Kazera Global Regulatory News (KZG)

4 Aug 2006 14:02

Worthington Nicholls Group plc04 August 2006 RNS Reach release 4 August 2006 New major hotel contract secured Worthington Nicholls Group plc ("Worthington Nicholls" or "the Company") (AIM:WNG), the UK's largest independent installer of air conditioning, heating,ventilation and chilled water systems, has secured its first major contract fromthe Quinn Group, owners of prestige UK hotels including The Belfry and theNottingham Holiday Inn. Following competitive tendering, Worthington Nicholls has won a £615,000contract to install and maintain new air conditioning units in each of the 198bedrooms of the Crowne Plaza hotel located in the city centre of Cambridge. Theinstallation, which is being carried out with Worthington Nicholls acting asprinciple contractor, began earlier last month and is expected to be completedby the end of October 2006. The work is currently on schedule and to budget. Worthington Nicholls is installing Daikin 3 pipe air conditioning units into 18bedrooms every two weeks. From this month it will be accelerated to 36 rooms perfortnight. The schedule of work demands that all bedrooms remain air conditionedwhile occupied by hotel guests. The new system will be more energy efficient than the old chilled water airconditioning system being replaced. It also uses environmentally-friendlyrefrigerant gases. As part of the contract, Worthington Nicholls will alsoprovide regular maintenance services every six months to keep it in primeoperating condition. Mark Worthington, Chief Executive of Worthington Nicholls, said: "We are delighted to welcome a new client and hope that this marks the start ofa long and successful business relationship. Winning a major new contract from anew client is always very important because it opens up the prospect of winningfurther contracts. We are aware that the Quinn Group has a number of otherdeluxe hotels, not just in the UK, but also overseas. By performing to our usualhigh standards on the Crowne Plaza we aim to be in a better position to securefurther orders." Enquiries: Worthington Nicholls 0870 609 1829Mark Worthington, Chief ExecutiveDavid Levis, Corporate Director Gresham PR Ltd 020 7404 9000Neil Boom/Tanya Feness Corporate Synergy 020 7448 4400Romil Patel/Rhod Cruwys Information on Worthington Nicholls can be accessed via the Group's website:www.worthington-nicholls.co.uk About Worthington Nicholls Group plc Worthington Nicholls operates as principal contractor for delivery of end to endsolutions in the air conditioning market. Its blue-chip clients operate in a number of different market sectors andinclude Hilton Hotels, Holiday Inn Hotels, Debenhams, Boots the Chemist, Arcadiaand McDonald's. The business was established in 1973 by Peter Worthington and has grown to beone of the dominant players in the UK Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning("HVAC") market, which is currently estimated to be worth approximately £2billion per annum. Led by Mark Worthington, the Company repositioned itself in 2003 as a supportservices group, moving away from the subcontractor business model common acrossthe HVAC industry. The Company now offers a full project management capability, which includes survey, design and specification, throughinstallation, commissioning and ongoing service and maintenance. Worthington Nicholls operates from its head office in Manchester and regionaloffices in Bedford, Swindon and Edinburgh, and employs approximately 130people. In June 2006, the Company acquired the entire issued equity of Project AirLimited, a specialist installer of air conditioning systems to the retailsector. Its customers include well-known high street retailers, such as Phones 4U, Hamleys, The Bear Factory, and TM Lewin. Project Air is based in Rugeley,Staffordshire. The business was established in 1992 and today has a total of 23staff including 13 engineers. Worthington Nicholls floated on AIM on 12 June 2006 with a placing price of 50 pence per share. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange