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 industries. Acme carried out several installations of this kind in the 70’s, but where we started getting reasonable repeating business was that of luxury homes and cars.

Blackburn’s industry was booming and business owners brought some luxurious cars to Lancashire’s roads. These new cars started to feature air conditioning and Acme, somewhat accidentally, became a local specialist in luxury car AC maintenance. AC systems in car’s weren’t like those of today – they were prone to refrigerant leaks and needed to be re-gassed every year to stay functional. Acme routinely took in high-end cars throughout the 70’s, and only stopped doing so once the market became more saturated and car garages became more capable.

Acme also fitted various luxury houses with air conditioning systems, including that of a local Blackburn Mill owner, rumoured to be the wealthiest man in Blackburn. We fitted an air conditioning system in his swimming pool, so his windows wouldn’t steam up.

Air conditioning started to become commonplace in businesses and retail stores throughout the 1980’s and 90’s, and our installation and maintenance portfolio gradually grew, building the foundations for Acme’s air conditioning teams of today.