K J Plumbing Factors & Heating Spares, a North-West based specialist merchant focused on supporting commercial boiler and heat pump projects, has proved itself adept at reacting to changing demands from the market: offering its customers excellent standards of service, including the supply of fully compatible, high-quality products from the ESBE range.
The distributor has its premises in Bury, just 30 miles from ESBE’s new headquarters at Rosendale in the Irwell valley, while the two companies have established a strong working relationship during the past couple of decades. In fact, the Swedish based manufacturer’s established and expanding hydronics range is described as being “ideally suited to enabling installers of heating and renewables systems deliver contracts achieving high efficiency as well as long term reliability.”
John Burke, Managing Director of K J Plumbing Factors & Heating Spares, originally trained as a chemical engineer, but joined the family business in his 30s to help his father expand its reach – both technically and geographically – to the point where it today supplies a diverse customer base right across the UK. Outlining the projects the business serves through its partnership, John said: “A lot of the ESBE valves and other components we sell actually come through the OEMs – the manufacturers of heat pumps, boilers and cylinders that we sell into big commercial new-build and refurbishment projects such as schools and hospitals.
“We have, for example, recently supplied a large number of ESBE valves for a big NHS centre in Liverpool; and supply a lot of the company’s rotary ball valves or diverter valves to installers, which we know offer the performance standards required. We always try and offer added value to contractors and that encompasses trying to achieve high quality and compatibility so, we will switch to ESBE wherever it is appropriate: primarily because the brand offers a more reliable solution in most circumstances.
John continued: “Very often we are contacted by heating engineers who are seeking a replacement for a valve which has failed in a plant room somewhere, sending details or a photo of the problem. These can of course be from any of the controls’ specialists, but we frequently recommend an ESBE body with an ESBE actuator rather than mixing components which have not been designed to work together. In fact, the after-market is very big for us.
“Overall, our ethos is to constantly be ready to change and adapt, which includes the potential electrification of domestic heating systems as part of the Net Zero agenda and one of the things we want to do in respect of heat pumps is therefore to help our customers understand and embrace the technology.”
Darren Myers, the UK Managing Director of ESBE, added: “We have got to know John and his very competent team at KJ Plumbing over a period of many years, including inviting him to the factory in Sweden so that he could gain a greater understanding of the company’s quest for excellence and innovation and we were also very pleased to see John at the recent opening of our new headquarters in Rosendale, which was also attended by senior staff over from Sweden.
“We look forward to building on the relationship in the future and helping them grow the brand with their own customers across the UK.”
