On 10th September 1976, Acme moved to into their purpose-built premises in Whitebirk Industrial Estate. This move put Acme firmly on the map and was a far cry from the Lambeth Street premises that they were leaving. Whitebirk provided the foundations for the business to come, with a substantial increase in floor space, a full […]

In 1974, Acme won a large contract for the Iraqi government, to manufacture and supply a large number of refrigerated blood banks for use in hospitals throughout the country. This was an iconic piece of work for Acme, as it provided the capital and impetus for their next move: to Whitebirk Industrial Estate. Iraq struck […]

Acme’s service portfolio – and engineer headcount – had increased substantially in the 10 years since its inception. Acme now had over 20 members of staff and a flourishing service department. Customer numbers had increased drastically and it simply became too much for Peter & Jim to manage the service teams on their own. So […]

Air conditioning was available from the 1960’s, but it wasn’t until the 70’s where Acme’s air conditioning story really started. It’s a story of high-end expensive cars and luxury house installations. Air conditioning was strictly for the wealthy in the 70’s. There were certain businesses that required it, such as paper mills and other specialised […]

Acme went from strength to strength in the fridge & freezer supply business, with strong growth in both the domestic & commercial markets over the next decade. But it was to be our work with pubs & breweries that really took Acme into the next chapter. Throughout the 1900’s, Blackburn was the centre of the […]

Acme started working with Daniel Thwaites, the renowned Blackburn brewery, in 1969. Daniel Thwaites are still a customer of Acme’s to this day. Partnering with Daniel Thwaites was an important milestone in Acme’s history. It signified the main starting point of a move into the brewery trade and the start of our cellar cooling, bar […]

Acme started out as a local refrigeration service provider. Our co-founders Jim Hurley & Peter Hendricks installed and maintained refrigeration equipment for local businesses throughout Blackburn & the local area. They served local butchers, bakers and market stalls – basically, any business that needed to refrigerate their produce. Cold rooms & serve-over counters were the […]

On 10th November 1965, Jim Hurley & Peter Hendricks officially established H&H Refrigeration, trading as Acme. Their first premises were what can only be described as a ‘shed’ in Mill Hill, Blackburn!