SUCCESS STORY
HOW SUCCESS DOWN UNDER HELPED A BRITISH START-UP ACHIEVE
GLOBAL RECOGNITION
Then called Heat
Recovery Systems,
the thermal technology
specialist was a sole
enterprise, acting
as the UK agent for a Swedish
manufacturer. Despite the long
hours, single-handedly taking
care of imports, sales, quotes and
deliveries paid off for Steven, as the
company made a healthy profit in its
first 12 months.
Fast forward 38 years and HRS has
received the impressive accolade
of being named one of the UK’s
top 200 fastest-growing firms for
international sales in the Sunday
Times HSBC International Track
200 league table. Specialising in
the design and manufacture of its
own, patented heat exchangers
to the food, environmental,
pharmaceutical and wastewater
sectors, the company has changed
immeasurably since its early days.
It now boasts over 200 direct
employees and has a network of
offices and agents throughout the
world – including Australia.
HRS’ success has been helped in
no small part by a highly successful
export strategy, underpinned by its
dedicated office for Australia and
New Zealand, which it opened in
Melbourne in 2011. With this arm
of the business expected to bring
in sales of over €1.2m this year,
Steven says the five cornerstones
that have helped him take the
company from a domestic start-up
to a global corporation.
Invest in people
Look closely at any successful
business and you’ll find a team of
talented and committed individuals;
HRS Heat Exchangers is no
exception. “Our staff turnover rate is
less than five %,” Steven says. “One
employee has been with the firm
since year three, and there are many
more with over 20 years’ service.
To build a successful business, you
need core competency everywhere
– engineering, sales, finance, etc
– and not just in one department.
Experience, reliability and
knowledge are crucial to building a
reputation, so we’ve worked hard
to develop strong teams across the
When founder and
ceo Steven Pither
established HRS
Heat Exchangers
in the UK back in
1981, little did he
know how significant
Australia and New
Zealand would be
to his company’s
success.
14 AUGUST 2019