What William Hare Ltd does

William Hare Limited is a UK-headquartered, family-owned engineered steel solutions business that designs, fabricates, treats, and erects structural steelwork for iconic buildings and major industrial complexes. Founded in 1945 and headquartered in Bury, Greater Manchester, the Group operates five fabrication facilities across the UK (Bury, Risca, Rotherham, Scarborough, and Wetherby) with additional capacity at Grantham (treatment) and a dedicated Abu Dhabi fabrication facility in the UAE. Production capacity is reported at over 165,000 metric tonnes per annum, and projects have been executed in 50+ countries with regional offices in India (Chennai), Portugal, Singapore, and South Korea.

The company's core offering spans end-to-end structural steel delivery, beginning with early-stage design engagement alongside architects, engineers, and main contractors and progressing through in-house engineering (structural design, 2/3/4D modelling, fire engineering, temporary works, and finite element analysis), automated fabrication (high-speed drill lines, plasma cutters, PeddiWriters, the Scarborough facility's UK-first fabrication robot and Europe's first robotic welding line), surface treatment, and on-site erection. William Hare was the first UK steelwork contractor to achieve BIM Level 2 Certification and the first UK fabricator to achieve ISO 14064-1 Carbon Zero certification, with Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) validated emissions-reduction targets and a 33.78% absolute Scope 1&2 reduction since 2010. The product surface is extended through four wholly-owned sub-brands: Cellbeam (cellular beams and plate girders), Cellshield (edge protection systems), Hybrid Structures (CLT, glulam, and timber-steel hybrid construction), and Richard Lees Decking (floor deck profiles, acquired 2013).

The business model is project-based enterprise contracting: revenue is generated through tenders and design partnerships with major developers (British Land, GPE, GIC), main contractors (Sir Robert McAlpine, Mace, Skanska), and government-backed infrastructure clients (EDF for Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C). Customer concentration spans commercial real estate (8 Bishopsgate, 100 Liverpool Street, Broadgate, 2 Finsbury Avenue), finance (21 Moorfields for Deutsche Bank, Bloomberg HQ, Clifford Chance tenancy), data centres (Telehouse West), nuclear (Hinkley Point C, Sizewell C), cultural and sporting venues (Bloomberg HQ, Aviva Studios), and mid-ticket schemes such as Maggie's at The Royal Free. The Group employs approximately 2,000 people worldwide and reports turnover of approximately £300 million.

Name

William Hare Ltd

Legal name

William Hare Limited

Website

https://hare.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1945

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

William Hare Limited is a UK-based, family-owned engineered steel solutions company designing, fabricating, and erecting structural steelwork for landmark commercial, nuclear, data-centre, and infrastructure projects worldwide. The Group operates five UK fabrication facilities with 165,000+ metric tonnes annual capacity, serving developers and main contractors globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Structural Steel Fabrication

NAICS

Fabricated Structural Metal Manufacturing (332312), Plate Work and Fabricated Structural Product Manufacturing (33231), Plate Work Manufacturing (332313), Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel (3312), Ornamental and Architectural Metal Products Manufacturing (33232)

SIC

Fabricated Structural Metal Products (3440), Prefabricated Metal Buildings & Components (3448), Miscellaneous Fabricated Metal Products (3490)

akta.pro primary industry

Structural Steel Fabrication (IMADACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Steel Plate, Sections & Welded Assemblies (IMADACAD), Steelwork & Fabrication Facilities (Plate/Section Processing, Welding Lines) (IMAJALAH), Architectural & Miscellaneous Metals (Stairs, Railings, Ladders) (IMADACAE)

Keywords

• Structural steel fabrication
• Steel construction services
• Nuclear steel fabrication
• Commercial steel structures
• Engineered steel solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices15 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Structural Steel Fabrication and Erection: One-time project-based fees for the design, fabrication, and construction of structural steelwork for major construction projects. Revenue is generated through contracts with developers, main contractors, and government entities for iconic landmark buildings and industrial complexes worldwide.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

William Hare Ltd designs, fabricates, and erects structural steelwork for iconic commercial buildings, nuclear facilities, power stations, data centres, and industrial complexes worldwide. The group operates five fabrication facilities with an annual production capacity exceeding 165,000 metric tonnes, complemented by specialist sub-brands producing cellular beams, edge protection systems, hybrid timber-steel structures, and floor decking products.

Product overview

William Hare Ltd operates as a global engineering steel solutions company with a multi-brand portfolio. The core offering is structural steel fabrication and erection services under the William Hare brand, producing over 165,000 metric tonnes annually across 5 UK fabrication facilities. The group is complemented by four specialist sub-brands: Cellbeam (cellular beams and plate girders), Cellshield (edge protection systems), Hybrid Structures (timber-steel hybrid construction combining CLT, glulam, and steel), and Richard Lees Decking (structural floor deck profiles). Together these brands provide comprehensive engineered steel solutions spanning design, fabrication, treatment, and construction for projects across energy, sports, leisure, arts, mining, infrastructure, nuclear, commercial, power, retail, and data centre sectors worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cellbeam: Fabricates the full range of Fabsec cellular beams and bespoke products including welded plate girders, cellular steel beams, asymmetrical steel beams, box sections and tees.
• Cellshield
• Hybrid Structures
• Richard Lees Decking

Products and services

• William Hare Structural Steelwork

Quantifiable outcome

• Achieved Carbon Zero certification as the UK's first steelwork fabricator to do so (ISO 14064-1)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Supply Chain Sustainability SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025William Hare was awarded Gold Membership status by the Supply Chain Sustainability School in recognition of its commitment to sustainable practices across operations and supply chain. The partnership provides access to training resources, webinars, workshops, and events supporting environmental and social sustainability.
• The 5% ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025William Hare holds Platinum Membership of The 5% Club – the only structural steelwork company to hold this accreditation. The 5% Club is a network of over 1,000 organisations committed to having 5% of their workforce in earn-and-learn positions. William Hare achieved its third consecutive Platinum year in 2025 with 7.3% of staff in apprenticeship roles.
• SteelZerocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2021William Hare became a formal signatory of SteelZero in October 2021, having been a founder participant. SteelZero is a global initiative bringing together stakeholders to accelerate the transition to low-carbon, responsible steel in construction.
• Achilles InformationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2020William Hare has partnered with Achilles Information through the Achilles Carbon Reduce Programme since 2010 for measuring, managing, and reducing its carbon footprint. Achilles certified William Hare as the UK's first fabricator to achieve ISO 14064-1 Carbon Zero certification. The partnership supports William Hare's journey toward Net Zero and SBTi target validation.
• Woodland TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWilliam Hare is a longstanding supporter of the Woodland Trust, investing in their drive to see a UK rich in woods and trees and local biodiversity. This partnership supports carbon offsetting alongside the company's Carbon Zero certification.
• Build UKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWilliam Hare is a member of Build UK and participates in the Open Doors programme, showing young people behind-the-scenes access to construction careers. The partnership supports workforce development and industry-wide skills initiatives.
• British Constructional Steelwork Association (BCSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWilliam Hare is a proud member of the British Constructional Steelwork Association, the trade body representing the UK and Irish structural steel sector for over a century. Jonathan Davis chairs the BCSA Re-use Committee focused on safe reuse of structural steelwork.
• STEM Ambassador NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWilliam Hare has 20 STEM Ambassadors engaging with schools and colleges to promote careers in engineering and manufacturing, attending over 80 events in the last 3 years as part of the company's early careers outreach.
• British SteelminorOthersWilliam Hare employees visited British Steel's Scunthorpe facility, which produces around 3 million tonnes of quality steel products every year. The visit enhanced attendees' knowledge of the steel manufacturing process and deck/flooring creation.
• Tata Steel UKminorOthersWilliam Hare employees visited Tata Steel's Port Talbot facility – the largest steelworks in the UK. The visit included insight into Tata Steel's transition to greener production methods via a new electric arc furnace, supporting William Hare's low-carbon steel procurement strategy.
• Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWilliam Hare's near-term science-based emissions reduction targets were validated by the SBTi in October 2022. The company commits to reducing absolute Scope 1&2 and Scope 3 GHG emissions by 50.4% by 2032 from a 2021 base year.
• Armed Forces CovenantminorOthersWilliam Hare signed the Armed Forces Covenant, pledging to support Service personnel, veterans, and military families through employment opportunities, guaranteed job interviews for service leavers, and work placements. The company works with Career Transition Partnership (CTP) and Ministry of Defence CTP online portal.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Severfield: UK-listed structural steel fabricator serving commercial, industrial, and infrastructure projects; directly comparable in product offering, customer base (developers, main contractors), and project-tendering model across the UK market.
• Cleveland Bridge: UK-based structural steelwork and bridge engineering specialist with similar project-based fabrication and erection capability on landmark commercial and infrastructure schemes.
• Rowecord Engineering: Welsh-headquartered structural steel fabricator delivering building, industrial, and bridge projects; overlaps with William Hare in UK fabrication capacity and project-tender competition.
• Dorman Long Technology: UK structural steel contractor delivering complex fabricated steelwork for bridges, buildings, and heavy industrial applications; comparable in tonnage capacity and project engineering scope.
• WEC Group: UK-based steel fabrication group covering structural, architectural, and miscellaneous metalwork; comparable in fabrication services, geographic UK footprint, and project-based B2B delivery model.
• Haskel Steel: Mid-sized UK structural steelwork contractor serving similar commercial and industrial building markets via project tendering and fabrication services.

Broad incumbents

• voestalpine Steel Construction: Austrian-domiciled steel producer and engineering business with structural steel and fabricated components divisions; broader portfolio than William Hare but overlapping in structural steelwork for large buildings and industrial facilities.
• Tata Steel UK: UK's largest steelmaker producing structural sections and plate; operates upstream of William Hare but increasingly expanding into low-carbon fabricated products that may compete with downstream fabricators.
• British Steel: Major UK-based steel producer supplying sections and plates; currently upstream supplier to William Hare but historically involved in downstream fabrication and bridge construction.
• Skanska UK: Main contractor with in-house steelwork and structural capabilities on selected schemes; competes as principal contractor on many projects where William Hare serves as specialist subcontractor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/_williamhare
• Facebookfacebook.com/WilliamHareGroupLtd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/william-hare-group-ltd
• Instagraminstagram.com/williamharegroup

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries4 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 William Hare Ltd