Blending over 240 years of engineering heritage with innovation, J&E Hall is shaping refrigeration’s sustainable future
J&E Hall’s heritage stretches back to 1785, making us the world’s oldest refrigeration company,” begins Andrew Bowden, Managing Director. “We began as a heavy engineering business before pioneering refrigeration technology in the late 19th century, playing a key role in the development of marine refrigeration. Today, as part of the Daikin Group, we deliver energy-efficient cooling and heat pump solutions across sectors including food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, petrochemicals, and marine. What always amazes me is just how far refrigeration reaches; almost everything we use relies on it at some point in its lifecycle, yet it’s one of societies least recognized technologies.”
Indeed, the company provides a complete lifecycle service: designing, manufacturing, installing, and maintaining industrial refrigeration systems. Its core focus is sectors such as food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, petrochemicals, and distribution centers, supported by one of the UK’s leading industrial refrigeration service and maintenance teams.
“We also manufacture market-leading commercial condensing units and cellar cooling systems, invest heavily in R&D alongside Daikin, and have a specialist subsidiary, Coulstock & Place Engineering, that remanufactures industrial refrigeration compressors and provides highly specialized engineering services,” Andrew elaborates. “That subsidiary is particularly close to my heart because it’s where I started my career. I seized the opportunities it gave me and, over the years, progressed to become Managing Director of its parent company.
“Engineering has always been in my blood,” he shares. “My father, grandfather, and uncle were all engineers, so it was a natural career path for me. I left school at 16 to begin an electrical engineering apprenticeship because I wanted to get hands-on experience straight away. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to take on a wide range of roles, from health and safety and operations to legal and HR, before becoming Managing Director eight years ago. Along the way I completed a BSc in Electrical Engineering, a law degree, and, more recently, an MSc in Business and Leadership through the apprenticeship scheme. I’ve always believed you should keep learning, regardless of the stage in your career. At the end of the day, though, our greatest asset isn’t the technology we build; it’s our people and the expertise they bring.”
Innovation has always been at the heart of J&E Hall. Over the years, the company has received recognition for its technology and environmental achievements, including developing a patented process to remanufacture hermetic compressors that were once considered beyond repair.
“By reusing around 80 percent of the original components without compromising performance or reliability, we’ve helped customers reduce both costs and environmental impact,” Andrew explains. “Today, our R&D starts by understanding our customers’ challenges while anticipating future regulatory and environmental requirements, from refrigerant legislation to energy efficiency, noise reduction, and sustainability. Increasingly, customers come to us with a clear understanding of what they need, so innovation has become a collaborative process, combining their operational knowledge with our engineering expertise. Working closely with Daikin, we continue to invest in product development as a core part of our long-term strategy.”
The company’s ten-year growth plan, launched in 2022, is built around five key pillars. The first is investing in people, because they are fundamental to success. With a skills shortage across engineering, J&E Hall needs to attract, develop, and retain the next generation of talent, which is why Andrew is passionate about promoting engineering careers through initiatives such as STEM engagement with schools.
“The second pillar is strengthening our service and support capabilities, expanding our team of engineers across the UK so we can continue improving customer responsiveness,” he continues. “Innovation is another major focus, particularly around sustainable refrigeration technologies, natural refrigerants, energy efficiency, and emerging technologies such as AI, which can help customers optimize performance, improve reliability, and reduce energy consumption.
“Finally, we’re looking at controlled growth across new sectors and geographies, working alongside Daikin to identify opportunities where our expertise can add value. By combining Daikin’s global reach with J&E Hall’s specialist refrigeration knowledge, we can continue supporting customers both in the UK and internationally. We’re making strong progress across all areas of the plan, with continued investment in our people, products, infrastructure, and operational capabilities.”
The expansion of its Glasgow operations is an important step in supporting J&E Hall’s long-term growth strategy. The new facility increases operational capacity, improves logistics efficiency, and enables the team to better support customers across Scotland and the wider northern region. It also provides additional storage capability, allowing customers to store equipment such as chillers before installation, while J&E Hall maintains them to ensure they remain in peak condition.
“The investment wasn’t originally part of our ten-year plan, but it was a great opportunity that aligned with our wider ambitions,” Andrew adds. “It strengthens both our project and service capabilities, allowing us to respond more quickly to customer needs and continue growing in a sustainable way.
“As part of our ten-year strategy, we’ve created a series of five-year product development plans, because technology, legislation, and customer requirements can change significantly over a decade. This allows us to remain agile while still having a clear direction,” he continues. “The first phase of that plan is now coming to fruition, with the launch of our latest semi-hermetic ammonia compressor technology and associated products next year.
“One example is our low-charge ammonia chiller, which uses just 15 kilograms of refrigerant while delivering significant capacity. We’re also developing both air-cooled and water-cooled versions to meet different customer requirements and operating environments around the world. While our roots are firmly in the UK market, we’re increasingly looking at how our technology can support customers globally.”
One thing of which Andrew is incredibly proud is the passion people have for J&E Hall and the industry. “When customers or suppliers visit, they often comment on the commitment and expertise of our people. We have employees with decades of service – in some cases more than 60 years – which reflects the culture we’ve built.
“We’ve also focused on creating the right balance between experience and fresh thinking by bringing in new talent while retaining the knowledge of our long-serving employees. Our people are the foundation of our success, which is why we continue to invest in training and development.
“Our Dojo Training Centre is a key part of that commitment, providing development in areas including industrial refrigeration, engineering, leadership, and environmental practices. It enables us to train apprentices, existing employees, and engineers from other industries in the J&E Hall way. Alongside this, we’re investing in graduate schemes, international recruitment, and upskilling to address the skills shortage and give people the opportunity to progress.”
J&E Hall has always balanced heritage with innovation. While incredibly proud of its history, the team doesn’t rely on what’s been achieved in the past. “We need to keep looking ahead and developing the technologies and solutions that will shape our future,” Andrew concludes. “With the expertise of our people and the strength of our technology, I’m confident we can continue to evolve. That includes embracing opportunities such as AI, not as a replacement for expertise, but as a tool to support better decision-making, generate ideas, and help us continue innovating.”
