Grank UK – Thirty years strong

Thirty years ago, who could have imagined that a boiler carried in the boot of a car would mark the beginning of a business that would go on to shape both oil-fired and renewable heating in the UK? But that is exactly how the story of Grant UK began.

As the company celebrates its 30th anniversary this May, it’s a moment to reflect not only on where it has come from, but how it is positioning itself, and the installer community it supports, in a changing heating landscape.

Grant UK’s roots stretch back to the early 1990s, when Paul Wakefield was working with some of the UK’s established gas boiler and radiator manufacturers. That experience led him to become part of a small group setting up a gas combi boiler manufacturing business. It was during this time that he first encountered Grant Engineering in Ireland, owned by Stephen Grant and John Fay. Spotting an opportunity to bring Grant’s oil-fired boilers to a wider UK audience, Paul helped establish what would officially become Grant UK in 1996.

Steady growth

In the early days, growth was steady and hard won. Paul spent long hours on the road, building relationships with independent merchants, training installers and establishing trust one area at a time. That ground-level approach proved effective. As awareness grew, larger merchant groups began to take notice. A key breakthrough came when Plumb Center placed an order for 600 boilers – at the time this was equivalent to a full week’s production. Similar partnerships followed with City Plumbing and Travis Perkins, firmly establishing Grant UK as a serious player in the oil boiler market.

Then came the launch of the Vortex range, Grant UK’s first condensing oil-fired boiler. It was a defining moment. At a time when condensing technology was still unfamiliar to many oil installers, the company took a calculated risk. The Vortex set a new benchmark for oil boilers, changed perceptions and opened the door to wider adoption of this kind of heating.

A wider offering

While oil has remained central to Grant UK’s identity, the company has never stood still. From the mid-2000s onwards, it began to broaden its offering, first with solar thermal and PV, and then in 2010 with air source heat pumps. Fast-forward to today and Grant UK now offers full sustainable heating packages, from heat pumps to cylinders, radiators, underfloor heating systems and smart controls.

Grant UK’s approach has always been to listen to the market, find the right supplier partnerships and develop products tailored for UK homes backed with installer training, guidance and support.

This is especially true when looking at Grant UK heat pumps over the past 15 years. The Company has invested heavily in heat pump development to keep driving innovation, improve efficiencies and deliver what the market needs to support the heat pump transition. The Aerona 290 heat pump range, which was launched in 2024, was developed as a direct result of installer feedback with improved efficiencies, smarter controls, and better aesthetics.

The people

But technology is only part of the picture. At the heart of this family-owned company has always been its people. Many Grant UK team members have been with the business over 10 years, and some have celebrated milestones of more than 25 years. People have moved on from Grant UK and have either later returned or remained connected in some way, a testament to Grant UK’s culture and legacy in the industry. What really stands out though is the team’s ability to listen, collaborate, and respond quickly to customer needs.

Of course, there are still challenges for the business as it continues to grow, especially in heat pumps, not least around government policy, energy pricing and installation costs, but Grant UK is optimistic. Heat pump adoption is rising and Grant UK’s dedicated Training, Technical, Sales and Design Teams, are here to support installers as they too navigate the future heating landscape.

As Grant UK marks its 30-year milestone, the company remains focused on practical thinking, developing technologies and supporting its customers. The heating market is evolving rapidly and the opportunity for installers is significant, but they need the right products, training and guidance to make the most of it.

For Grant UK, that means continuing to listen to customer needs and adapt, just as it has done for the past three decades.

_{Images provided by Grant UK}