Heatrod Elements
Backer Heatrod (Heatrod Elements) is a UK-based, 60-year-old specialist manufacturer of electric heating elements and process heating equipment serving aerospace, oil & gas, nuclear, chemical, defence, and industrial customers via webshop, distributor, and direct sales.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1963
- HeadquartersBolton, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Heatrod Elements does
Backer Heatrod Limited (trading as Heatrod Elements) is a UK-based specialist manufacturer of electric heating elements and associated process heating equipment, founded in 1963 and headquartered in Bolton, Greater Manchester, operating from a recently relocated environmentally conscious production facility. The product portfolio spans core heating elements (tubular and finned, cartridge, flexible foil, thick film, ceramic and quartz infrared, vacuum brazing, air heating, heat exchangers, domestic immersion heaters), an industrial line (small and heavy-duty immersion heaters, process, flow, and air heaters, ATEX flameproof immersions, drum and IBC container heaters), a specialised corrosion-resistant thermal equipment range anchored by the Polaris sub-brand (Popular fluoropolymer and Triton titanium/inconel immersion heaters, Electrojet and Jet Stream external systems), and a controls line (Backer IoT smart controllers, Diamond H thermostats and energy regulators, solid-state relays). The portfolio is supported by an Expert Portal and a legacy Braude replacement parts and returns service following Braude's cessation of operations. Verticals served are aerospace and defence, oil and gas, nuclear, industrial manufacturing, process and chemical, defence and marine, with secondary exposure to catering and vending and construction and HVAC.
Heatrod Elements firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Heatrod Elements
- Legal name
- Backer Heatrod Limited
- Website
- https://heatrod.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1963
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Backer Heatrod (Heatrod Elements) is a UK-based, 60-year-old specialist manufacturer of electric heating elements and process heating equipment serving aerospace, oil & gas, nuclear, chemical, defence, and industrial customers via webshop, distributor, and direct sales.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Heatrod Elements industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial Process Heating Equipment
- NAICS
- Heating Equipment (except Warm Air Furnaces) Manufacturing (333414), Power Boiler and Heat Exchanger Manufacturing (332410)
- SIC
- Air-Cond & Warm Air Heatg Equip & Comm & Indl Refrig Equip (3585)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Boilers, Furnaces & Process Heating Equipment (IMAHAKAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Heat Exchangers & Thermal Transfer Equipment (IMAHAKAC), Thermal Management Components (Heat sinks, TIMs, fans/blowers, thermal pads) (IMAGAJAL)
Keywords
Where Heatrod Elements is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bolton
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Heatrod Elements business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Heating Elements Manufacturing & Sales: Design, manufacture, and sale of electric heating elements including tubular, finned, cartridge, flexible, thick film, and infrared elements. Revenue generated from product sales through webshop and project-based industrial orders.
- Industrial Process Heating Equipment: Custom industrial heating solutions including immersion heaters, flow heaters, air heaters, and corrosion-resistant equipment for process applications.
- Application Engineering & Design Services: Technical consultation and custom design services for process heating challenges, providing technically and commercially competitive solutions.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Heatrod Elements product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Heatrod Elements (trading as Backer Heatrod) designs, manufactures, and sells electric heating elements and associated industrial process heating equipment. The portfolio spans tubular, finned, cartridge, flexible, thick film, infrared, and vacuum brazing elements, plus industrial immersion heaters, flow heaters, air heaters, corrosion-resistant thermal equipment, and IoT-enabled smart temperature controls. Products serve both standard catalogue needs (via webshop) and bespoke custom-engineered industrial heating solutions across sectors including aerospace, oil & gas, nuclear, chemical processing, defence & marine, and industrial manufacturing.
Product overview
Backer Heatrod is the UK's leading manufacturer of electric heating elements and associated process heating equipment. The product portfolio spans two main categories: (1) Heating Elements including tubular & finned elements, air heating, heat exchangers, domestic immersion heaters, cartridge heaters, flexible heating elements, thick film elements, infrared heating elements, and vacuum brazing elements; and (2) Industrial Products including small and heavy-duty immersion heaters, process heaters, flow heaters, air heating systems, and controls. The company also offers specialized Corrosion Resistant Thermal Equipment featuring Polaris-brand tank heaters (Triton, Popular), external heating systems (Electrojet, Jet Stream), controllers (Thermaster, Levelmaster, HPD), and corrosion-resistant pumps. A key innovation is the Backer IoT Smart Controls platform enabling remote monitoring of heating equipment. The portfolio serves diverse sectors including aerospace, catering, oil & gas, nuclear, industrial, process & chemical, construction, and defence & marine.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Braude: Replacement equipment brand; includes Braude Replacements and Returns, Braude Heavy Duty Pumps, Braude Self Priming Pump, Braudeflex lead
- Polaris
- Backer IoT Smart Controls
- Diamond H Controls
Products and services
- Tubular & Finned Heating Elements Traditional tubular heating elements, the most common and versatile form of electric heating, available with finned configurations for enhanced heat transfer. Used across industrial process heating applications.
- Air Heating Elements
- Heat Exchangers
- Domestic Immersion Heaters
- Cartridge Heaters & Tool Heating
- Flexible Heating Elements
- Thick Film Elements
- Infrared Heating Elements
- Vacuum Brazing Elements
- Small Industrial Immersion Heaters
- Heavy Duty Industrial Heaters
- Industrial Process Heaters
- Industrial Flow Heaters
- Industrial Air Heating
- Backer IoT Smart Controls IoT-enabled smart temperature controllers and immersion heaters with remote monitoring and control capabilities, including the HRDc Smart Temperature Controller with PT100 and thermocouple variants.
- Diamond H Controls
- Solid State Relays & Contactors
- Corrosion Resistant Thermal Equipment
- Electrojet External Electric Heating System
- Jet Stream External Heating System
- Polaris Triton Tank Heater
- Polaris Popular Tank Heater
- Indirect Drum Heaters & Jackets
- IBC Container Heaters & Jackets
- Industrial Water Storage Heaters
- Trench Heaters
- Braude Heating Equipment (legacy support) Premium brand of heating equipment including Polaris tank heaters, heavy duty pumps, and self-priming pumps. Heatrod acquired Braude's equipment manufacturing capabilities and provides replacement parts and returns services for existing Braude installations.
Companies that use Heatrod Elements
Customer profileSegments8 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Heatrod Elements technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature10 records
Heatrod Elements partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- GrayBarminorGrayBar is a UK-based distributor partner for Backer Heatrod products. The partnership enables GrayBar's customers to access Backer Heatrod's industrial heating solutions through their distribution network.
- BraudecoreBraude was a manufacturer of heavy-duty industrial heating equipment. Following Braude's cessation of operations, Backer Heatrod provides replacement parts, compatibility support, and returns services for existing Braude equipment installations. This includes Polaris tank heaters and Braude pumps.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Heatrod Elements competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Indeeco: US-based designer and manufacturer of industrial electric process heaters, immersion heaters and heat-transfer equipment for chemical, oil & gas and OEM customers.
- Tutco (a subsidiary of Smiths Group): Manufacturer of open-coil, tubular and flexible heating elements plus industrial process heaters for OEM and industrial applications, directly comparable in product mix to Heatrod's heating-element lines.
- Durex Industries: US manufacturer of electric heating elements, temperature sensors and integrated thermal systems for industrial, medical, semiconductor and process markets.
- Tempco Electric Heater Corporation: Specialist electric heater manufacturer offering band, cartridge, strip, immersion, circulation and air heaters with custom design services, directly overlapping Heatrod's industrial and custom-engineering offering.
- Watlow Electric Manufacturing Company: US-headquartered global manufacturer of electric heating elements, thermal systems, temperature sensors and controllers serving industrial, aerospace, semiconductor and energy customers — the closest direct competitor to Heatrod's industrial heating portfolio.
- Chromalox: Specialist manufacturer of electric heat and control products including immersion heaters, process heaters, heat transfer systems and industrial controls, serving oil & gas, chemical, power and defence markets comparable to Heatrod.
Broad incumbents
- Spirax Group: UK-listed industrial thermal energy specialist with steam, electric process heating and controls; serves overlapping pharmaceutical, chemical, food and HVAC verticals as a much larger UK-headquartered incumbent.
- Backer AB: Swedish parent-style heating-element group of which Heatrod appears to be the UK arm; produces tubular elements, PTC heaters and industrial heating under multiple sister brands globally.
Regional players
- Holroyd Components (a Thermax Group company): UK-based manufacturer of heating elements and thermal components, geographically overlapping with Heatrod in the British industrial customer base.
Emerging players
- Armstrong International: Manufacturer of heat transfer, steam and fluid handling products including heat exchangers and process heating equipment; comparable on the heat-exchanger and process heating side of Heatrod's portfolio.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Heatrod Elements social profiles
Digital presenceHeatrod Elements compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Heatrod Elements financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Heatrod Elements leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Heatrod Elements funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Heatrod Elements M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A2 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Heatrod Elements
What does Heatrod Elements do?
Heatrod Elements (trading as Backer Heatrod) designs, manufactures, and sells electric heating elements and associated industrial process heating equipment. The portfolio spans tubular, finned, cartridge, flexible, thick film, infrared, and vacuum brazing elements, plus industrial immersion heaters, flow heaters, air heaters, corrosion-resistant thermal equipment, and IoT-enabled smart temperature controls. Products serve both standard catalogue needs (via webshop) and bespoke custom-engineered industrial heating solutions across sectors including aerospace, oil & gas, nuclear, chemical processing, defence & marine, and industrial manufacturing.
Is Heatrod Elements a public or private company?
Heatrod Elements is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Heatrod Elements founded?
Heatrod Elements was founded in 1963. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Heatrod Elements based?
Heatrod Elements is headquartered in Bolton, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Heatrod Elements make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Heating Elements Manufacturing & Sales are the primary driver. The others are industrial Process Heating Equipment and application Engineering & Design Services.
Who are Heatrod Elements's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Indeeco, Tutco (a subsidiary of Smiths Group), Durex Industries, Tempco Electric Heater Corporation, Watlow Electric Manufacturing Company and Chromalox. Broad incumbents are Spirax Group and Backer AB. Holroyd Components (a Thermax Group company) is listed as a regional player. Armstrong International is listed as an emerging player.
Does Heatrod Elements have an API?
No public API is recorded for Heatrod Elements.
What industry is Heatrod Elements in?
Heatrod Elements's product category is Industrial Process Heating Equipment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAHAKAD, Boilers, Furnaces & Process Heating Equipment, with a secondary code of IMAHAKAC, Heat Exchangers & Thermal Transfer Equipment. Its NAICS code is 333414 and its SIC code is 3585.