COMMERCIAL refrigeration supplier G H England has been bought by Primo Products, the refrigerated case importer and subsidiary of leading contractor Project First Engineering.
While the announcement marks the retirement of Bill and Jenny England from the company they founded in 1969, G H England will continue to operate under its existing name at Chippenham, Wiltshire.

Project First Engineering is the fast-growing project management and contracting business formed by former Tesco's-man Mark Stratford in 2001.

With a high-profile customer base including M&S, Tesco, Asda, Waitrose and Budgens, Project First boasts a turnover approaching £20m.

Its subsidiary Primo Products Ltd is also based at Bletchley, selling a range of Turkish-made rozen food cabinets, chillers and display cases under the Platinum and Sapphire brands. The company has a turnover of £8m and employs 13 people.

Primo's management team was recently strengthened by the appointment of Hamish Sinclair as case sales manager for Primo Products. He has a broad range of experience in the sector, having previously been with previously with Montgomery Refrigeration, IR Hussmann and Interlevin.

Mark Stratford, managing director, Primo Products, said “The business is a complimentary fit to Primo Products Ltd capturing a different sector of the market place, predominately selling to regionally based refrigeration contractors.

'Currently GH England is the third largest supplier in this sector and it is our intention to grow on their existing capability by increasing the product range and customer base. This is a really exciting venture and one which will help cement our position in the display case market.

Here at Primo Products we have been involved with the importation of refrigerated cases to the supermarket sector and now together with GH England will be supplying additionally to the contract sector of the marketplace - an obvious partnership.”