Air conditioning firm on the move to cool new home

An air conditioning and heat pump company has opened its doors on Skylon Park, Hereford Enterprise Zone, as it looks to develop its business which now operates across the UK.

West Mercia Air Conditioning chose the business park at Rotherwas after working with the Zone team and landowners Herefordshire Council on plans for a site which would accommodate the growing business.

Ben Corner, managing director of West Mercia Air Conditioning, said: “We wanted to build a space which was suitable for our needs and the Enterprise Zone is a good investment for us. Skylon Park is a great business park to be part of, better access, better roads and a better business environment.

“The new building is a more visitor-friendly. We do a lot of service and maintenance on really high-end apartments in London so if they want to come and visit, it’s great to show off not just our company but the thriving business landscape here.
Ben said the company’s previous offices were largely warehouses with some offices built into the space.

“As the business has grown, we are more service and maintenance than installation – we found we need to employ more people and in office space which we didn’t really have.”

Corner said the special development status of Hereford Enterprise Zone meant the whole process of building a new base from scratch was relatively quick and easy.

He said: “It’s been simple enough. We were applying for planning permission in May 2022, so you’re talking about just a year from planning to completion.

“We had planning permission that was free to apply for, which helps. We used Herefordshire developers Collins Design & Build throughout the whole process and it’s great to work with local partners where we can. They also have lots of experience working with the Enterprise Zone team so it’s been pretty painless for me.”

Charles Ingleby, chairman of Hereford Enterprise Zone, said West Mercia Air Con was the latest of nearly 40 businesses to have chosen Skylon Park as a base for their operations.

“We’re looking forward to West Mercia Ar Con being part of the Skylon business community. Businesses currently face a number of challenges and it’s not always easy to prepare and plan for expansion. That’s what we are able to offer here – a supported and simplified process to invest and build – which makes the Zone an attractive proposition for any business with growth ambitions. ”