Who are the UK’s top manufacturing stars to watch out for?
The manufacturing industry is vast and whilst we often praise the industry’s makers, the suppliers do not tend to be as well celebrated. But who are the companies behind the brands, what are they up to, and are they really as successful as they claim to be? For our latest Top 32 list, we looked at the top manufacturing stars to watch out for.
How has the Top 32 been chosen?
The manufacturing companies included in this list have enjoyed significant growth over the past few years. From long-established companies to relatively new start-ups, the impressive nature of these companies is taking the manufacturing industry by storm. This list includes a wide variety of companies, from cement producers to meat alternatives, that have been chosen for their recent successes.
This list is in no particular order.
Trueline Products
A family-owned manufacturing company celebrating its 30th year in business in 2024, Trueline Products delivers Render Beads, Expanded Metal Products, Fabrications for External Wall Insulation, and much more across the UK for the construction industry.
The company has invested significantly since 2020, including employee training and support, and laser machinery costing £1m. With its financial outlook being significant growth, having increased annual turnover by 15.1% from 2021 to 2022.
Shelforce
The company started in 1839 as a workplace for visually impaired people, making brushes, baskets, and mats. Today, Shelforce specialises in supplying high-quality windows and doors to local authority building projects, including Birmingham City Council. This strategic pivot didn’t alter Shelforce’s desire to provide a workplace for people with disabilities. The firm currently employs 30 people, of which 75% have a disability.
Shelforce has been recognised by The Kings Award for Enterprise in Promoting Opportunity. With a recorded turnover of over £6m, the company is on track to hit £8m this year.
Biomason
Utilising biology to produce cement, Biomason has been using microorganisms to grow sustainable, structural biocement since 2012. The company aims to eliminate 25% of the concrete industry’s global carbon emissions by 2030 (currently 7% of global carbon emissions come from cement and concrete production), harnessing biotechnology to reinvent cement and offer a planet-friendly alternative.
In 2022, Biomason raised $65m (£51.2m) in Series C funding and has since been working towards accelerating the development of their biocement technology platform.
CarbonCure Technologies
A fast-growing carbon dioxide removal tech company, CarbonCure Technologies has developed a solution to enable concrete producers to use captured carbon dioxide to produce low-carbon concrete mixes. Aiming to work with concrete producers, CarbonCure Technologies has established itself in over 775 concrete plants worldwide to improve concrete’s economics and reduce its CO2 footprint.
Having raised $150m CAD (£87.3m) in funding to date, this company has seemingly dominated this space in the manufacturing industry since being founded in 2012.
Ampd Energy
A construction technology company that is dedicated to making the construction industry emission-free, Ampd Energy has developed the Enertainer, an advanced and connected battery system that replaces dirty, noisy, and hazardous diesel generators used on construction sites.
Having raised $27m (£21.3m) to date, the product has seen an increase in innovation in the construction industry. Since its deployment, the Enertainer has been used across 170 construction projects worldwide, preventing 29,566 tonnes of CO2 and removing air pollutants from construction sites.
Powersheds Limited
Manufacturer of garden sheds, summerhouses, log cabins, and decking kits, Powersheds’ Founders had previous experience in the industry and set up the company in hopes of creating an industry standard for quality and service.
After establishing in 2019, the company has seen extraordinary growth, whilst facing several hardships like the pandemic and cost-of-living crisis. They have grown into a £15m annual revenue company with nearly 70 members of staff.
Aeroseal
Aeroseal helps seal leaky HVAC units and building envelopes with chewing-gum-like material combined with AI and loT-equipped installation hardware. Since its founding, Aeroseal has raised $67m (£52.8m), continuing its mission to shrink carbon emissions with its technology by one gigaton of CO2 annually.
With over 200 employees, since the company’s founding in 2010, Aeroseal has sealed more than 260,000 buildings globally. More recently, the company has begun using its Series B funding to expand into gas pipelines and new geographical markets.
The Oxford Health Company Ltd
The Oxford Health Company Ltd is an independent dietary supplement company based in Oxfordshire and distributed throughout the EU. With an emphasis on the quality of its products and services, the company’s choice to manufacture in the UK allows it to follow the strictest of guidelines.
In 2021, the company won a global environmental packaging award, recognising its work in this area, and in 2023 was listed by The Sunday Times as the 83rd fastest-growing private company in the UK. The company has also won several large contracts, including producing Vitamin D supplements for CEV patients during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Nim’s
A notable manufacturer of air-dried fruit and vegetable products, renowned for its range of crisps, garnishes, teas, ingredients, and pet food, Nim’s is a key manufacturing company in the UK. Utilising ‘rescued’ or ‘wonky’ produce, the company has a strong commitment to reducing food waste.
Following notable partnerships with the likes of Zizzi and Wagamama restaurants to food producers like Primula Cheese and Bennett Opies, Nim’s saw an 86% increase in turnover and continues to grow with multiple developments in the works, including retail products to help tackle the rising cost-of-living crisis.
Lesters
Lesters is a UK-based independent manufacturer of large-format corrugated cases and high-performance packaging. Employing over 60 people in its facility in the West Midlands, the company has focused its expansion on creating an ecosystem around its core box range.
Celebrating its 40th birthday, Lesters has completed its major expansion plans that have seen sales more than double to £18m in three years. As well as creating over 20 new jobs, the company is seen as a major disruptor, reinforced by the multi-million-pound acquisition of two large-format casemakers.
Fabweld Steel Products
Fabweld Steel Products is a manufacturer of access covers and other fabricated steel products, including non-structural and structural applications. The company has been selected to supply major projects in the construction, water management, utility, renewable energy, and security sectors.
Over the years, it has provided steel products for high-profile projects including London Power Tunnels, Premier League football stadiums, the O2 Arena, and the Natural History Museum. The company has grown its turnover by 20% over the past two years whilst cutting energy usage by 50% over the same period.
Myenergi
Renowned for its solar-compatible zappi EV charger, myenergi sets the standard in green home energy innovation. Having pioneered an extensive portfolio of eco-smart home energy technologies, the business was recently recognised as one of the UK’s top ten fastest-growing companies by The Sunday Times.
More recently, myenergi has secured £30m from HSBC UK to support the development and production of smart home energy products. Further to this, myenergi is set to become one of the leading home EV charge point providers after surpassing its 500,000-unit sales milestone.
My Fabulosa Ltd
My Fabulosa Ltd. is a manufacturer of household cleaning products, founded four years ago by Co-Founders Mike and James Sharpe. After launching in 2019, Fabulosa has closed the latest financial year with £32.5m turnover. This is exponential growth for the company after the turnover figures for 2020 were £19.4m.
Since 2021, Fabulosa has been building its export channel but has enjoyed further success through international trade, with 3,000 locations spread across the continent.
PP Control and Automation
PP Control and Automation is a UK-based manufacturing outsourcing specialist, including components for F1 cars, and protecting mobile phones from water damage, amongst others. Based in the Midlands, the company’s business model works with OEMs and ‘early disruptors’ looking to bring technology-solving everyday issues to the market.
The company has increased its workforce to over 230 people as part of its strategic expansion plans, which have put it on course for £33m in sales in 2023, a £9m increase on the previous 12 months.
Brandauer
Brandauer produces high-tolerance metal pressings/stampings for customers in 26 different countries across 10 sectors, including automotive, construction, and medical. The company has recently announced a joint venture with In-Comm Training that has seen an investment of £1m in a new Precision Tooling Academy, to aid the UK toolmaking talent crisis.
The company recorded its best year in 2022 after increasing its presence in electrification and securing notable contract wins to increase sales by 20% and take their turnover past £9m.
Aurrigo International Plc
Aurrigo International Plc is the company behind the driverless Auto-Pod and a new autonomous cargo dolly for aviation. The company saw revenues reach £5.3m in 2022 and has set out ambitious expansion plans to maximise new contracts in its automotive division. It has also entered a multi-year partnering agreement with Changi Airport Group in Singapore.
Founded by brothers David and Graham Keene thirty years ago, Aurrigo successfully raised £8m in an IPO last September and has used the financial backing to roll-out its transport technology in the UK, Europe, North America, and Asia.
Goodfellow Cambridge Ltd
A global supplier of materials that meet the research development and specialist production requirements of science and industry, Goodfellow Cambridge Ltd. is a leader in its field. The firm has introduced several specialist metals and materials to its range that have helped solve production bottlenecks and bring products to the end user.
Goodfellow Cambridge sales have increased by 20%, presenting year-on-year growth for the business. Turnover has also rocketed to £23m, seeing the workforce increase by 25, following a recruitment drive.
Alloy Wire International
A manufacturer of exotic alloys, Alloy Wire International supplies round, flat, and profile wire to more than 55 countries. Founded by Bill Graham in 1999, the company has recently extended its Employee Ownership scheme following a Management Buy-out in early 2023, including all 33 employees.
This ‘people-first’ approach has seen an increase in sales from £12.8m at the start of 2022 to a predicted £18m for the end of this year.
Calbee UK
Calbee is a manufacturer of crisps and snacks headquartered in West Yorkshire. In 2018, the company acquired Seabrook Crisps, leading to significant expansion. In the year to December 2022, the company reported a turnover of £56.9m, a 21% increase on the previous year.
Calbee has recently invested £3m in technology and manufacturing, and a further £12m crisp capacity expansion plan is about to be implemented at the Seabrook manufacturing site, totalling over £15m and creating over 50 new jobs across both sites.
PAC Group
PAC Group, established in 2018 as Process Automation & Calibrations Ltd, has evolved from a team of eight to over 50 employees. In 2021, PAC Group was awarded a seven-figure contract from Aerosystems to deliver a hot drape former for its Aerospace Innovation Centre.
In its first year, the business achieved £2.6m in turnover and has grown to over £8m turnover in 2022, despite the current economic challenges and those posed by Covid-19.
Howorth Air Technology
Howorth Air Technology’s passion for air quality began in 1858 in the poorly ventilated cotton mills of Lancashire. With a vision to protect workers, Founder James Howorth began manufacturing apparatus to provide ventilation and improve air quality. In 1960, the company expanded, collaborating with Sir John Charnley after needing a clean surgical zone in surgery, creating the first Ultra-Clean Ventilation system.
After being in a loss-making position to generate record annual profits over the last three years, Howorth Air Technology now employs 131 people and has expanded its operations. The company is a £20m+ turnover business, with a recorded growth of 89.27% in export sales over the last two years.
Bluetree Group
Founded in 1989, Bluetree Group now employs over 400 people after rather humble beginnings. The company operates through four brands: instantprint.co.uk, Route1Print.co.uk, kingsburypress.com, and bluetreemedical.co.uk, the latter being the first manufacturer of Type IIR Surgical face masks.
The Group is certified as Carbon Neutral and actively measures and reduces its greenhouse gas emissions, with an increase in recycling rates averaging 91.2% and a 43% reduction in packaging spanning 2020 to 2022. Bluetree Medical has reported a 68% increase in revenue from £53.2m in 2021 to £89.6m in 2022.
Luceco Plc
With over 70 years of experience, Luceco Group has a family of brands which manufacture and distribute LED lighting, EV chargers, electrical wiring devices and accessories, circuit protection, and portable power solutions worldwide. Brands under the company include Kingfisher Lighting and Nexus.
The company also acquired DW Windsor Group in 2021, and Sync EV in 2022. Luceco has experienced 19.9% growth since 2019, with revenue increasing from £171.1m to £206.3m in 2022.
Gilcrest Manufacturing
Dating back to 1946, Gilcrest Manufacturing is a composite panel manufacturer that has grown to specialise in cleanroom systems, being used by such notable companies as Rolls-Royce, Pfizer, and Dyson. In 2022, the company achieved the status of Carbon Neutrality after taking action to reduce its environmental impact each year.
With an estimated turnover increase of 148%, going from £2.8m in 2020 to £6.9m in 2022, Gilcrest Manufacturing has grown exponentially, largely due to its contribution to the pharmaceutical market throughout the pandemic.
Briton Fabricators
Established in 1973, Briton Fabricators Limited is privately owned by the Bontoft family, managed from their Midlands Office and Fabrication plant in Nottingham. The company has steadily grown over the past few years, with notable clients including National Highways and Network Rail. Specialising in the design, build, installation, and refurbishment of gantries, footbridges, steelwork, and much more, the company’s manufacturing facility is dedicated to Infrastructure Engineering.
With a reported turnover of £23.5m in 2022, Briton Fabricators saw a 37% increase from 2021, where they saw a turnover of £17.1m.
Tyrone Fabrication
Located in Northern Ireland, Tyrone Fabrication is an expanding provider of intelligent enclosure solutions. The company combines CAD/CAM technology with over 30 years of manufacturing experience and is on a current growth trajectory of 37% annually.
From £16.4m turnover in 2021 to £22.5m in 2022, Tyrone Fabrication is consistently demonstrating its status in the rail, telecoms, data, and power and utility sectors. The company manufactures items from small meter and electricity cabinets to large Relocatable Equipment Buildings.
Bramble Energy
Bramble Energy was founded in 2016 and has grown to employ over 80 people. Through its PCB-X platform, they are expediting the worldwide reduction of carbon emissions whilst establishing sustainable sources of clean energy.
Bramble Energy has recently unveiled a new multi-million-pound headquarters with a new hydrogen innovation hub, aiming to level up the UK’s hydrogen and fuel cell testing capability.
Papier
Stationary brand Papier was founded in 2015 and has since expanded to sell a variety of products, from notebooks to diaries and photobooks to wedding invitations. The company has a focus on sustainability, making products in order to avoid excess stock, sourcing paper from FSC-certified forests, and utilising paper packaging for recycling at home.
At the beginning of 2022, Papier secured a £36.9m Series C investment for international expansion, with the US market reportedly accounting for almost 40% of the brand’s revenue at the time.
UK Doors Online
UK Doors Online manufactures French doors, sliding doors, aluminium bifold doors, composite doors, and roof lanterns. Launched in 2020, the company was established with the aim of driving aluminium manufacturing into the future.
After three years, UK Doors Online has expanded beyond West Yorkshire and opened a London-based factory. With its steady expansion, the company has been able to increase the rate of recruitment, despite the industry’s skills shortage.
Quell
Founded out of frustration with ‘default’ exercise, the founders of Quell set out to build an immersive and entertaining video game that incorporated exercise. Quell is set to launch its Impact device and game, Shardfall, attempting to appeal to both the £1.8bn UK fitness market and the £2.6bn UK video game industry.
The company recently closed a $10m (£7.9m) Series A funding round, building on the $5.5m (£4.3m) seed funding round at the end of 2020.
Meadow
Meadow has grown into a £550m value-added ingredients business specialising in dairy, confectionary, ice cream, prepared foods, and plant-based industries. They also claim to be the only independent chocolate crumb and sweetened condensed milk manufacturer in the UK.
With a dedicated team of food specialists focused on producing innovation, engineering, and improvement, Meadow works with its customers to create the products and services they need. More recently, the company has acquired sweet sauces manufacturer, Naked Food, further enhancing its offering.
THIS
In 2019, Co-Founders Andy Shovel and Pete Sharman set up the meat-alternative brand THIS, aiming to appeal to meat lovers and vegans through realistic products. They have a range of plant-based pork, chicken, and beef alternatives currently available in supermarkets and some key food service chains, including Greggs and Caffè Nero.
Named one of the UK’s fastest-growing food brands in 2022, with £20m+ annualised turnover after 3.5 years of trading, the company has scaled impressively since its founding. More recently, THIS raised £15m in Series B funding to assist in their expanding R&D capabilities.
