16 May 2024
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Refrigerant specialist Climalife's team in the UK is celebrating the 150th anniversary of parent company, The Dehon Group.
Dehon is a family-owned company with brands around the world such as Climalife, Inventec, SMB Auto, Matelex and Soderec, with historical roots stretching back as far as 1874.
The company was founded in Belgium under the name Etablissements Joseph Peintre and in the early days focussed its business on refrigerants at a time when industrial refrigeration was taking its first steps.
After the First World War, Joseph Peintre tasked Osée Dehon with growing the business, seeing it expand into more countries, and who later went on to succeed Peintre. The refrigeration adventure continued with the distribution of new refrigerant products called “FREON” and in the 1950s, these fluids opened the way to new applications and an expansion of product range.
Over the years to come, and with more Dehon family members taking on responsibility for the business, the company grew and diversified, meeting major challenges such as the ban on CFCs and HCFCs. In 1989, Dehon Service France was ahead of its time, pioneering the recovery and recycling on fluorinated greenhouse gases and rigorously monitoring products to end of life.
A third generation of family members took over its management in the 1990s seeing the company expand internationally and strengthen its diversification into new products. More recently it has seen a fourth family generation be involved in the company success, supported by over 700 team members in more than 15 countries.
The Dehon Group says it has always led with a focus on service with respect for people, the environment and safety and gives thanks to all who have been part of its’ 150-year journey.
Today the Dehon Group is a leader in speciality chemicals including refrigerant gases, propellant gases for sprays, foam blowing agents for insulation, products for high technology (eg precision cleaning for watch industry), synthetic intermediate products, products for electronics (eg solder paste) and automotive industry.
The Climalife team in the UK were proud to celebrate with senior board and Dehon family members at an event hosted in Bristol.
