PHAM NEWS | MARCH 2026 Radiators & Towel Warmers 27


Committed to manufacturing in the UK


Marking its 90th anniversary this year, Stelrad is able to boast being the UK’s number one radiator brand and remains committed to manufacturing radiators from its Mexborough facility in South Yorkshire. We look at the company’s heritage and how it continues to evolve to meet demand both at home and around the globe.


T


he very first Stelrad radiators were manufactured back in 1936 in Southall, West London, from


a small factory not far from the Uxbridge Road. The radiators produced were column radiators – the forerunners of the modern column radiators that are still very popular in 2026 – particularly for older properties being refurbished with a new heating system. The company has come a


long way in its nine decades of supplying radiators both in the UK and further afield, but in 1936 the quantity was small and it would be a while before the volume increased significantly. The second world war saw the destruction and damage of hundreds of thousands of homes up and down the country, particularly in cities, that necessitated the building of large quantities of new homes in the late nineteen forties and fifties. However, because of the


urgency to build replacement homes, many of them were not built to the highest standards and did not incorporate what were then expensive additions – such as heating systems. UK


p Stelrad manufactures and distributes over 2.5 million radiators every year


t Most radiators can be ordered in a choice of over 30 colours and can now be delivered within just two weeks


hands several times in the last 40 years and the product range has grown and broadened to offer a range of steel panel radiators, including the addition of designer, decorative and low surface temperature radiators and the arrival of specialist towel rails for the bathroom and en-suites in modern homes. In 1999 all production in the


UK moved to the current home of its manufacturing centre and its national distribution centre – Mexborough in South Yorkshire as the Dalbeattie factory in Scotland closed. The Compact radiator range


properties relied heavily on coal in open fires to provide warmth in the home, with many families effectively living in just one room in the colder months of the year as that was the only room that could be heated or that they could afford to heat. With most homes sporting draughty, metal-framed,


single-glazed windows, waking up to impressive but thick ice patterns on the inside of the windows was a common problem.


Housing boom It was not until the 1970s when house buyers first began to appreciate the benefits of central heating, which finally became a standard feature as gas availability increased and new housing was built, with widespread adoption leading to changes in home design and public health by the 80s. With the growth in demand for central heating came the inevitable rise in demand for radiators and the major growth of Stelrad Radiators as a major supplier. The company exchanged


t Stelrad’s National Distribution Centre, first built in 2003, has developed to become arguably the most advanced distribution facility in the UK’s heating sector


was launched in 2000 and it has grown to be the best selling radiator for the company – with the addition last year of the new green compact radiator range designed to reduce the levels of emissions caused by its manufacture and to help buyers incorporate a lower emission radiator in the increasingly greener homes being built up and down the country.


Colour options Last year, the radiator manufacturer introduced a new quicker turnaround service for the supply of some of its radiators in colour. Initially, this new rapid


turnaround service applied to the popular Column and Concord ranges, and to the Classic Towel Rail, Caliente and Concord towel rail products when ordered in one of the now 55 standard RAL colours and finishes. The lead time had been reduced from the previous standard eight weeks down to just 14 days.


Now Stelrad has announced


phase two of the rollout of the same rapid turnaround for coloured radiators from a wider range of its options, including models in its Compact with Style, Planar, Vita Silhouette, Vita Deco, Vita Plan, Vita Vertical, Softline Silhouette, Softline Deco, Softline Plan and Softline Vertical. “The popularity of coloured


radiators is growing hugely, and we are responding to requests from customers for a wider choice of coloured radiators from our ranges to be available in this much reduced timeframe,” says marketing director Chris Harvey. With the aim of improving its


delivery service to customers, the company has also now introduced a free 48-hour Quick Delivery service to all customers if they need it. Available for its premium panel products and its column radiators, orders placed before 5pm daily from Monday to Friday will be delivered to merchant branches within 48 hours or less. “We launched this new


service with a number of selected customers for selected designer radiators last year and it has been well received and utilised as it was intended for urgently required radiators only,” says Chris Harvey. “So, we are launching this new service to all UK customers for premium panel and column radiators.” The company has come a long


way from its birth in 1936. Now manufacturing and distributing more than 2.5 million radiators every year, it is able to boast the largest market share of any manufacturer in six different European marketplaces, including the UK where it continues to be responsible for over 50% of radiator sales. ◼ phamnews.co.uk/326/44


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