German heat pump manufacturer Stiebel Eltron appoints new MD to its UK operation in Wirral following the departure of Mark McManus, who set up the subsidiary from scratch 17 years ago. Tony McDonough reports

Heat pump specialist Stiebel Eltron UK has unveiled a new managing director following the departure of Mark McManus, who set up the subsidiary in 2008.

John Felgate steps up from head of technical at the business which is based in Bromborough in Wirral. It is a standalone division of its German-based parent company of the same name. It distributes the group’s heat pump products in the UK.

Mark, a well known figure in the Liverpool city region business community, set up Stiebel Eltron’s UK operation from scratch in 2008. He successfully grew the venture by “working long hours” and saw year-on-year growth every year for the first decade.

Now generating revenues of almost £12m a year, Stiebel Eltron UK is looking to grow further by taking advantage of a major UK Government push to target 600,000 heat pump installations annually by 2028.

In March LBN reported how Mark was overseeing the doubling of the company’s engineer training centre at the Wirral headquarters. The facility was first opened in 2022 in an investment worth £350,000.

With more than 25 years of experience in building services manufacturing, John Felgate has built a reputation as a commercial and technical expert in the industry.

“I am delighted to be able to lead Stiebel Eltron UK into the future,” he said. “I know that I have the very best team in the industry around me, supporting the highest quality products and working with the most skilled installer customers, retail and wholesale partners.

“It is a privilege to take on the role and I am excited to take on the challenges it offers.”

John has also served  as chairman of the Domestic Heat Pump Association and is currently chairman of the Electric Space and Water Heating group at BEAMA.

A bigger training centre at Bromborough is part of a wider expansion of the HQ. It provides hands-on experience with the latest heat pump and ventilation technologies and supports both new-to-industry trainees and experienced installers.

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Heinz-Werner Schmidt managing director for sales and marketing at the Stiebel Eltron Group, said: “John’s appointment means a seamless transition to our new leadership is ensured.

“We expect this to be an exciting year for Stiebel Eltron UK. With innovative new products to bring to the market, John is charged with maximising growth and market share. With his impressive experience and vision, John stood out to us as the obvious candidate.”