William Rowland in £10m expansion and relocation
March 19, 2019
William Rowland’s new facility in Barnsley (Courtesy William Rowland)
William Rowland, recognised as one of the oldest metal trading businesses in the UK, has announced it is relocating to a new £10 million state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Barnsley, South Yorkshire. The company has operated from its existing site in nearby Sheffield since 1870, and the move to a new 6.5-acre site is expected to allow it continue on its current growth trajectory.
It was stated that several new product lines have been added in the last two years which support its transformation into a manufacturing business, with the addition of several new processes across its refined metals, metal powders and speciality alloys segments.
“It was critical we removed the obstacles to our continued growth and put ourselves in a position to help our customers and suppliers grow their businesses,” stated Richard Lowe, MD for William Rowland.
“In selecting the site, we had to consider our strongest asset (employees) first, as without them we cannot provide the outstanding levels of expertise and service our customers are accustomed to. Additionally, we wish to become an employer of choice, and whilst we are renowned for service and stability, a modern place of work will help with that.’’
William Rowland is owned by Amalgamated Metals Crop (AMC), who operate a variety of non-ferrous metals businesses globally and also offer a range of risk management services to the metals sector. “Our parent company has a stable and balanced portfolio, and long term perspective which enables significant investments of this type, even when the economic climate is uncertain,” Lowe continued.
“The site will be fully operational in the first half of 2020, with the No. 1 objective of no disruption to our valued customers. I am really confident we can achieve a move with little disruption, we are in control of the disposal of the current site and have duplicate facilities in the West Midlands from where we can build buffer inventory.”
