Patrick has spent his working career in industrial refrigeration, joining Star Refrigeration in 1984. Starting as an apprentice and working through various roles in the company’s Operations business, Patrick latterly was manager of its Derby branch. This senior operations role required Patrick to manage a team of circa 15 people in all aspects of providing support to company customers in his area. This included design and installation work for new equipment and maintenance of a wide range of industrial refrigeration equipment. In addition to the technical capabilities that this role demanded, were the commercial responsibilities of meeting budgets, ensuring that the branch contributed appropriately to the wider success of the business and managing a team of service engineers.

In 2008 Patrick joined STS, where his wide ranging practical experience has been applied in a variety of ways. This includes preparing Written Schemes of Examination and associated inspections under PSSR 2000, carrying out plant risk assessments, pre and post refrigerant conversion performance assessments, preparation of specifications to tender and a of other related work, such as plant trouble shooting and training. Projects have included the preparation of specification to tender documents for a major UK ready meals business, reviewing specifications and signing off work undertaken by contractors for a large chicken processing facility and assisting with the installation and commissioning of both the demonstration units and the first to market units of Tesco’s trans-critical CO₂refrigeration systems for its retail stores. Patrick is listed as an external trainer at New College in Nottingham and has taught students on a part-time basis up to HNC level.