Quinn Radiators was formed in October 2004 following the acquisition of several companies and has grown to become one of Europe’s leading manufacturers of domestic and specifi cation radiators

It is a division of the Quinn Group, which has operations in the UK in the areas of commercial and business insurance, glass, plastics and hotels and employs approximately 8,000 people in Ireland, the UK and Europe.

“Being part of the Quinn Group enables Quinn Radiators to leverage market knowledge from other Quinn Group companies quickly, allowing it to respond rapidly to market conditions and trends,” says Danny Taylor, national sales manager. It is seen as one of the most enduring success stories in Irish business and in 2007, the Quinn Group reported sales in excess of £2 billion.”

Quinn Radiators, which manufactures in the UK and has distribution facilities in Ireland and Belgium, offers an extensive range of panel, towel and design radiators including Round Top, Compact and LST, while its designer radiator business supplies to prestigious projects throughout the UK and Ireland. “We combine innovative industrial design with unrivalled performance,” says Taylor.

Taking manufacturing to the next level

The company has invested heavily in manufacturing facilities in recent years allowing it to increase its capacity and has recently unveiled a range of new products. In 2006 it opened a new technologically advanced manufacturing plant at Newport, South Wales. The state-of-the-art facility has the capability to produce a radiator every four seconds.

“The Newport plant was launched to ensure that everincreasing future demand could be satisfied to the highest and most efficient standards possible,” says Taylor. “It is the most modern and efficient radiator plant in the world, which opens up many opportunities for the company. It has the only 12-metre per minute radiator lines in the world, together with a unique fullyautomated warehousing and picking system reducing the need for handling, and therefore damage.”

Earlier this year a new fully automated Design Radiator production facility was opened at the Newport plant, boasting the latest machinery with the capacity of producing 250,000 radiators per year. It will allow customers to order stock for next day delivery or made to order products in two to four weeks, making high end, high quality radiators available to all customers in a shorter space of time.

International recognition

“Our state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in Newport, goes from strength to strength leading the industry in environmental standards and has been awarded the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System and the NF quality mark,” says Taylor.

The ISO 14001 is an internationally recognised standard, which acknowledges the company’s commitment to focus on its potential impact on the local environment through its operations and sets business-driven objectives and targets.

The NF quality mark is the leading product certification mark in France and is widely known throughout Europe allowing Quinn Radiators to supply into new markets on the continent. It recognises the company’s compliance not only with current standards, but also with additional quality criteria that will meet consumers’ needs.

Going green

Making sure that its manufacturing process is as environmentally friendly as possible is key to Quinn Radiators and the company has recently worked out the carbon footprint of the production process of its Compact radiator, discovering that in total, the process contributes to less than one per cent of the overall supply chain footprint. “This highlights the company’s pro-active commitment with regards to its operation and its effect, or potential effect, on the environment,” says Taylor.

The company continually reviews manufacturing processes and considers new technologies and innovative procedures to reduce the use of and protect energy, water and other resources and works with local, national and international legislators and regulators as well as the industry, to comply with and help create reasonable and effective laws and regulations aimed at protecting the environment.

The fully automated production facility ensures minimum waste but Quinn Radiators recycles 100 per cent of its waste resulting from the production process and the company’s automated warehousing allows all picking to be done on site, so there are no additional traffic movements to other locations, generating less damage and waste.

Class-leading Efficiencies

Ongoing investment in research and development and advanced manufacturing systems allows Quinn Radiators to constantly upgrade and develop new generations of market-leading radiators - the latest being the Quinn Round Top.

“With its slim profile and refined styling based on a market-leading 25mm pitch, the new Quinn Round Top sets the highest standards in design and efficiency, making it the best Round Top radiator on the market,” says Taylor. “’This new Round Top combines a discreet modern appearance with high performance and classic good looks. The closely arranged water channels ensure a high yield and faster heating.”

He says that the other advantages including four tappings, allowing for greater installation opportunities, and an improved longer-lasting
paint finish in a brighter white.

“It’s a budget-friendly radiator suited to any home and offers the customer choice in heat output and size to any application or project coupled with outstanding quality efficiency and finish.”

Also new to the market this spring is the Quinn Low Surface Temperature (LST) Radiator - suitable for installation at locations where the maximum operating temperature must be controlled such as nurseries, schools, clinics and hospitals or in the homes of vulnerable people, who may be at risk of burning themselves.

Designed to comply with NHS Safe Surface Temperature guidelines, where maximum surface temperatures should not exceed 43OC it is manufactured from a strong single-piece cover making it quick and easy to install with no visible welds or joints to trap dust. It also has a forward-hinged cover allowing for trouble-free access to the emitter for internal cleaning and maintenance. It is painted using RAL 9016 anti-bacterial paint, for a longer lasting cleaner finish. It is hard wearing and durable and is suitable for all areas where bacterial contamination is a concern.

And for projects where space is an issue Quinn Compact radiators are available in a 300mm wide option.

The company has a philosophy of continuous development and improvements are achieved by detailed analysis of test results and trends, which are translated into corrective and preventative actions.

The first few months of 2009 have already seen significant growth and development within the company, with the extension of the Newport facility and a range of new products and Quinn Radiators has plenty more to bring to the table.

For more information & contact details go to www.quinn-radiators.co.uk