Airedale International's parent company, Modine Manufacturing Company, has announced that it has now completed the acquisition of Consett-based manufacturer of custom-built air handling units, Barkell Ltd.
Modine made the announcement in its 28 February 2014 statement to the New York Stock Exchange.

The acquisition allows Airedale to extend its product portfolio to include a range of air handling units which offer data centres, offices and industrial facilities a highly energy-efficient cooling system which uses indirect fresh air as the primary cooling medium. Work is already underway, with production launch of the new AireFlow range set for this Spring.

Based in the North East of England since 1981, Barkell has established a reputation for high quality products and services which has seen it acquire leading market share within this segment in the UK.

Matt McBurney, Modine's vice president, Commercial Products Group, said: 'Acquiring Barkell helps us expand both our product line and our sales channel in the UK. In addition, this acquisition will help us build on Modine's success in the growing data centre air conditioning market by providing innovative solutions, including adiabatic cooling.'

Airedale managing director, Clive Parkman, said: 'Everyone at Modine is excited about the opportunities Barkell and Airedale can bring to each other. We have been working together for a number of years and are pleased we have moved forward with this next step. With a focus on the air handling market, Barkell offers Airedale - and thus Modine - an excellent opportunity to expand both our product and service solutions to new and current customers.'