The company’s 50,000th unit, an evaporator control panel, was sold to FSW in Stoke, but later installed at Westry Roberts Cheese Farm in Whitchurch. The panel was required to maintain the correct cool temperature for storing cheese at the Westry-Roberts farm.

James Hibbert, technical director at GB Controls said: “This milestone underlines the company’s longevity, manufacturing capabilities and its position at the forefront of refrigeration technology. Our range of 400 standard panels allows us to help maintain a fresh and safe food supply chain.”

Since hitting such a milestone, the company has enhanced its standard range of panels to offer more features and variants and aims to continue to grow following this.

GB Controls was established in 1984 in Colne, but has recently moved to a new purpose-built premise in Nelson, Lancashire. The new premises encompass 8,500sqft of manufacturing and test space. The company currently builds 2,500 panels per-year and this additional capacity allows for future growth plans.

The company has over 35 years of experience in supplying a variety of sectors with a wide range of electrical control panels, either from its standard designs or to our customers’ bespoke specifications. In that time, it has earned a name and reputation for its ability to deliver within strict deadlines, to a high specification whilst continuing to remain competitive.

GB Controls achieved ISO 9001 compliance in 2003 and continues to maintain a certified quality assurance system to BS EN ISO 9001. It is also a member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) business partner programme, demonstrating its commitment to promote and develop knowledge and professionalism throughout the organisation.

Since the company was first founded it has faced challenges in the face of climate change. With energy efficiency being a major issue GB Controls has had to adapt increasingly intelligent control systems in order to maintain the necessary levels of refrigeration whilst conserving energy. Similarly, like the rest of the industry, the company has also seen a changeover to lower Global Warming Potential (GWP) refrigerants.

The company plans to soon release an improved, updated website, including a product selector tool for customers.