Searle History

The Searle story started in 1921 when Charles Searle accidentally damaged his cars radiator. Frustrated at being unable to get it repaired or replaced easily, he founded his own car radiator manufacturing company in London.

The business was called ‘The Searle Radiator company Limited’ and it employed 12 people. Increasing demand for aircraft prior to the war, led Charles Searle to diversify. In 1937, ‘Searle Aircraft Sheet Metalwork Limited (London)’ was formed, closely followed in 1938 by ‘Searle Radiator Repairs Limited (Fareham)’ The outbreak of the war brought major changes and there was a huge increase in the variety of products manufactured, the majority of which were used by the RAF.

A change of company leadership occurred in 1950 when Leslie Searle took over the reigns from his father. With a good reputation and almost 30 years experience, Searle diversified into the refrigeration industry and ‘Searle Radiator and Refrigeration Limited’ was born.

Searle’s success was continued in 1953 when it won the exclusive rights to manufacture and market Bush Refrigeration equipment throughout Europe and Africa , from Dunham Bush Inc of West Hartford USA.

The Bayham Street, London premises were closed in 1959 and the company consolidated its activities on to the 21 acre site in Fareham where it is still based.

The Family company was sold in 1963 to Hall-Thermotank when it became ‘Searle Manufacturing Company Ltd.’ Leslie Searle retired in 1965. He had established the company’s reputation in the refrigeration industry throughout the world with his personal enthusiasm, and obsession for quality. His successor as Managing Director became only the third in the company’s history.

By the end of the 1960s some 500 people worked at Searle. Sales were booming, both at home and abroad and by the 1970s Searle had taken the lead in the production of heat exchange equipment for 'air side' products used in the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning industries.

Having become a proven success story, Searle became the target for corporate take-overs, and is now part of the International Cooling Group (which is owned by Bliss & Co.) Searle, despite increasing international competition, is still the UK's leading manufacturer of air side heat exchangers and a dominant force in Europe and indeed throughout the world.