Ideal Heating has given visitors to its headquarters site a behind-the-scenes insight into the industry’s present and future.
Ideal Heating hosted guests from the worlds of business, education and training at its site in Hull, as part of Humber Business Week, the annual celebration of business across the region.
The event involved tours of both Ideal’s boiler manufacturing facilities and the company’s UK Technology Centre (UKTC), a state-of-the-art facility for the development and testing of heat pumps and low-carbon heating technologies.
Guests also took on a “commission a heat pump in 90 seconds” challenge led by Training and Design Services Director, Andrew Johnson, and members of Ideal’s Expert Academy training team.
The “Inside The Factory” event provided delegates with a rare opportunity to see what has made Ideal one of the UK’s most successful and forward-thinking manufacturers.
As well as experiencing Ideal’s boiler manufacturing operations, the Humber Business Week delegates were among the first guests to visit the UKTC, which will be fully operational later this year.
Ideal is part of Groupe Atlantic UK and Republic of Ireland, which employs around 1,500 people in the UK, with 800 at the Hull site.
Ideal was recently named a recipient of The King’s Award for Enterprise, in the Innovation category. The award recognised the company’s comprehensive, end-to-end heat pump delivery package which is reshaping how the UK adopts low-carbon heating technology.
Ideal is nearing completion of a £60m investment programme in new manufacturing, distribution and research and development facilities at the Hull site, as the business embraces renewable heating solutions.
The flagship development is the industry-leading UKTC, which gives Ideal the world-class R&D capability to develop, test and refine the next generation of heating products.
When fully staffed and operational, the UKTC will bring together more than 100 Ideal specialists currently spread out across the Hull site, thereby supporting greater collaboration and innovation.
Ideal’s Chief Operating Officer Jason Speedy welcomed the guests to the National Avenue site and explained how the business was building on decades of experience heating British homes and businesses to now lead the UK heating industry’s shift to low-carbon solutions.
He said: “It’s been a pleasure to open our doors to guests as part of Humber Business Week.
“We’re proud to be one of the region’s largest and longest-established businesses, with our roots in Hull stretching back well over 100 years. We’re also excited to showcase the huge investments we’re making to remain at the forefront of our industry as heating technologies evolve.
“On this site we have both advanced manufacturing systems and processes supporting the production of up to half a million gas boilers each year, and industry-leading skills and capabilities to pioneer the heating technologies of the future.”
Engineering Director Helen Villamuera was among senior executives hosting site tours.
She said: “This event has enabled us to demonstrate the scale of the transformation across our Hull site, as we decarbonise both our products and our operations.
“It’s also been great to highlight the many exciting and rewarding career opportunities we offer, including in engineering, research, product testing and software development.
“These opportunities have increased in range and diversity as we have embraced the transition to low-carbon heating systems and invested in both our facilities and our people.”
One of the guests, Alan Brattan, Yorkshire committee member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), said the event demonstrated Ideal’s commitment to continually investing in its operations and products.
He said: “The production of boilers is very advanced and it’s really impressive to see so much investment in low-carbon technologies in an industry that is so important in terms of climate change.
“It’s especially exciting to see such a strong focus on developing heat pumps specifically designed for the UK market and climate.
“It’s all great news for Hull, the wider region and the UK.”
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