A COMPANY based near Hereford has been shortlisted for a top industry award.

FläktGroup, formally DENCO, has been named as one of the finalists for Data Centre Cooling innovation of the year, with all of the design, research and development (R&D), and testing of its product carried out at its Moreton Business Park headquarters.

“Testing was completed in our R&D chamber, as you can see from the photos it is a significant size and a much larger unit than we have ever produced in the DENCO range that was manufactured in Herefordshire,” Nick Onyett, from the firm, said.

“Hydro-DENCO is the latest in the range of DENCO products. This massive CRAC (computer room air conditioning) unit can range up to 500kW. The product connects to a fluid cooler and requires no

refrigerants as of this. It uses no mechanical cooling either.

He said it represented the latest evolution in the 50-year history of Denco products.

Denco will be most remembered for being based in Holmer Road in Hereford, where it grew into one of the city’s largest employers after forming in 1944.

Soon after Allan Miller joined, Denco Holdings was created as a public listed company in 1960. With ongoing success, in 1962, the premises in Hereford doubled in size.

In 1968, the company became part of the William Press Group, and in 1970 Den Colam handed his responsibilities to the capable Allan Miller. He took the company further again, but then in 1981 he also retired.

After a merger and continuing success, the factory footprint was doubled again. In 2000, the company performed a management buyout and uncoupled from AMEC.

The company employed 250 staff when it was announced in 2003 that Denco would be leaving Holmer for the site alongside the A49 at Moreton-on-Lugg.

Den Colam’s name lives on as air conditioning and IT cooling products having the DENCO suffix, a reminder of the company’s origins.