Climate Champions Power List

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Graham Rothwell’s 42-year career has been helping to shape the low-carbon transition within housing long before it became a policy imperative. 

 

From his first role as a 14-year-old apprentice alongside his late father, to leading one of Northern England’s most respected renewable heating contractors, Graham’s contribution represents sustained, practical climate leadership at scale.

 

Graham founded Rothwell Plumbing Services (RPS) Group in 1997. Since then he has grown the business with no external funding, reinvesting the firm’s profits in training more than 200 apprentices, innovation and long-term resilience. Today, RPS is the largest independent specialist heating contractor in the North of England.

 

The company employs more than 200 skilled tradespeople who work on public and private sector projects including retrofit, new build and refurbishment contracts. After almost 30 years of steady, values-driven growth, RPS is now positioned as a leading SME champion of decarbonised heating across housing portfolios, demonstrating that home-grown regional expertise can compete with and outperform larger national contractors. 

 

The judges said:

“This entry demonstrates the passion Graham has for what he does, and shows the impact that he has had on people’s lives – both his employees and those in homes who benefit from his firm’s work”