Stocksbridge Engineering Steels
of Stocksbridge, Sheffield
1842 Samuel Fox started his own wire drawing business at Stocksbridge
Having passed through many hands, the engineering steels operations at Stocksbridge became Stocksbridge Engineering Steels, part of British Steel
1986 Stocksbridge Engineering Steels became a division of the newly formed United Engineering Steels Limited[1]
1991 "STOCKSBRIDGE Engineering Steels are planning an ambitious programme of events next year to mark the 150th anniversary of the steelworks."[2]
Since 1999 the works was owned by the Corus Group, as part of the Corus Engineering Steels (CES) group. Although for several years Corus ran at a loss, it more recently returned to profit, in part helped by the worldwide rise in demand for steel caused by Chinese economic activity.
Steel manufacture in Stocksbridge has always been by melting iron and steel firstly in crucibles (from 1860), then Bessemer converters (from 1862) and Siemens Open Hearth Furnaces (from 1899 until 1968) and lastly Electric arc furnaces (from 1939 until 2005). Iron has never been produced from iron ore therr, by any method.
Despite the world wide reputation of Stocksbridge works product, Corus reduced the works to a satellite site for Rotherham (Aldwarke) Works (also CES). In the process the main melting shop was closed and as well as the rolling mill (the mill was actually kept open after the planned closure date as the production could not be handled at Rotherham. Re-melting of special grades continued using small (around 10 tonnes capacity), specialised furnaces with controlled atmospheres. The rolling mill (billet mill) was re-opened in April 2006 due to difficulties in rolling certain products at Aldwarke.
The plan to invest a further £6 million at Stocksbridge was cancelled part way through in December 2005. This plan would have enhanced the re-melting furnace capacity at Stocksbridge, aimed at strengthening Corus’ position to supply the rapidly growing market place for engineering steels for the aerospace sector. Instead complete closure looked more likely, with Corus withdrawing from this part of the market (as of mid December 2005).
2006 Corus was taken over by Tata. Corus Engineering Steels (Stocksbridge site) was renamed Tata Steels Speciality.
2017 Liberty House Group purchased Tata’s entire UK steelmaking operation for GBP 100 million.
Currently (October 2020) the Stocksbridge site is part of Liberty Speciality Steels’ High Value Manufacturing division and 'offers VIM steelmaking, VAR and ESR re-melting, primary rolling, finishing, stockholding and machined components', providing alloy and stainless steels for use in sectors such as Aerospace, Oil & Gas & Industrial Engineering. See Liberty website.