Airedale to move to temporary site

UK: Fire-hit manufacturer Airedale International is to move to a new temporary production site in Leeds within the next few weeks.

The air conditioning manufacturer, which was hit by a devastating fire on September 6, is to transfer production to a 130,000ft2 facility in Gelderd Lane. Meanwhile, there are plans to design and build a new, state-of-the-art factory, business suite and technology centre facility at the existing site in Rawdon, Leeds.

Clive Parkman, Airedale’s Managing Director said: “I firmly believe that we can build a bigger, stronger Airedale that will see us secure our world-leading, award-winning position in the market for another 40 years and beyond.”

With key items of plant including sheet metal and paint shop intact, Airedale intends to transfer production to the ‘Leeds West’ site, which is located on one of the main routes into Leeds and close to the motorway networks. The new facility provides sufficient space to house production and administration until the existing site is redeveloped.

In the interim, much of the manufacturer’s normal operations are said to be continuing virtually without interruption.

Service engineers attended at customer sites from day one, as planned, and production of controls, small systems, condensers and condensing units was equally quickly resumed. Some of its production of systems destined for the Southern hemisphere has also been picked up by Airedale’s sister company in South Africa. In the weeks up to the move, Airedale is concentrating on fabrication and component assembly so that units can be built and despatched as soon as the new site is operational around mid October.