UK steel manufacturers, Sheffield Forgemasters has completed multiple land purchases adjacent to its Brightside Lane operations.
The company, which provides crucial components for the UK defence programme, has embarked on a recapitalisation programme with up to £400 million to be invested over ten years and key changes already taking place across its 64-acre site.
The purchase of 21 acres of brownfield land will enable development of additional facilities as recapitalisation gears up.
The company is already in the process of constructing a new 13,000 tonne Heavy Forge facility and has earmarked the new land for the creation of a new machining line to underpin production for the UK defence programme.
The origins of Sheffield Forgemasters date back to the 1750s as a small blacksmith forge. Since then the company has been associated with many famous steel industry names such as English Steel, Firth Brown, British Steel and River Don Castings.
Sheffield Forgemasters is now capable of producing the largest and most technically challenging cast and forged steel components in the world.
Gareth Barker, Chief Operating Officer at Sheffield Forgemasters, said:
“The purchase of additional land is a game-changing venture for the company and will see state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities built in the historic centre of Sheffield’s industrial heartland.
“The recapitalisation programme is completely transforming the company’s facilities as our modelling reshapes the site for optimum use.
“The opportunity to purchase land immediately adjacent to our site will enable faster, more cost effective recapitalisation than trying to reconfigure existing facilities, with the added benefit of keeping production in full flow through the existing plant.”
The company also recently completed the purchase of 10,000 sq ft of offices at Riverside Court on Brightside Lane.
Gareth added:
“The main focus of the land acquisition is to enable development of a new machining facility, to house 17 highly advanced machining centres, which do not exist anywhere else in the UK.”
The company will now begin work on detailed planning for submission to the planning authorities.
