Built on a century of heat transfer expertise, trusted across the world’s most critical industries.

After restructuring and rebranding in 2017, a consolidated and trademarked business unit, Therco-Serck was established, still in the UK’s Industrial heartland of Sheffield. With a complete new business model, based upon continual improvements in Safety, Reliability, Profitability, Stability and Liquidity, the business is perfectly poised to support its existing global client base while calving out a new, Safe and Sustainable Future in the production of High Integrity Heat Exchangers.

Safety Moment – 2020 was a year like no other in recent memory with global headlines centred firmly on the COVID-19 pandemic. Life changed and occupational health and safety had to change with it. Face masks, respirators, social distancing, testing, vaccines, self-isolating, working from home, the list of the new norms grew exponentially. One of the few upsides of which was the renewed focus on employee wellbeing. This created a need for employers to truly examine safety culture far beyond the physical limitations of the workplace to keep employees engaged, alert and healthy.

After the acquisition, the Serck Industrial business unit was transferred in its entirety to Therco’s facility on the Holbrook Industrial Estate in Sheffield. With a renewed customer centric focus, the Therco and Serck businesses were successfully amalgamated, leading to exponential growth in both domestic and export sales of high integrity heat transfer equipment.

Safety Moment – The Office for Nuclear Regulation [ONR] is established and made Responsible for protecting people from the Hazards inherent in the nuclear industry. And the industry keeps moving with the times – introducing regulations for flexible working, minimum wages, modern slavery and ozone depleting substances.

The Serck Heat Transfer Group now consisted of the small engines division, EGR division and the Serck Industrial Heavy Engineering Division. This was sold to Honeywell in 2000 and in 2002 integrated into the Garret Thermal Systems business unit. In 2004, Therco sparked into life to support the booming demand in the petrochemical and power generation sectors and created the perfect platform for its acquisition of the Serck Industrial business in 2005.

Safety Moment – The ‘Revitalising Health and SafetyStrategy Statement’ is published in June 2000 to mark the start of a ten year campaign of the same name. The Pressure Systems Safety Regulation are released around the same time.

Backed by NatWest Ventures, in 1997 there was an MBO of the remaining Serck Heat Transfer group. With new impetus the business introduced the first EGR cooler for Ford Automotive and commenced development of its vacuum brazed aluminium cooler range. In 1999 the business also sold its remaining radiator service based branches in the UK, USA and UAE to Unipart.

Safety Moment – In 1990 the HSE starts to carry our nuclear safety research and, in 1991 to enforce offshore safety. Shortly after in 1992, the Health and Safety Commission was charged with the review of extant legislation, describing it as ‘too voluminous , complicated and fragmented, a potential burden in business.

In 1982, BTR acquired the Serck Group , later selling off the less profitable operations such as Serck GmbH, Serck Tubes, Serck Controls and Serck Services. There was also an MBO of the Aircraft division, which was later sold to Meggitt in 2004. The Shell & Tube, Air Cooler and After Sales Division was also amalgamated in order to create a standalone business to be known as Serck Industrial.

Safety Moment – First Aid regulations come into force on the 1st July 1982, followed in 1985 by the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations [RIDDOR]. However, this period in industry is blighted by the Piper Alpha offshore platform explosion which kills 167 people in 1988.

Serck Heat Transfers notable innovations around this time included sectional radiators, pipe range shell and tube and anti-bypass baffle seals, proved irresistible to the global power generation and propulsion industry. To exemplify this, to this day the UK’s entire fleet of Nuclear PowerStation’s and Submarines rely on Serck products for cooling reactors, turbines, compressors, generators, transformers and large diesel engines alike.

Safety Moment – The Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 is introduced and described as ‘a bold and far reaching piece of legislation’ by HSE’s first Director General, John Locke.

The group became known as Serck Heat Transfer in 1968 and experienced massive growth in its seven business divisions. At its peak, employing over 3,500 people, it was producing in excess of 500,000 shell & tube coolers and 350,000 air coolers a year, which were exported all round the world.

Safety Moment – The Offices Act 1960, Radioactive Substances Act 1960 and Factories Act 1961 are all introduced alongside a new requirement for Compulsory Employers Liability Insurance.

In 1957, the Seeleys Road Works was redeveloped to accommodate Serck Ltd., the parent Company of the Serck Group, including Serck Radiators and the newly formed Serck Services.

Safety Moment – On the 8th October 1957, a major incident at the Windscale nuclear site leads to the UK’s Atomic Energy Authority [UKAEA] to recommend that a body be set up with the responsibility for licensing future civil reactors in the UK.

While manufacture of radiators for private cars was suspended up to 1945, heat exchanger output trebled with the Birmingham site supplying over 65,000 aircraft radiators and over 100,000 aircraft oil coolers for Rolls Royce, Napier and Bristol Engines.

Safety Moment – 1941 saw the formation of the Royal Society for the prevention of Accidents [RoSPA]

Around the start of a new decade, Herman Oscar Serck, Peter’s brother, set up a new business in Manchester , manufacturing and servicing radiators. This was soon followed by the establishment of the Serck Tube Divisions in Birmingham, close to the main site.

Safety Moment – With increased interest in equality and human rights, the ‘Employment of Women and Young Persons Act’ was introduced in 1936.

Serck continued to grow, largely by leveraging its automotive radiator technology to supply equipment into the booming marine diesel engine , power generation , aircraft and rail traction markets.

Safety Moment – The first British ‘Safety First’ convention was held by the British Industrial Safety First Association [BISFA]in 1920.

After the armistice in 1919, Peter Oscar Serck used £200,000 capital to form Serck Radiators Ltd as a public company. In which Peter held over half of the shares and was the Managing Director.

Safety Moment – The ‘Factory and Workshop Act’ was established in 1901 and remained the principle statute for the regulation of factories until its repeal in 1937.

Peter Oscar Serck was born in St. Petersburg on October 30th, 1882. He first developed and patented the Honeycomb radiator in 1905, and initially set up his factory in Bermondsey, London. Moving to Coventry 1909 and then to Greet in Birmingham where the factory remained until 2005.

Safety Moment – The ‘Employers Liability Act’ extended protection to workers concerning accidents caused by the negligence of managers, superintendent and foremen in 1880.