A HEXHAM plumbing and heating company, with a 50 year history, has been taken over.

The Northumbrian Heating and Plumbing Group has struck a deal to buy J.P. Westall Ltd, a family firm which trades from premises on Burn Lane.

NHPG is owned by the directors of The Wood Heating Company, which has worked with Westall on a number of projects over recent years.

Director Philip Westall said; “We made the decision at the end of last year that it was time to start to plan for the future of the business in light of the fact that we would like to have the option of slowing down a little – and perhaps even to consider retirement at some stage!

“We began discussions and quickly discovered that the directors of The Wood Heating Company were enthusiastic about the idea of an acquisition.”

Both Philip and his brother Peter will remain involved in the day to day running of the business to ensure that the transition to the new owners is a smooth and successful one. All of the staff will remain in the business so it is very much ‘business as usual’.

Philip added; “As well as securing the future of J.P. Westall, we believe that the close association with The Wood Heating Company will also bring real benefits to our customers.

“There are many companies now offering biomass boilers, but none with the heritage and experience of The Wood Heating Company which been installing biomass systems since the early 1980s.

“With this expertise now available through J.P. Westall we believe this means we can offer an unparalleled range of plumbing and heating services to our clients.”

Wood Heating Company director Simon Cross and one of the owners of NHPG said: “I am very conscious that this business bears Philip and Peter Westall’s father’s name and we will endeavour to continue to uphold the high standards of service and customer care that the name has come to stand for.

”I believe that this acquisition marks a very important day in the development of both businesses, believing that together we can provide an unparalleled heritage and a vast amount of experience across a range of plumbing and heating services which will benefit the clients of both businesses.”

The combined businesses will be able to offer their expanded services throughout the region from bases in Hexham and Cramlington.