Viega adds weight to technical support

Andrew Shankster has joined Viega UK as Technical Support and Training Specialist, making over 20 years’ practical experience available to Viega customers.

Based out of the Tewksbury office and training centre, Andrew is happy to run hands-on training courses for customers new to the Viega press systems while being equally at home on the end of a phone or on site. Flexibility is key to providing the right support when and where required by Viega users.

With a background on the tools, Andrew sees himself as the connection point between engineers and contractors. “A lot of younger engineers have had a purely academic background and don’t always speak the same language as the contractors. I’ve got the very broad experience that allows me to connect the dots in the most straightforward way without overcomplicating anything.

“I’ll be the first port of call for any technical enquiries that are a bit too detailed for the sales team and, having started my career with an apprenticeship, I can give the really practical advice that the contractors need when faced with a specific issue on a site.”

Impressed by the sheer quality of the Viega products and the organisation as a whole, it’s the Megapress system that Andrew sees as being genuinely revolutionary. “When we talked about heavy grade steel it was all about threaded joints and all very

laborious. In a cold plant room on site, you’d have someone constantly applying threading to a 6m pipe and then screwing fittings onto it.

“It was cheap and it took ages. Now the contractors can still use that thick steel pipework, but we have a fitting that just presses onto the pipe. No workbenches, no threading machines no time-consuming set-up. For the younger contractors, this is really appealing as they can see how much it will reduce the costs for them.”

Bringing a bit of a global perspective to the Viega team, Andrew has split his career between the UK and Australia: always focused on plumbing and heating systems and with direct experience of press fittings, he is delighted to find just how different Viega is.

“Anyone who wants to understand the sheer scale and engineering quality behind the Viega brand just needs to visit Viega World in Germany. It’s like Disney World for engineers, showing off a level of investment that I’ve simply not seen anywhere else.”

Stay ahead of the curve and never miss what matters. Get the latest industry trends, product innovations, and expert tips delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now and stay one step ahead with Viega.