Green technology is the way forward for Ebac

Nov 4 2009 by Chris Knox, The Journal

A MANUFACTURER of water coolers and dehumidifiers is using green energy technology to help turn around its fortunes after shelving its expansion plans and cutting 100 staff over the last two years.

County Durham-based Ebac Ltd has reduced its workforce from 296 to 195 people as the recession hit its business and led annual sales to slide from just over £15m to £12.3m.

The firm, one of the UK leaders in its field, had hoped by now to be in a position to create around 80 jobs after announcing in January that it was in talks with supermarket giant Tesco to sell on its site in Bishop Auckland to help finance a move into a new £7m production facility.

It has now confirmed that it has been forced to shelve the plans, blaming a combination of the economic conditions and the reorganisation of local government for its decision.

However, the firm now believes it can make up the lost ground through the development of air-to-water heat pumps, which it is currently designing and hopes to bring to market over the next two years.