In this issue of Building and Facilities News we feature Ritherdon & Co as our Electrical Enclosure Company of the Month
Ritherdon specialises in the manufacture, design and production of cutting-edge electrical enclosures.
Widely regarded as the UK’s premier stainless steel electrical enclosure specialists, Ritherdon designs and manufactures durable feeder pillars, electrical enclosures and other innovative solutions. Its products support essential infrastructure worldwide in sectors including highways, electricity distribution, construction, fire protection and EV charging.
With a passion for innovation and a close working relationship with customers, the company has earned a reputation for high-quality products that have changed the landscape of the industry.
Established in 1895, Ritherdon has a long and storied history. It began as a sheet metal factory in Bolton, Lancashire fuelled by founder Percy Ritherdon’s expertise in chemistry. Percy’s passion for chemistry also converged with his love of magic and led to an interesting array of products for the company.
Ritherdon focused on electroplating and enamelling for the Edwardian bicycle boom, but also on making tricks for magicians in a locked workshop at North Bridge Mill.
After plating many millions of parts for the War Office during the First World War, the company began to focus on electrical enclosures during World War Two. According to company archives, it may have been during this conflict that Ritherdon produced its first enclosures for the Navy’s warships and started the company’s legacy of innovation in this sector.
However, it was in the 1970s that Ritherdon really honed its specialisation in electrical enclosures. The company worked closely with electricity boards and several of its current products sprang from this association.
For example, it was in response to an enquiry from one of the electricity boards, over 30 years ago, that Ritherdon designed the first of its door and frame units for meter box repair.
Today, Ritherdon maintains the spirit of innovation and quality it has become so well known for. Having recently celebrated its 130th year, Ritherdon remains a family company with fourth generation Ben Ritherdon leading the business.
Now based in Darwen, Lancashire, the company serves not only the UK but also international clients with customers as far afield as Iceland and Australia.
For the building and construction market, the company offers a diverse array of products all designed and manufactured in-house at its factory in Lancashire.
From evolving regulations to maintenance requirements, Ritherdon’s robust enclosure solutions support critical electrical and fire safety systems across social housing, private developments and multi‑occupancy residential buildings.
In this sector, Ritherdon’s standout product is FireSeal. This fire rated access panel is designed to cover existing meter boxes or other apertures in compartment walls. Quick and easy to fit, these units can be included in new builds as well as retrofitted to older properties, and has been a game-changing contribution to the buildings industry.
The company developed and tested the FireSeal range in-house to improve fire compartmentalisation in buildings, ensuring the product maintained its integrity as a barrier to fire penetration for 30, 60 and 90 minutes, in temperatures approaching 1,000°C.
For Managing Director Ben Ritherdon, FireSeal represents Ritherdon’s emphasis on quality.
Ben said: “We take the quality of our products really seriously.
“As a family business, we have a personal commitment to ensure the products we produce are of the highest quality and work better than intended.
“A perfect example is our FireSeal door. Although it may seem like a simple product, its function in fire safety saves lives, so for us high-quality is taken as standard.”
As well as the vented FireSeal, Ritherdon also applies their extensive knowledge of electrical enclosure to the building sector. From the basic mini feeder pillars, to the RB Cabinet Range and their largest enclosures, the RMC Cabinet, Ritherdon’s electrical enclosures for building are made for future proofing.
For example, the PS300 Permanent Supply Kiosk is designed to securely house an external permanent power supply for a property, either to maximise space within the property boundary or to relocate the supply to the curtilage.
It can typically house a three phase supply rated up to 430A (or ~309kVA), but is also large enough to future proof new connections by allowing space for additional electrical equipment.
Designed for secure electrical connections, the Kiosk features double doors with separate access and individual backboards for both the electricity provider and the end user, ensuring independent entry.
The rapid growth of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, especially in homes and businesses, has also led Ritherdon to apply its world-renowned flair for innovation to this sector with a proven range of external electrical enclosures and prewired feeder pillars, designed and manufactured in the UK.
Ben told us about the company’s focus in this sector.
“Over the last 15 years we’ve been investing in our technical capabilities in-house, but it’s in the last 12 months we’ve really expanded our technical abilities to include electrical engineering to meet the growing demand for EV charging and infrastructure.
“Now we’ve got electrical engineers in the business who can do the most sophisticated electrical design, as well as all the mechanical elements we are famous for.”
From fast charging to rapid and ultra-rapid charging environments, Ritherdon also builds on decades of experience across power distribution applications and its standard products to provide a dependable foundation for EV charging installations.
Ritherdon’s passion for innovation has led to continual development of its product range, building the company a well-deserved reputation for introducing industry-defining products to the market.
The company recently released the world’s first crash-tested, passively safe cabinet designed to protect vehicle users while preventing the need for expensive crash barriers.
Ritherdon’s Passively Safe Cabinet is made from the same durable steel as their traditional roadside cabinets, but the ingenious design means the body of the cabinet is not bolted to the ground. Instead, it is attached to a spacer base with breakaway bolts which, if hit with enough force, shear off, significantly reducing the impact on the vehicle.
The company’s dedication to innovation extends to their presence in the building sector as well.
They have also recently introduced a range of PVC electrical enclosures. The electrically insulated freestanding feeder pillar is fully recyclable, making it a sustainable choice, which has had a major impact on the wider enclosure industry.
Ben said: “We traditionally made these stainless steel because of the quality and the strength of the material, but as the sector demanded more plastic, we developed the more environmentally friendly PVC cabinet.
“We thought creatively and developed this alternative to be recyclable, while retaining the company’s signature material strength properties.”
The sustainable cabinet has been so well-received, Ritherdon have just began importing it to Iceland for GP Orkulausnir, where it is particularly helpful in the geothermal sites of the landscape and is being trialled across the country in a variety of different industries.
A commitment to innovation and high-quality is driving Ritherdon forward, but alongside this dedication is an outstanding customer service offering.
Customer feedback plays a critical role in Ritherdon’s design processes with real world installation challenges, access requirements and evolving regulations informing how its products develop over time.
Additionally the company is dedicated to ensuring pre- and post-sales support exceeds expectations.
“We want our customers to prosper and to do well out of working with us,” said Ben.
“At our core, we are manufacturers. We love making things, so for the business, this idea of prosperity for our customers becomes a part of the prosperity we want to achieve.”
As Ritherdon looks forward, the company plans to keep a steady growth rate of 10% a year. This growth comes not only in the form of innovative new products, but also reinvesting in increased internal expertise and a widening of services to cater to Ritherdon’s growing consumer base.
Ritherdon’s decades of success is underpinned by a core philosophy of integrity and a total focus on quality that runs throughout the business.
As manufacturers, the company designs for efficient, repeatable production, ensuring consistency, quality and dependable lead times but as a business, dedication to always providing the best is integral.
This continual dedication to the ideals of innovation and quality has helped the manufacturer maintain its position at the forefront of the industry and the deep-level of commitment they provides their customers cements Ritherdon as the UK’s premier electrical enclosure specialists.
T 01254 819100
info@ritherdon.co.uk
https://ritherdon.co.uk