Building on a history of success, Groupe Atlantic is accelerating low-carbon heating solutions in the UK 

Founded in 1968 in France by engineers Paul Radat and Pierre Lamoure, Groupe Atlantic is a global leader in thermal comfort, spanning the heating, ventilation and air conditioning sectors. The business has grown to employ more than 13,000 people across four continents and now encompasses 20 brands, including industry-leading UK brands such as Ideal Heating (Ideal) and Gledhill.  

Ideal is the group’s leading British brand and the market leader in both the domestic and commercial heating sectors in the UK. Historically known as Ideal Boilers, Ideal has kept homes warm for generations, throughout two world wars, recessions and the Covid-19 pandemic. True to its founding principles of quality and innovation, Ideal continuously responds to changing market dynamics with advancements in technology and new product development.  

Focusing on the UK market, we speak with Jason Speedy, Chief Operations Officer, about the company’s product portfolio and how it is innovating solutions for a net zero future.  

“Groupe Atlantic has grown its UK presence over recent years, with the acquisition of commercial heating solutions specialist, Hamworthy, in 2008, the then Ideal Boilers in 2015, and, in a separate deal, the UK’s leading cylinder manufacturer, Gledhill,  in the same year,” Jason begins.  

“Our portfolio across the Ideal, Gledhill and Hamworthy brands spans both domestic and commercial scale heating solutions, from boilers and heat pumps to hot water cylinders and smart thermostats. Ideal’s portfolio spans gas boilers, including the renowned Logic range; air source heat pumps, including our flagship Logic Air; and a range of smart controls and thermostats. And while boilers have underpinned Ideal’s success and growth for decades – highlighted by the five millionth Logic boiler rolling off the production line in 2024 – the business is now at the forefront of the transition to low-carbon heating solutions
in the UK.  

Boost for Britain 

“As the UK’s leading cylinder manufacturer, Gledhill provides a wide range of vented and unvented hot water cylinders, including the StainlessLite range, as well as other renewable heating solutions like solar and heat pump cylinders. Forming part of our UK heat pump proposition, Gledhill’s hot water cylinders work alongside Ideal’s monobloc unit and smart controls to create a complete ‘plug and play’ heat pump ecosystem. 

“Hamworthy has decades of commercial heating experience and its varied portfolio provides a product for every building, including gas boilers, oil boilers, floor standing and wall-hung solutions, direct fired water heaters, calorifiers, or renewable products
like solar thermal,” Jason adds.  

In March 2023, Groupe Atlantic announced a major investment in Clade Engineering Systems (Clade) to strengthen its commercial offering across the UK. “Clade specializes in large-scale commercial heat pumps, providing a variety of choices for customers in the commercial, industrial, retail and public sectors,” Jason shares. “This investment brings to the group Clade’s 40 years of experience in engineering, R&D, design and installation, reinforcing our position as a leader in the development and production of low-carbon heating solutions.” 

Ideal and Gledhill are involved in accelerating the production of heat pumps in the UK, supported by funding from the UK Government. “In November 2024, the Government announced £5.2 million in funding for Ideal and Gledhill, which will be supported by our further £6.8 million investment,” Jason says. “This funding will enable production of 115,000 monobloc heat pump units and controls annually at Ideal’s site in Hull, by 2030, as well as 120,000 pre-plumbed hot water cylinders every year at Gledhill’s manufacturing facility in Blackpool, within the same timescale.  

“Allocated through the UK Government’s Heat Pump Investment Accelerator competition, the funding represents a major boost for British manufacturing. We’re working with the Government to invest in large-scale heat pump production in the UK, support British manufacturing and safeguard hundreds of jobs.” 

As our conversation continues, Jason turns his attention to the huge investment Ideal is making in a new UK Technology Centre, due to open later this year. “We’re delivering a £60 million investment program at our site in Hull, which includes a £19.2 million investment in an industry-leading technology hub,” he states. “The UK Technology Centre will support the development of low-carbon technologies, including heat pumps, and drive further innovation in the way homes can be heated sustainably.  

“The facility will house a range of simulators, test rigs and environmental chambers, all of which will advance the efficiency and performance of low-carbon heating solutions. Laboratory facilities within the 38,000-square-foot building will enable R&D teams to simulate a range of scenarios and conditions to test new technology and advance low-carbon heating solutions across its portfolio. The building will also house a heat pump testing area, workshop spaces and a training room.” 

Jason is keen to share why Ideal is passionate about investing in re-training and upskilling installers, in order to develop a UK-wide workforce with the skills and qualifications to install and maintain heat pumps. 

“We’re continuing to invest significantly in our training arm, Expert Academy, as we open new showpiece training centers and satellite facilities across the UK, providing high-quality and accessible training,” he explains. “At the heart of the Expert Academy is our £2.2 million National Training and Technology Centre, which has the capacity to train up to 5,000 installers every year. Our in-person provision is supported by unrivalled online training, under the Expert Academy On Demand banner, allowing heating professionals to access training anytime, anywhere. 

“Our commitment to sustainability is demonstrated by a range of developments and initiatives aimed at achieving net zero in carbon emissions at our Hull site by 2035, for example, in 2024 we opened a £2m office building, which is equipped with one of Ideal’s commercial Ecomod air source heat pumps and is the first on the Hull site to achieve a net zero Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating.  

“Beyond our own operations, we’re a leading member of the Oh Yes! Net Zero campaign, supporting Hull and the Humber region’s journey to net zero. 

“We’re also part of an ongoing project, the Living with Heat Pumps program, in partnership with Hull City Council,” Jason adds. “This project is trialing the performance of heat pumps installed in local authority housing, with data collected over a 12-month period to examine the costs, efficiencies and thermal comfort experienced by tenants.” 

 It’s clear that Ideal and Groupe Atlantic are at the forefront of the UK’s heat pump revolution and will continue to drive change in 2025 and beyond. “We kicked off 2025 by unveiling a new proposition as we set a new standard for heat pump adoption in the UK,” Jason shares. “This focus will continue throughout the year and beyond, building on our deep understanding and experience of heating millions of homes and businesses for more than 100 years. Working with the UK Government, industry bodies, installers and customers, we’re at the forefront of decarbonizing heating and playing a key role in the transition to heat pumps as a low-carbon alternative to gas boilers.  

“As we pivot our product portfolio towards low-carbon solutions, people remain at the heart of everything we do. We’re proud that our commitment to employee wellbeing was recognized at the national Make UK Manufacturing Awards 2025, when Ideal won the Manufacturing Matters prize.  

“We’re committed to continuing to invest in accelerating heat pump adoption, supporting installers to train as renewable heating engineers, driving the decarbonization of heating and playing a vital role in the UK reaching its net zero goals,” Jason concludes. “Based on our unrivalled heat pump product warranty and market-leading service, stretching from pre to post installation and support, we’re aiming to be a UK leader in the heat pump market and the manufacturer of choice for installers, new-build developers, social housing providers and commercial customers.”  

www.groupe-atlantic.fr/en/