World News

Industry news and insights from Europe and around the World

UK News

Latest news and developments in the United Kingdom

Products

Keep up-to-date with the latest new products and technology

Features

General articles, applications and industry analysis

Beijer to restructure HRP to stem losses

HRP-logisticsUK: Beijer Ref has confirmed it is negotiating the closure of HRP’s Bury St Edmunds hq in an effort to stem company losses and protect the remaining branches.

Beijer Ref acquired the remaining shares in the 70-year-old refrigeration wholesaling business in November following the death of owner Kingsley Curtis.

At the time Beijer Ref referred to HRP’s profitability problems but saw good opportunities to reverse the trend through efficient co-ordination with the Group’s existing UK refrigeration operations and by implementing a fully-comprehensive UK logistics network.

The proposed restructuring involves moving functions such as IT, purchasing and accounts from HRP Rougham to Beijer Ref’s UK administrative headquarters in Leeds. The Leeds base operates as the hq for all Beijer Ref UK companies, including Dean & Wood and RW Refrigeration Wholesale, the former United Refrigeration business it acquired in 2011.

John Billson, managing director of Beijer UK, told the BBC last week: “HRP is in poor shape and losing money and we’ve got to get it back on its feet again and make it profitable.”

In 2014 HRP made a £450,000 loss before tax on a turnover of £38.6m. The year before, losses were £2.25m.

Speaking to the Cooling Post, John Billson confirmed that they were looking to reduce costs and bring the company back into profitability. “We are committed to the HRP brand,” he said and confirmed that there were no plans to close any of the other HRP branches. In fact, the current negotiations are intended to protect jobs elsewhere in the country.

“We are planning to put the HRP brand back on the map and are investing in logistics,” he said, and confirmed that HRP subsidiary 3D would continue as an exclusive distributor of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries air conditioning, with HRP selling Samsung ac.

Beijer Ref is currently undertaking a 12 week consultation with staff at Rougham.

Related stories:

Beijer Ref buys wholesaler HRP – November 18, 2015
UK: Swedish refrigeration wholesaling group Beijer Ref has confirmed its acquisition of the remaining shares in UK wholesaler HRP. Read more…

Latest News

15th June 2025

Hitachi introduces R290 and R32 heat pumps

SPAIN: Hitachi has launched new residential air-to-water heat pumps – an R290 monobloc and R32 split system.
15th June 2025

Fibre membrane could lower data centre cooling costs

USA: Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a new evaporative cooling technology that could improve the energy efficiency of data centres and high-powered electronics.  The idea…
15th June 2025

Armstrong begins work on industrial heat pump plant

BELGIUM: Armstrong International has commenced work on a new high temperature industrial heat pump production facility at its site in Herstal, Belgium.
14th June 2025

Fambri double in REHVA student awards

ITALY: Beniamino Fambri, holder of a laurea magistrale in energy engineering from Italy’s Politecnico di Milano, was a double winner of student awards at this month’s 15th CLIMA World Congress.
13th June 2025

Sanhua VPF valves now for flammable refrigerants

SPAIN: Sanhua has extended TÜV certification for its VPF electronic expansion valves to include larger models (sizes 50 to 400) — enabling their safe use with flammable refrigerants.
13th June 2025

Panasonic cascade provides a new spin on efficiency

UK: Panasonic recently provided a large R290 air-to-water heat pump system to the National Wool Museum, located in a large remote site based in South-West Wales.