Combining technology and tradition, Adey Steel Group celebrates 100 years of industry
In 2025, Adey Steel Group (Adey) marked 100 years in business. The company’s long-standing success is rooted in continuous diversification, investment in cutting-edge technology, and the ability to adapt its product portfolio to an ever-evolving industry.
When it comes to steel fabrication, the business can manage the entire process on behalf of customers – from services such as design, detailing and project management, through to fabrication, supply and install. This ability to deliver highly specialized products to a wide range of market sectors is one of the contributing factors to its longevity in the market.
Having remained a family business for over a century, Adey is now on its fourth generation of leadership. Company Director, Andrew Adey begins with some details about its people: “We’re proud to have kept the company in our family and privately owned since the very beginning. We’ve got an exceptional senior management team, and our board is a small but well-formed group of experts from across the industry.
“In total, we employ about 140 people at our main facility in Loughborough, Leicestershire. That includes managers, accountants, technicians, engineers, and more. Everyone works from the same six-acre site, which has been our home for many decades,” he adds.
Over the past 15 years, Adey has strategically targeted the infrastructure market. Expanding its product offering to support clients across the sector has become a core business principle and one of the company’s most significant drivers of growth. As Andrew explains: “We’ve recently been working on railway systems and have worked on several highways to increase safety..
“Beyond the transport sector, we also provide critical services to the UK energy industry. In recent years, we’ve increasingly partnered with substation facilities and power transmission centers. Much of this work focuses on supporting the transition to sustainable energy by supplying the essential tools and infrastructure.
“We do this by delivering smarter, more efficient solutions for renewable energy projects. Our work supports the reliable distribution of green energy through the development of dedicated powerlines and substations across the country.
“That’s just an overview. We’re also increasingly delivering services for clients in the utilities and water sectors. Adaptability and responsiveness are central to what we do — the business today looks very different from where it began 100 years ago.”
The company supports these vital services by delivering, installing, and maintaining a variety of specialized steel products. As Andrew details: “For the rail sector, we produce a line of electrification structures, foot bridges, and signal gantries. We also manufacture similar products for road infrastructure projects; these include motorway gantries and bridges.
“For our clients in the energy sector, we primarily develop substation structures, gantries, transmission towers, and components for waste-to-energy systems. We also deliver these latter products to the renewables market.
“Our offering extends far beyond the final product. We provide project management, design, risk assessment, detailing, prototyping, delivery, and installation services. We also offer whole-life support once a product is in use, remaining on hand to assist with maintenance requirements or any other client queries.”
Safety, teamwork, success, quality and service are Adey’s core values. Embedded within these is a dedication to continuous improvement, and as a result, the company is also an early adopter of major technological advancements. Bringing innovative new technology into its production processes has helped Adey remain one step ahead. “We’ve recently introduced robotic welding machinery into the production line,” reveals Andrew. “We’ve had the technology for about nine months now, and in that time, we’ve seen additional benefits regarding both efficiency and output.
“This new machinery increases precision and replicability in our metal components, meaning the products we manufacture are especially well suited to applications in the rail sector.
“The robotic system itself and the surrounding infrastructure not only delivers safer, more reliable end products, but it’s helped enhance the wellbeing of our people at the facility. With increased efficiency and more consistent quality, the investment has provided considerable benefits to our incredibly skilled shop-floor staff members.
“We’ve also invested in new technology to better support teams across the business. Our newly implemented ERP system, Dynamics 365, is helping to centralize and automate core processes across finance, HR, and supply chain operations.
“In addition, we’ve recently introduced a new front-end CRM system. While implementation is still underway, our aim is to fully integrate the two platforms, creating a unified system that delivers clear benefits for both our teams and our clients.”
Bringing in new technology is also an integral part of Adey’s sustainability mission. Aiming to reach net zero by 2050, the company has numerous strategies in place to cut carbon emissions, as Andrew asserts: “A lot of the work we do is focused on decarbonization. Most of the products that leave our factory are designed to target carbon reduction on behalf of our clients, and it’s also an important mission for us internally.
“Investing in smart technology has boosted our efficiency and reduced waste across the board, however there’s still more work to be done. We’ve brought in a more efficient heating system and switched to LED lighting across the shop floor and office spaces.
“Beyond that, we’ve invested in a fleet of electric vehicles and prioritize these when planning delivery and distribution. Our next step will be to investigate adding solar panels to the facility,” he adds.
In the coming years, Adey will remain focused on its net-zero mission, while also remaining responsive to shifts throughout the industry. As Andrew reflects: “It’s important that we continue to seize new opportunities as they arise. Demand in the energy and water sectors is growing, and we’re well positioned to strengthen our presence in these markets. At the same time, we’ll maintain a strong focus on rail and transport, which continue to be key drivers of our growth.
“Finally, we aim to manage our growth thoughtfully and deliberately. This company hasn’t thrived for over 100 years by rushing to the finish line. We’ll continue to take our time, stay true to our roots, and deliver a service we can be proud of,” he concludes.