AJN Steelstock: Driving UK Industry with Quality Steel
From construction and engineering to agriculture and food processing, steel is crucial to several of the UK’s major industries. Keeping manufacturers across the country supplied with the highest quality metal is AJN Steelstock, an industry leading steel stockholder. “We ensure the market has what it needs, when it is needed,” asserts Courtney Bell, Finance Director at AJN Steelstock.
“Currently, we hold around 35,000 tons of steel at any one time. We boast a fleet of over 72 vehicles, which are always ready for next day delivery, and we’re one of the UK’s foremost steel stockholders. The company is widely regarded within the industry for its unrivaled reputation for service and reliability. In 2021, we were identified as one of London Stock Exchange Groups ‘1000 Companies to Inspire Britain’ for the third successive year. We were also recognized as one of the fastest growing companies in the UK with a listing in the Sunday Times PwC Top Track 250 league table,” he continues.
With two stockyards and supplementary holding facilities at various ports across the UK, AJN Steelstock has one of the largest ranges of structural steel components available. “Our portfolio offers an excellent variety of sizes and lengths to minimize wastage and reduce costs. The company stocks the full range of structural steel, including universal beams and columns, hollow sections, angles, channels, and flat, round and square bars,” reveals Courtney.
Setting industry standards for reliability and responsiveness has helped cement AJN Steelstock’s position as an industry forerunner. As Courtney discusses: “Like most reputable steel stockholders, AJN Steelstock buys in large volumes and stocks a wide range of steel so it can quickly respond to customer requests for the hundreds of sections, sizes and grades available.
“As one of the most experienced and knowledgeable stockholders in the industry, however, we also support our customers with up-to-the-minute insight on the steel construction industry and have access to a wide range of business-critical information such as pricing trends, availability issues, backlogs and activity levels. We also provide a ‘just-in-time’ service to steelwork contractors, many of whom want daily steel deliveries to increase their production efficiency and reduce the handling of steel in their own yard.
“The key to our success, however, is born out of our unrivalled levels of service and reliability. Often overlooked when providing a rapid turnaround service, AJN Steelstock prioritizes delivering on its promises and making sure its customers get exactly what they want, exactly when they want it.”
Understanding and adapting to customer demands has ensured the longevity of AJN Steelstock’s success. “Today’s modern fabrication processes have led to massive increases in the demand for rapid processing services. In response, the company has made several multi-million-pound investments over recent years. Our aim is to match the latest equipment and technology with experienced and highly trained operators to offer a comprehensive range of processing and finishing services to our customers.
“With 18 saw cutting lines, five CNC drill lines, four high-definition plasma profiling machines, two shot-blasting and painting lines, two precision laser cutting
machines, and a cropping and punching line at its disposal, AJN Steelstock is perfectly placed to meet the needs of its customers. As many UK steelwork contractors do not want to use their capital to invest directly in large plants and machinery, the vast majority of our business now involves processing at some stage,” details Courtney.
From 1951 to today, AJN Steelstock has grown and evolved to meet the needs of an ever-changing industry. As Courtney outlines: “The company that was formed around 70 years ago was a very different beast to the company it is today. Originally based in Hepworth, near Diss, before moving to Bury St Edmunds in the early 60s, the main business of the firm was buying and selling. The founder of the company, John Boyden, along with his business partner, had an excellent eye for a bargain and purchased anything and everything, including fireside chairs and telegraph poles from the MoD’s post-war surplus.
“They also bought redundant steel framed buildings, to sell in part or as a whole, and it was steel that became the turning point for the company. At the time, it was just the two of them and they worked all hours to build up the business. Fast forward 70 years and AJN Steelstock has changed beyond all recognition. The company is now run by John’s sons, Alan and Neil, who, along with their board of directors, have successfully steered the company through a period of continuous growth and expansion with steel sales and turnover increasing year-on-year for the past 20 years. Employee numbers are up 24 percent over the past five years with steel tonnage sold up by 20 percent over the same period.”
Combining years of industry experience with continual development and strategic thinking ensures a bright future for AJN Steelstock, as Courtney concludes: “Success doesn’t stand still, and we are continually developing and expanding our two processing sites, training our people and plowing further investment into the most up-to-date processing equipment, so that we can offer our customers the highest levels of service, now and well into the future.”