Advanced Radiators warms to new markets

A Sunderland-based engine cooling and climate control specialist is expanding into new markets and creating jobs, after building a second workshop for its new division.

Advanced Radiators - one of the largest independent engine cooling and climate control specialists in the UK - has launched Advanced Heat Transfer, a new division of the business which is helping the company expand into the Industrial, Marine and Rail sectors.

Established in 1982, the family run business now employs more than 30 people, with key clients including Nissan, Hitachi, Finning Caterpillar, Northern Rail and Banks Group.

Following support from the Sunderland City Council Business Investment Team in 2018, Advanced Radiators moved its head office from Newcastle to a 26,000 sq ft building in Washington.

Mark Riches, managing director of the business said: "For many years, Advanced Radiators focussed on the heavy plant industry, such as aggregate quarries and opencast coal sites around the UK. We've always worked on large cooler groups for various Caterpillar, Hitachi and Komatsu equipment, however since our move to the larger facility in Washington, we've been able to build a second workshop - which we have branded Advanced Heat Transfer - that has enabled us to move into new sectors and create six highly skilled jobs, including a head of industrial, head of rail, workshop foreman, workshop chargehand and two on-site industrial engineers."

Mark, who owns the business alongside his brother Philip, said they had a three-year plan in place when they moved to Washington. "We're ahead of schedule, we originally planned to build a second workshop and add to the team next year," he explained.

"We're on track to achieve an increase in turnover of around 15% in comparison to last year, to which last year was a record year since the company started trading. Now that the dust has settled and we are coming to the end of our three year plan, it's now a case of servicing the new industrial, marine and rail sectors in the same way we have for many years on the quarries and open cast, providing 24/7 support as required."

Sunderland City Council has supported Advanced Radiators in recent years, helping to fund new machinery and develop the new workshop to aid the company's growth.

Philip Riches said: "The support we've received from the Business Investment Team at Sunderland City Council has been first class. It's helped reduce some of the financial burden we've inevitably taken on throughout this project, including new capital equipment, extraction, drainage and our exit strategy from the old property.

"We have always been incredibly confident in what we do day to day, but the support we've received has given us that further encouragement to create the new job roles that we needed to hopefully grow sensibly."

Cllr Graham Miller, leader of Sunderland City Council said: "We're delighted to support Advanced Radiators and its new division that has created highly skilled jobs in the city.

"Washington is fast-establishing itself as a base for innovative manufacturing and engineering businesses, and Advanced Radiators is a great example of this. We look forward to continuing to work with Mark, Philip and the team as they continue to expand and lead the way within the heat transfer industry."

For more information on Advanced Heat Transfer, please visit: https://www.advancedheattransfer.co.uk/

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