Pipe Center and Climate Center has made a number of senior appointments within its London and South East team.

Following the appointment of Brian Smithers as regional sales director earlier in the year, Matt Lee has now also joined the business as regional trading director. With responsibility for Pipe and Climate’s 22-strong network of branches in the region, he will play an instrumental role in guiding the business towards the realisation of ambitious growth and service performance targets.

He joins the Wolseley UK business from Grafton Group where, as a founding director of Plumbase Industrial (part of Plumbase), he established himself as a very well-respected and capable sector leader. His career has also included stints in senior positions at George Fischer and BSS.

Meanwhile, Brian Smithers has recently re-joined the business. A mechanical engineer by trade, he started his career with Wolseley on the trade counter at Tottenham and worked his way up to sales director before leaving in 2005 to become managing director of WF Electrical UK and then on to be business development director for Rexel Europe.

In his new role, he will oversee the servicing and development of contracts throughout London and the South East, working in partnership with Matt Lee to cement Pipe and Climate Center’s position as the default choice for the region’s mechanical contractors, installers and engineers.

The appointments follow a series of strategic investments in the region, including a bespoke fabrication facility in Basildon and branch investments in Slough, Greenford and Send.