Discover how Embrace Steel Group is transforming the steel industry through innovative acquisitions and sustainability
With a mission of uniting top steel design and manufacturing companies under one roof, Embrace Steel Group (Embrace) is a leading provider of steel frame building solutions. Its inclusive range of innovative products and services caters to customers across various industries. Since its inception in 2020, Embrace has acquired two renowned British steel brands: Hambleton Steel Group (Hambleton) in 2022, and Shufflebottom in April 2024. By identifying and acquiring UK-based steel and construction businesses with untapped value and growth potential, Embrace implements operational improvements to drive significant growth throughout its group of companies. Matt Gibson, COO, provides a detailed account of the company’s acquisitions journey, which has propelled it to become a significant player in the UK steel market.
“Founded by entrepreneurs with a passion for manufacturing and steelwork, Embrace’s purpose is to nurture a group of companies requiring modernization or a culture change. The idea is to gather smaller companies with outstanding customer service and repeat business under one umbrella, whilst retaining their locality and branding. This strategy enhances the strength of the group and ultimately benefits each brand,” he begins.
The first company to join Embrace was Hambleton, established in 1995, which was in need of a culture change, as Matt points out: “Hambleton had experienced significant fluctuations in performance, with some years being highly successful and others less so. At Embrace, we implemented a partnership culture within Hambleton. Forming partnerships is key to our ethos because we recognize the crucial role of our employees in making a business successful and efficient. Thus, we are completely transparent, which is quite revolutionary in our industry, as we share the financials of each company we own with all staff monthly. This approach not only keeps everyone informed of the company’s performance but also empowers employees to share their ideas and suggestions for improvement. By combining our employees’ insights with the directors’ knowledge, we can make better decisions, thereby creating better returns for all. By initiating this culture shift within Hambleton, we doubled its turnover within a year. Having previously worked at Hambleton, I knew it was an excellent company, but it was not maximizing its opportunities before Embrace acquired it.”
To complement the capabilities of Hambleton, Embrace recently acquired steel fabricator Shufflebottom. “Our interest in Shufflebottom stems from its excellent reputation in the agricultural, equestrian, and smaller-scale markets. Additionally, it enjoys relationships with major contractors in Wales for large contracts. There are real synergies between Shufflebottom and Hambleton, in terms of their geographical and market presence, capabilities, and production capacity. For instance, the acquisition of Shufflebottom has enabled us to slightly diversify our portfolio because Hambleton does not have plans to enter smaller-scale markets. As a main contractor, Hambleton typically works on projects like car parks, stadiums, waste plants, schools, universities, government infrastructure, and in the past, supermarkets. Its location in Wales also makes Shufflebottom a valuable addition to our group as it helps us spread our capability and our work across the UK.
“Our business model leverages the buying power, capacity, and expertise of each company within our group to fuel growth, whilst we implement the Embrace culture across them. We are very pleased with the success of this approach, as we have now achieved a turnover of around £55 million. Our short-term goal is to reach the £100 million mark, and I am confident that we will exceed this milestone in the coming years. Through this strategy, we aim to establish ourselves as one of the key industry leaders within the next five years,” he adds.
Although Hambleton and Shufflebottom contribute their unique strengths to Embrace, the latter also invests significantly in its subsidiaries. Indeed, Embrace has recently purchased new equipment and machinery for Hambleton, thereby enhancing its capabilities. “As part of our efforts to modernize Hambleton’s technology, we have invested £1.5 million in a new Voortman line, ensuring we stay up to date with the latest advancements. Given that most steel fabricators utilize saws, drills, and blasting equipment basically around the clock, these machines eventually wear out. Furthermore, with new technologies constantly emerging, reducing fabrication time is a crucial factor in enhancing our profitability. Therefore, investing in that machinery was undoubtedly the way forward.
“Notably, we have acquired a coping machine that features a robotic arm and a plasma burner, enabling it to cut steel into sophisticated shapes and perform other tasks that a human would typically have to complete afterwards. Most industries have been embracing robotics for around 30 years, and the steel industry is no exception. In the future, we will be considering the needs of other companies within our group and assessing whether investing in technology and equipment would be beneficial for them as well,” Matt informs. 
Steel production tends to have environmental implications, due to the carbon intensive processes it entails. Like many other companies in the field, Embrace is addressing this issue head-on, as Matt explains: “In my view, sustainability encompasses both the sustainability of a company’s business model, and environmental sustainability, including lowering carbon footprints, using less resources, and operating responsibly. At Embrace, we take both aspects very seriously, especially because our customers are requesting it. Therefore, within Hambleton, we have assessed our carbon footprint and are now exploring initiatives to reduce it. A similar exercise will be conducted at Shufflebottom and any other business we may acquire. Additionally, we adhere to all environmental standards and strive to minimize waste. By doing so, we not only help the environment, but we also become more efficient as we are reducing unnecessary expenses.
“Since we use a significant amount of energy, we are contemplating implementing solar panels and we already use electric cars when possible. In essence, we are doing everything we can to minimize our impact on the environment, which is particularly challenging for a steel manufacturer, as steel is primarily made of carbon. In response to customer demands, we are working with our suppliers to procure steel made using electric arc furnace and recycled steel. In addition, we offer design and build services, a common practice in our industry, which involve evaluating engineered jobs to determine whether we can reduce the amount and weight of steel used in a project while still delivering the same building. We believe this is an important step towards sustainability, as it reduces the production of unnecessary steel, thereby benefiting the environment and our customers. While we are doing everything in our power to be more eco-friendly, it is important to note that sustainability is being driven by the market, and we will continue to prioritize it as long as it remains a priority for our customers,” he ends.
Through the acquisition of esteemed brands like Hambleton and Shufflebottom, Embrace has made significant strides in the industry and is poised to continue revolutionizing steel construction worldwide. Furthermore, its commitment to partnerships and sustainability is certain to continue empowering clients through cutting-edge solutions well into the future.