What Blackrow Group does

Blackrow Group is a UK-headquartered specialist engineering and fabrication business founded in 1979 and incorporated in 1980, operating from a 14,000sqm Grimsby facility on the South Humberside Industrial Estate with a secondary site in Leicester. The company provides multi-discipline in-house engineering services spanning design (SolidWorks, AutoCAD AEC Suite, 3D scanning), sheet metal fabrication, machining, mechanical and electrical engineering, structural fabrication, pipework, laser cutting, paintshop and shot blasting, thermal insulation, scaffolding, project management, installation and decommissioning, and site services support. Its manufactured product portfolio centres on four lines: control panels (NICEIC-accredited, BS EN 61439, 18th Edition compliant), tanks and vessels (to BS5500, ASME, EN 13445), gantry/mezzanine/platform structures (BS EN 1090 accredited), and conveyor systems.

The business serves industrial manufacturers across four primary verticals: food and beverage, chemicals and petrochemicals, renewables (notably onshore and offshore wind via its February 2026 partnership with Specialist Wind Services), and oil and gas. Named enterprise customers include Cranswick, Tronox, KP Snacks, Moy Park, Ørsted, PepsiCo, Bimbo, Knauf, Diversey, British Steel, Cerealto, and EnSol Group, with documented large project values including a £5.5M bakery project in the Democratic Republic of Congo and a £4.5M Cerealto facility in Worksop delivered on-time and on-budget over 18 months. Revenue is generated through bespoke project-based contracts (lump-sum, time-and-materials, and milestone billing), with standard 30-day payment terms on credit accounts and no publicly disclosed pricing. Distribution is exclusively direct enterprise field sales with no intermediary channels.

Following a management buyout in June 2023, the company is owned by its management team (Chairman Darren Broughton, Sales Director and co-owner Chris Marfleet) with no external private equity or venture capital involvement. The post-MBO period has been characterised by self-funded reinvestment including consecutive £1M machinery investments in 2020 and 2021, a Leicester facility acquisition in September 2024, a Unit 6 Omega Business Park acquisition in Grimsby in May 2026, a regional brand campaign including Grimsby Town FC front-of-shirt sponsorship from 2026-27, and expansion into the wind sector via the SWS partnership. The company was awarded Contractor of the Year 2025 by Tronox and a North East Lincolnshire Business Development Award in 2026.

Name

Blackrow Group

Legal name

Blackrow Engineering Co Limited

Website

https://blackrow.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Blackrow Group is a UK-based multi-discipline engineering and fabrication specialist serving food and beverage, chemicals, renewables, and oil and gas manufacturers with in-house design, fabrication, installation, and site services delivered from its 14,000sqm Grimsby headquarters and Leicester facility.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Engineering & Fabrication Services

NAICS

Mining and Oil and Gas Field Machinery Manufacturing (33313), Oil and Gas Field Machinery and Equipment Manufacturing (333132), Food Product Machinery Manufacturing (333241), Power Boiler and Heat Exchanger Manufacturing (332410), Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing (33331)

SIC

General Industrial Machinery & Equipment (3560), General Industrial Machinery & Equipment, Nec (3569), Oil & Gas Field Machinery & Equipment (3533), Electrical Industrial Apparatus (3620), Construction, Mining & Materials Handling Machinery & Equip (3530)

akta.pro primary industry

Construction Management & Delivery (EPCM/CMAR/Design-Build Oversight) (EUANALAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Oilfield Equipment Manufacturing & Supply (Wellheads, BOPs, Surface Equipment) (EUALABAL), OCTG, Line Pipe & Tubular Services (Supply, Inspection, Threading) (EUALABAN)

Keywords

• Industrial engineering services
• Fabrication services
• Process engineering
• Mechanical engineering
• Structural steel fabrication

Headquarters

HQ city

Grimsby

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Engineering and Fabrication Services: Project-based engineering services encompassing design, fabrication, installation, and commissioning. Revenue is generated through lump-sum contracts, time-and-materials arrangements, and milestone-based billing for large-scale industrial projects. The company delivers complete project solutions from concept through handover.
2. Site Services and Maintenance: Ongoing site services including planned maintenance, reactive support, and installation services for existing industrial clients.
3. Product Manufacturing: Manufacturing of bespoke products including conveyor systems, control panels, tanks and vessels, and gantry/mezzanine/platform structures.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Blackrow Group delivers complete engineering, fabrication, and site services for industrial manufacturers across the UK, covering food and beverage, chemicals, renewables, and oil and gas sectors. The offering spans four core manufactured products (control panels, tanks and vessels, gantries/mezzanines/platforms, and conveyor systems) supported by an integrated suite of in-house capabilities including engineering design, machining, mechanical and electrical engineering, structural fabrication, pipework, laser cutting, and project management. With over 45 years of experience and a 14,000sqm Grimsby facility, the company provides single-source project delivery from concept through commissioning.

Product overview

Blackrow Group delivers complete engineering, fabrication, and site services as a unified offering rather than a modular platform. The core product portfolio consists of four main manufactured products: Control Panels (industrial automation and control systems), Tanks & Vessels (bespoke process vessels), Gantry/Mezzanine/Platform Manufacture (structural steel structures), and Conveyor Systems. These manufactured products are supported by an integrated suite of twenty service capabilities including engineering design, sheet metal fabrication, machining, mechanical and electrical engineering, structural fabrication, pipework, laser cutting, paintshop, thermal insulation, scaffolding, project management, installation/decommissioning, and site services support. This multi-discipline in-house approach enables single-source accountability from design through to commissioning, with all manufacturing conducted at the company's 14,000sqm Grimsby facility and Midlands operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Control Panels Bespoke industrial control panels and automation systems for manufacturing and industrial applications, including PLC programming, motor control centres, variable speed drive panels, and full automation systems. NICEIC accredited with 18th Edition compliance and BS EN 61439 certified panel builds.
• Tanks & Vessels Bespoke tanks and process vessels for industrial applications including storage tanks, process vessels, mixing vessels, fermentation vessels, reactors, and hygienic process vessels for food, pharmaceutical, and chemical sectors. Designs comply with BS5500, ASME, and EN 13445 standards.
• Gantry, Mezzanine & Platform Manufacture Custom fabrication and installation of gantries, mezzanine platforms, equipment support frames, access steps, cat ladders, and access platforms for industrial environments. Full BS EN 1090 accreditation for Structural Steel.
• Conveyor Systems Custom conveyor systems for industrial and manufacturing applications, designed and installed as part of complete engineering solutions.
• Project Management Service Dedicated project management services with a structured framework developed over 35 years for delivering complex engineering projects from turn-key solutions to smaller installations.
• Engineering Design Service In-house engineering design capabilities using advanced CAD software including SolidWorks and AutoCAD AEC Suite for project design and 3D scanning.
• Installation & Decommissioning Service Site installation and decommissioning services for industrial equipment and facilities.
• Site Services Support On-site engineering support services for planned maintenance and reactive site support for existing industrial clients.

Quantifiable outcome

• Delivered £5.5m bakery project in DRC producing 1.5+ million loaves per day with 45+ personnel on-site
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Specialist Wind Services (SWS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 February 2026Strategic partnership between SWS and Blackrow Group announced February 2026. Brings together operational excellence and engineering precision to deliver complete, end-to-end solutions for the onshore and offshore wind industry. Partnership rooted in the Humber region, UKs Energy Estuate, leveraging local strength and capabilities.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/blackrowgroup
• Facebookfacebook.com/blackrowgroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/blackrow-group
• Instagraminstagram.com/blackrow_group

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Blackrow Group