Ruskin renamed Swegon Air Management
UK: Ruskin Air Management has been renamed Swegon Air Management following its acquisition by the Swedish manufacturer Swegon.
Following last month’s acquisition, the former Ruskin brands – Actionair; Air Diffusion; Naco; and Airolution – will now operate alongside Swegon’s existing UK businesses creating a combined operation with a £43m turnover and a workforce of 330.
Swegon Air Management Ltd (SAML) will continue as a sales agent for the other two UK-based brands Envirco and Trion, which remain under the ownership of JCI, but it is simultaneously launching a new venture in the air filtration marketplace called Airfiltrera.
A manufacturer of ventilation, air distribution, fire and smoke control products, Ruskin has 220 employees with operations in Whitstable, Kent, and Bridgnorth, Shropshire. It was acquired as part of the $1.6bn deal in April 2014 when Johnson Controls acquired its then owner, the Texas-based Air Distribution Technologies. The business was subsequently aligned under Johnson Controls’ Building Efficiency division.
Swegon AB is owned by the engineering investment group Latour and is one of Europe’s largest energy efficient ventilation and climate systems manufacturers – best known for its acclaimed Gold air handling units. Its 12 current production plants are in Sweden, Finland, Belgium, Italy, India, North America and Germany.
The Swegon Group employs 1,900 staff and its turnover is more than €400m. Swegon UK operates out of four offices headquartered in Hampshire.
Partnership
All former RAML personnel will be retained including Kevin Munson, who will continue as managing director of the new SAML operation. He will work in partnership with Swegon UK md Alistair Compton.
“The standard phrase at times like this is: ‘Business as usual’,” said Mr Munson. “However, we can go further than that. We are joining a group that fully understands our sector; sees the importance of locally-based manufacturing; and regards this as a marriage of equals.
“We are not losing people and we are not being integrated into anything. Swegon has a reputation for acquiring successful businesses and working to make them more successful by avoiding wholesale changes,” said Mr Munson. “We will be working alongside Swegon UK to expand and improve both businesses using our complementary skills and product ranges.”
