Sheffield Forgemasters completes land spree

As its recapitalisation programme gears up, the heavy engineering firm has made a series of acquisitions amounting to 21 acres in Meadowhall.

Now owned by the Ministry of Defence, Sheffield Forgemasters said it is assembling the land, adjacent to its Brightside Lane base, to allow the development of additional facilities as the recapitalisation takes shape.

The company is already in the process of constructing a new 13,000-tonne heavy forge facility and has earmarked the largest plot of land, located on Weedon Street, for the creation of a new machining line to underpin its production for the UK defence programme.

Gareth Barker, chief operating officer at Sheffield Forgemasters, said: “The purchase of these plots of 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.

“Our recapitalisation programme is completely transforming the company’s facilities as our modelling reshapes the site for optimum use.

“The opportunity to purchase several plots 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.”

Last year, the company completed the purchase of 10,000 sq ft of offices at Riverside Court on Brightside Lane.

Barker 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.