Severfield plc is a York based structural steel contractor. By turnover it is the largest in the UK, with a capacity of 130,000 tons per year, and a further 20,000 tons in the EU. Landmark works include London's 2012 Olympic Stadium, The Shard, Wimbledon Centre Court roof, Emirates Stadium and Paris Philharmonic Hall.
The firm has acquired businesses across structural steel market sectors within the UK and EU, and it participates with JSW Group in a Mumbai based joint venture that fabricates 100,000 tons of structural steel per annum. Severfield owns 50% of Construction Metal Forming Ltd which in 2023, claimed to be the UK's largest supplier of steel decking.
History
The business was founded in 1978 as a partnership named Severfield-Reeve; moved to Dalton in 1980, and incorporated as Severfield Reeve Structural Engineers Ltd in 1983. As a public company it was known from 1988 to 1999 as Severfield-Reeve plc; from 1999 to 2014 as Severfield-Rowen plc, and then adopted its current title.
Listings In July 1988, Severfield-Reeve plc was quoted on the Unlisted Securities Market, then moved up to the London Stock Exchange on 8 June 1995.
, Severfield plc is a component of the FTSE SmallCap Index.
Acquisitions and new businesses
2023Rijssen based Voortman Steel Construction Holding BV purchased for £21.2 million. 2021 Carnaby based support structure and railway steelwork contractor, DAM Structures Ltd purchased for a minimum initial cost of £12 million, potentially rising to £27 million. 2019 Bolton based nuclear and infrastructure structural steel business Harry Peers & Co Ltd purchased for a minimum initial cost of £18 million, potentially rising to £25 million. Acquisition included manufacturing site at Bolton. Severfield begins to market discontinued products of Shepherd Building Group. 2015 Mamhilad based cold rolled structural steel manufacturer Composite Metal Forming Ltd purchased (50%) for a minimum initial cost of £4.1 million, potentially rising to £6.6 million. 2014 JSW Structural Metal Decking Ltd (33%) indirect joint venture opened in Mumbai. 2010 JSW Severfield Structures Ltd (50%) joint venture opened in Mumbai. Remainder of the structural steel firm held by JSW Group. 2008 Severfield Reeve Projects Ltd launches property investment division. 2007 Ballinamallard based structural steel contractor Fisher Engineering Ltd purchased for £90 million in shares and cash.2006 Entered into Steel UK Ltd (50%) joint venture with Sheffield based steel stockholder Murray Metals Group Ltd to negotiate steel purchase prices for both partners Patented craned or self climbing work platform that attaches to steelwork at height. 2005 Sherburn based Atlas Ward Structures Ltd purchased from Bank of Scotland, and diluted shareholders, for £1.2 million.2002 Thorp Arch tubular steel fabricator Tubemasters Ltd purchased for £330,000. Severfield Reeve Projects Ltd diversifies into house building.2001 Cellular beam design software developer, Fabsec Ltd incorporated with industry partners. Lostock based structural contractor Watson Steel Structures Ltd purchased from AMEC for £2.5 million, including land and buildings. 1999 Sheffield based design bureau Kennedy Watts Partnership Ltd (25.1%) purchased.1997 Hungarian chain mail glove manufacturing business opened in Bataszek. Subsidiary Severfield Reeve Projects Ltd began to undertake construction projects outside of Severfield.1996 Remaining 25% minority stake in Manabo (UK) Ltd purchased. Sutton-in-Ashfield based structural steel contractor, and airport terminal specialist, J N Rowen Ltd acquired for £800,000. 1995 Meat processing safety equipment subsidiary Manabo (UK) Ltd (75%) begins trading. 1991 Steel trading business, Steel (UK) Ltd (80%) acquired. 1990 Shildon based A A Steel Erection Ltd and A & A Fabrications Ltd purchased for £943,238 in shares.
Steel (UK) Ltd and Steel UK Ltd
In 1991, Severfield Reeve acquired 80% of steel trading business, Steel (UK) Ltd and bought out the remaining minority shareholdings in 2009. The company ceased trading in 2002; was renamed Stable Move Ltd in 2005, and dissolved in 2013 owing £1,161,732 to Severfield plc and eliminating shareholder value.
In 2006, Severfield established Steel UK Ltd as a 50% joint venture with Sheffield based steel stockholder Murray Metals Group Ltd to negotiate steel purchase prices for both partners. The company had been incorporated in 2005 as Stable Move Ltd. Severfield and Murray bought steel at prices agreed with suppliers by Steel UK and the company did not trade itself. The joint venture was dissolved in 2013.
Manabo
In 1995, Severfield's meat processing safety equipment subsidiary Manabo (UK) Ltd began trading. Initially the business was a 75% joint venture with the original technology developer but in 1996, Severfield Reeve bought out all remaining minority shareholdings. The established Scandinavian distributor for Manabo's products agreed to purchase from the new company. Manabo manufactured at sites around Thirsk and from 1997, operated a chain mail glove factory in Bataszek, Hungary.
Such was the anticipated transformation of the structural steel business that by 1997, The Times described Severfield as a "specialist engineer and supplier of equipment for the meat and poultry processing industry". However in the same year, company founder John Severs blamed Manabo's six monthly £902,000 losses on the meat industry being "reluctant to change its ways in health and hygiene".The glove business and company were sold in 2000 after a further £2 million loss in 1998, and asset write-down of £2.8 million in 1999.
Severfield Reeve Projects Ltd
In 1991, subsidiary Severfield Reeve Projects Ltd was incorporated, initially to carry out construction at Severfield's plants. It began to undertake main contracting for others in 1997.
1998 Express Terminals Ltd (Ripon), National Tube Stockholders Ltd (Dalton) and Talking Pictures Cards Ltd (Thirsk) 2000 Northern headquarters for the National Crime Squad and office building at Thirsk for Teleware 2001 Turnkey relocation for Dowding & Mills at York 2002 Warehouse for Encore Direct Ltd in York; office in Wakefield; premises for Union Trucks, and a school for North Yorkshire County Council 2006 Thirsk Rural Business Centre (£5.2 million) and Belmont Nursing Home (£5.1 million)
Severfield Reeve Projects diversified into house building in 2002, purchasing, on its own account, a site in Bagby for two traditional, five bedroom dwellings with gardens.
In 2008, it launched a property investment division with the purchase of distribution warehouses from Royal Mail and the RNLI for £7.1 million. The value of the initial investments was written down by £2.1 million in 2009. New projects and investments by Severfield Reeve Projects Ltd stopped in 2009, and it closed in 2011.
Kennedy Watts Partnership Ltd
In 1999, Severfield purchased 25.1% of Sheffield based design bureau Kennedy Watts Partnership Ltd for £464,000 in shares and cash. The shareholding was restructured in 2008 so that it was held through an intermediary, Last Exit Ltd. Kennedy Watts Partnership Ltd was placed into administration in 2013; into liquidation in 2014, and dissolved in 2016 with a deficit to creditors of £292,000 and elimination of all shareholder stakes.
Deck riders
In 2006, Severfield patented a craned or self climbing work platform that attaches to steelwork at height, and mounts its own powered access platform. The apparatus was invented to assist erection of steel structures where conditions are not suitable for safe operation of conventional access equipment. In 2009, the work platform project was abandoned and £2.4 million development costs written off.
Severfield went on to develop 'deck rider' static base boom lifts with access platform manufacturer Niftylift. These can be repositioned by crane onto buildings under construction to sit in the steel decking. By 2009, they had been used on Severfield's Shard and Heron Tower sites facilitating safe erection speeds of a storey every seven days - without waiting for concrete floors to set. By 2011, Severfield had purchased 20 of the machines.
As of 2025, deck riders are commercially available.
Tonnage
Severfield structural, fabricated steel output, relative to capacity and UK market: Severfield output (UK and Europe) (1,000 tons) Severfield capacity (UK and Europe) (1,000 tons) Total consumed (UK) (1,000 tons) 2016 85 150 892 2017 90 150 876 2018 75 150 879 2019 80 150 858 2020 95 150 6832021 95 165 803 2022 95 165 803 2023 115 150 894 2024 100 150 N/A 2025 95 150 N/A
Accident statistics Severfield plc's RIDDOR ratios have improved, and are lower than its industry average. Senior executives are remunerated according to the accident frequency rate of the business units they oversee.
Severfield AFR Industry AFR 2013 0.55 2014 0.57 0.4 2015 0.21 2016 0.25 2017 0.24 2018 0.22 2019 0.11 >0.3 2020 0.15 0.3 2021 0.18 2022 0.16 >0.16 2023 0.14 2024 0.12 20250.08
Locations
As of 2025, Severfield plc is headquartered in York, close to its factory on the former RAF Dalton near Thirsk where it is a significant employer. It also manufactures in Sherburn, Lostock, Carnaby, Ballinamallard, Rijssen and Maassluis, and has offices at Breda, Moor Row, Newport and Glasgow.
Joint ventures JSW Severfield Structures Ltd and JSW Structural Metal Decking Ltd are located in Mumbai.
The Construction Metal Forming Ltd cold formed construction steel joint venture manufactures steel decking, and light gauge framing, in Mamhilad and Magor.
Project gallery
Stadia and arena
Transport
Buildings
Other
Controversies
Job losses
In April 2025, Diana Armstrong, Member of the Legislative Assembly for Fermanagh and South Tyrone expressed concern about job losses at Severfield's Ballinamallard business. After a profit warning, Severfield's CEO had also agreed to leave the company.
Bridge welding
In 2024, Severfield made provisions of £20.4 million for potential remediation work on at least 12 bridges manufactured for HS2 and National Highways. Affected structures included three completed HS2 bridges and the Allerdene Bridge over the East Coast Mainline in Gateshead. National Highways imposed traffic restrictions and lane closures on a section of the A1 until the weld defects had been resolved, and indicated the bridges' lives could be reduced. An industry media report suggested approach viaducts to Birmingham Curzon Street railway station were affected and that the issue relates to butt welds in weathering steel.
Site falls
In 2021, a steel erector employed by Severfield fell down a staircase at Google's Kings Cross site and was unfit to work for six days. Severfield suspected fraud and summarily dismissed him, but an Employment Tribunal determined the incident occurred; that the employee was unfairly dismissed, and awarded £2,721 in compensation. There was no order for payment in lieu of notice because, post dismissal, the erector took immediate, better remunerated employment elsewhere.
In 2002, a 29 year old steel fixer, working in Waltham Abbey for Severfield's Steelcraft Erection Services Ltd, fell from a new Sainsbury's distribution centre and suffered spinal injuries; broken ribs, and a punctured lung.
Hazardous fumes
In March 2020, Severfield was served a Health and Safety Executive Improvement Notice because of hazardous welding fumes at its Lostock works. The fault was corrected by April 2020.
Late payment
In July 2019, subsidiary Severfield Design and Build Ltd was suspended from the UK Government's Prompt Payment Code for failing to pay suppliers on time. The firm submitted an action plan to the Chartered Institute of Credit Management and was reinstated by November 2019.
Leadenhall Tower