Highfield Gears

What Highfield Gears does

Highfield Gears is a specialist industrial gearbox service provider headquartered in a 16,500 square foot engineering facility in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, operating since 1927. The company delivers three core services: industrial gearbox repair and refurbishment (including competitor brands such as Hansen, Radicon, Sumitomo, Flender, DB Santasalo, Renold, Siemens); in-house gear manufacturing across spur, helical, bevel, worm, and double helical types; and CNC machining services. Notable technical capabilities include a DEPO-HC 1212 high-precision horizontal machining centre with Heidenhain 530 control capable of producing gears up to 3 metres in diameter and handling 6-tonne workpieces, alongside MCM, Mazak Integrex, and Cincinnati Sabre CNC platforms, gear cutting and grinding tools, boring machines, and load test facilities.

The business operates a project-based, quote-driven B2B model directly targeting heavy industrial end-users, with named customers including Tata Steel, British Steel, Heineken, Guinness, Lubrizol, Ardagh Glass, Dulux, Anglian Water, Ineos, and Warwick Chemicals across steel, chemicals, beverage, glass, paints, and water treatment verticals. A 24/7 emergency breakdown service with dedicated transport and two 10-tonne cranes, combined with an extensive archive of drawings enabling reverse engineering of obsolete parts, supports a 'one-stop-shop' pitch where every step from strip-down to rebuild is performed in-house. Pricing is entirely quote-based, determined by scope, complexity, materials, and turnaround, and there is no published rate card.

Recent strategic activity includes a £100,000 debt facility from NPIF – BEF & FFE Microfinance in November 2022 to invest in new machinery, automate processes, and expand into oil, gas, and aerospace sectors, alongside the introduction of a subsea CNC machining and actuator manufacturing line. The company is privately held (HIGHFIELD GEARS LIMITED, company number 11273034), reports a 1-10 employee headcount, and operates without third-party channel partners, with all services delivered directly from its Huddersfield site.

Name

Highfield Gears

Legal name

HIGHFIELD GEARS LIMITED

Website

https://highfieldgears.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1927

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Highfield Gears is a Huddersfield-based industrial gearbox specialist, founded in 1927, repairing, refurbishing, and manufacturing gear units (including competitor brands) and providing CNC machining services to heavy industry customers across the UK and Europe, with a 16,500 sq ft in-house facility operating 24/7.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Gearbox Manufacturing & Repair

NAICS

Speed Changer, Industrial High-Speed Drive, and Gear Manufacturing (333612), Machine Shops (332710)

SIC

Special Industry Machinery, Nec (3559), Metalworkg Machinery & Equipment (3540)

akta.pro primary industry

Cylinder Heads, Blocks & Rotating Assemblies Machining/Rebuild Services (TLAKALAG)

Keywords

• Industrial gearbox repairs
• Gear manufacturing
• CNC machining services
• Gearbox spares
• Subsea equipment machining

Headquarters

HQ city

Huddersfield

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Industrial Gearbox Repair and Refurbishment: Core revenue stream providing comprehensive gearbox repair services including inspection, strip down, repair, rebuild, testing, and delivery. Services include repairs for the company's own brand as well as competitor gearboxes from Hansen, Radicon, Sumitomo, Flender, DB Santasalo, Renold, Chemineer, and Siemens.
2. Gear Manufacturing and CNC Machining: Manufacturing of gear components (worm, helical, spur, bevel, double helical) and CNC machining services for custom parts. Production of gearbox spares, casings, shafts, and couplings. Sub-contracting services available.
3. Gear Spares and Replacement Parts: Supply of replacement gear parts for all Highfield products and competitor gearboxes. Parts manufactured in-house at Huddersfield factory including gearcases, covers, gears, bearings, and seal kits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Highfield Gears specializes in the repair, refurbishment, and manufacturing of industrial gearboxes from its 16,500 sq ft facility in Huddersfield, UK. The company offers a fully in-house one-stop-shop covering strip-down inspection, gear manufacturing (spur, helical, bevel, worm, double helical), CNC machining, gearbox spares supply, and 24/7 emergency breakdown service for gearboxes up to 18 tonnes. It also serves as a sub-contract CNC machining provider and manufactures subsea actuators for the oil, gas, and renewable energy sectors.

Product overview

Highfield Gears is a group of gearbox specialists offering industrial gearbox repairs and refurbishment, gear manufacturing, CNC machining, and gearbox spares. Founded in 1927 and based in Huddersfield, UK, the company operates a 16,500 square foot facility handling gearboxes up to 20 tonnes. The core offering consists of industrial gearbox repairs and refurbishment services supplemented by in-house gear manufacturing (spur, helical, bevel, worm, and double helical gears), CNC machining services including cutting, milling, turning, and boring, gear spares supply, and subsea equipment services. The company provides a one-stop-shop approach with all processes conducted in-house, complemented by 24/7 emergency breakdown services and preventative maintenance options.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Industrial Gearbox Repairs and Refurbishment Comprehensive industrial gearbox repair, refurbishment, and replacement service for enterprise customers operating heavy machinery in steel, chemical, brewery, water treatment, and other heavy industries. Covers all gearbox types (planetary, worm, bevel helical, extruder) including own-brand and competitor-brand units, with strip-down inspection, detailed photographic reporting, and load-tested rebuilds.
• Gear Manufacturing In-house manufacturing of spur, helical, bevel, worm, and double helical gears, including gear cutting and gear grinding, with capacity to produce gears up to 90 inches in diameter. Supports both gearbox assembly and the supply of replacement gears.
• CNC Machining Services Precision CNC cutting, milling, turning, and boring services using advanced equipment, available both to support in-house gear manufacturing and as a sub-contracting service to other businesses requiring access to large-capacity horizontal/vertical boring and turning. Operates 24/7 for emergency work.
• Gearbox Spares Supply of replacement gearbox spare parts (gearcases, covers, gears, bearings, seal kits) for all Highfield products, manufactured in-house and quality-inspected. Includes reverse-engineering of obsolete parts from customer-supplied samples.
• Subsea Equipment and Actuators Specialized CNC machining and manufacturing of subsea actuators, valve bodies, and related equipment for the offshore oil, gas, and renewable energy sectors, designed for harsh deep-water environments with seawater-resistant materials.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced downtime through 24/7 emergency service and in-house manufacturing capabilities
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Radicon: UK-headquartered industrial gearbox manufacturer (now part of Elecon Group). Directly comparable because Highfield explicitly services Radicon gearboxes as a competitor repair offering, indicating overlapping customer base and product category in industrial power transmission.
• Philadelphia Gear (Timken): US-based manufacturer and servicer of high-speed gearing and gearboxes for industrial and naval applications, now part of Timken. Comparable as a gearbox specialist with a strong industrial service and repair focus on legacy and custom equipment.
• Sumitomo Drive Technologies: Global manufacturer of industrial gearboxes, drives, and gearmotors (parent of Hansen Industrial Transmissions). Comparable as a major gearbox OEM with a service and aftermarket arm; Highfield explicitly services Sumitomo and Hansen gearboxes.
• Brevini Power Transmission (Dana Incorporated): Italian industrial gearbox manufacturer now part of Dana Incorporated. Comparable as a specialty gearbox maker with parallel product categories (industrial gearboxes for steel, marine, and heavy industry applications) and similar service-led business model.
• DB Santasalo: Global manufacturer of industrial gears and gearboxes with a service and repair arm. Directly comparable because Highfield explicitly services DB Santasalo gearboxes as a competitor repair offering, signalling parallel product categories and overlapping industrial customer base.
• Renold: UK-listed power transmission product manufacturer (chains, gears, couplings) with manufacturing and service operations. Comparable as a UK-based industrial transmission specialist; Highfield explicitly services Renold gearboxes, indicating direct overlap in installed-base service work.

Broad incumbents

• NORD Drivesystems: German manufacturer of drive technology including gear units, electric motors, and frequency inverters. Comparable as a broad industrial drive incumbent with parallel gearbox manufacturing and service operations across multiple heavy-industry verticals.
• SEW-Eurodrive: Global leader in drive technology, gearmotors, and electronic drives. Comparable as a major incumbent in industrial power transmission with broad product coverage, manufacturing scale, and global service network spanning similar end markets.
• Flender (Siemens): Siemens-owned global leader in mechanical drive systems for industrial applications. Comparable as the dominant incumbent in industrial gearboxes; Highfield explicitly services Flender gearboxes, indicating overlap in installed-base service work and customer relationships.
• Bonfiglioli: Italian manufacturer of gearmotors, drive systems, and inverters serving industrial, mobile, and renewable energy markets. Comparable as a broad industrial drive incumbent with parallel gearbox manufacturing and service operations across heavy-industry and renewables end markets.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/highfield-gears-and-machining-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Highfield Gears