traders and Birmingham City Council. Additionally, we undertook comprehensive refrigeration installations, which included the construction of Coldroom structures and the associated plant.

We provided a wide and diverse range of services across all six units for George Perry Ltd, the oldest wholesale traders of fruit and vegetables in the UK.

A £1.5 million London Dental Education Centre (LonDEC) will become part of the King’s College London Dental Institute.

Dental professionals throughout the Capital will benefit from a cutting-edge London dental education centre designed to enhance training and elevate clinical standards.

The Centre features a dental skills room with 26 stations, including eight equipped with microscopes, advanced clinical simulation facilities, and a dedicated lecture hall accommodating up to 50 delegates, alongside breakout rooms. Additionally, LonDEC boasts a full immersion simulation suite for team training in infection control and dental emergency management.

Carter Synergy served as the Main Contractor, overseeing the integration of nominated specialists employed directly by the client.