Woodcock & Wilson

What Woodcock & Wilson does

Woodcock & Wilson Limited is a UK-based specialist manufacturer of bespoke industrial centrifugal and axial fans, founded in 1973 and headquartered at Airstream Works in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. The company designs, manufactures, supplies, and services fans for hazardous-area and safety-critical applications across nuclear, oil & gas, chemical, marine, power generation, and automotive industries, and is the world's first and only fan manufacturer to hold independent third-party certification across ATEX, IECEx, and UKEX standards for complete fan assemblies — including the world's first non-electrical IECEx certificate for centrifugal and axial fans. Its technology stack centres on bespoke fan engineering, in-house Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE) capabilities, EU 327/2011 efficiency compliance, and proprietary products such as the Ex-Stream portable ventilation fan range and the FanSafe Tag inspection management system.

Revenue is generated through three streams: bespoke industrial fan sales (project-by-project quoting per customer specification), fan servicing, maintenance, refurbishment and repairs (delivered via the wholly-owned subsidiary Complete Fan Maintenance Limited, acquired in 2015), and spare parts supply. Go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales supported by experienced sales engineers, with no reseller or distributor network; the company reaches customers through technical consultation, industry association engagement (SHAPA, Nuclear AMRC, National Nuclear Ventilation Forum), and standards-body participation (BSI, ISO, CEN). Named customers include Sellafield, EDF, AWE, Magnox, Rolls Royce, BAE Systems, Urenco, British Sugar, Harsco Metals & Minerals, Marathon Oil, and Tata Steel, alongside international projects in Eastern Europe and Australia via a channel partnership with Oceania Engineering Services. Ownership is private, with leadership consolidated through two management buyouts (2002, 2018), and the company has expanded its footprint through the 2019 585 Building expansion and 2022 Stores building addition at the Airstream Works site.

Name

Woodcock & Wilson

Legal name

Woodcock & Wilson Limited

Website

https://fanmanufacturers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Woodcock & Wilson is a UK-based, privately-held manufacturer founded in 1973 that designs, manufactures, supplies, and services bespoke industrial centrifugal and axial fans — the world's first and only holder of independent third-party ATEX, IECEx, and UKEX certification for complete fan assemblies, serving nuclear, oil & gas, chemical, marine, power generation, and automotive sectors globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Fan Manufacturing

NAICS

Industrial and Commercial Fan and Blower and Air Purification Equipment Manufacturing (333413)

SIC

Industrial & Commercial Fans & Blowers & Air Purifing Equip (3564)

akta.pro primary industry

Fans, Blowers & Ventilation Units (Supply/Exhaust/Inline) (IMADANAB)

Keywords

• Industrial process fans
• Hazardous area ventilation
• ATEX certified fans
• Centrifugal fan manufacturing
• Nuclear ventilation fans

Headquarters

HQ city

Huddersfield

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Bespoke Industrial Fan Sales: Woodcock & Wilson designs, manufactures, and supplies bespoke industrial fans (centrifugal, axial, bifurcated, mixed flow, plenum/plug, DIDW, forced/induced draft, woodwaste, IIC hydrogen, tank vent) to order. Each fan is tailored to the specific requirements of the customer's project, serving hazardous, nuclear, marine, power generation, chemical, automotive, and oil & gas applications. Revenue is generated on a project-by-project basis, with pricing quoted per unit based on specifications.
2. Fan Servicing, Maintenance & Repairs: The company offers comprehensive onsite fan servicing, inspection, refurbishment, and emergency repair services through its subsidiary Complete Fan Maintenance Ltd. Services include impeller balancing, vibration analysis, bearing replacement, drive belt replacement, coupling alignment, performance testing to BS 848, and LEV testing. Extended warranties (beyond standard 12 months) are also offered as an upsell.
3. Spare Parts: Supply of replacement parts for industrial fans, including bearings, drives, motors, and accessories. Parts can be manufactured at the factory in Huddersfield and fitted onsite to minimize customer downtime.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Woodcock & Wilson is a specialist manufacturer of industrial centrifugal and axial fans, designing, manufacturing, supplying and servicing bespoke process fans for hazardous area and safety-critical applications. The company produces fans certified to ATEX, IECEx and UKEX standards for use in explosive atmospheres, alongside specialist products for nuclear, oil & gas, chemical, marine, power generation and automotive industries, supported by on-site fan servicing, refurbishment, spare parts and performance testing.

Product overview

Woodcock & Wilson is a specialist manufacturer of industrial fans offering a comprehensive portfolio of centrifugal, axial, bifurcated, and mixed flow fans. Their product range includes specialized lines for hazardous area applications (ATEX, IECEx, UKEX certified), hydrogen environments, nuclear applications, and industrial process fans. The company provides both standard product lines and bespoke fan engineering, with key offerings including Ex-Stream portable ventilation fans, FanSafe Tag inspection systems, and tank vent fans. All fans are manufactured as bespoke units tailored to specific customer requirements, supported by comprehensive servicing, spares, and refurbishment services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Centrifugal Fans Industrial centrifugal fans designed for process applications in single and double inlet configurations, for general and hazardous area service.
• Axial Fans Industrial axial fans for ventilation and air movement applications across hazardous and non-hazardous environments.
• Ex-Stream Portable Ventilation Fan The world's first independently dual-certified IECEx/ATEX portable ventilation fan for confined space hazardous area applications, certified to both electrical and non-electrical standards, available in 4 standard sizes with air flow up to 30,000 m3/h.
• IIC Hydrogen Fan Specialised fan designed for hydrogen applications, independently certified to IIC standards for both ATEX and IECEx hazardous areas.
• ATEX Fans Hazardous area fans certified to ATEX Directive 2014/34/EU for use in potentially explosive atmospheres in the European Economic Area.
• IECEx Fans Globally certified fans independently tested and certified to IECEx standards for explosive atmospheres worldwide.
• UKEX Fans Third-party certified fans meeting UKCA requirements for hazardous area use within Great Britain.
• Tank Vent Fans Cost-effective centrifugal and pneumatic axial fans for introduction of fresh air and gas freeing of oil and chemical tanks, fully portable for multiple vessel use.
• Plug/Plenum Fans Plug and plenum fans designed for air handling and ventilation systems.
• Double Inlet Double Width (DIDW) Fans Double Inlet Double Width fans for high-volume air movement applications.
• Induced Draft Fans Fans designed for induced draft applications in power generation and industrial processes.
• Forced Draft Fans Forced draft fans for combustion air supply and industrial process applications.
• Bifurcated Fans Bifurcated fans with the motor external to the airstream, designed for high-temperature or contaminated air applications.
• Mixed Flow Fans Mixed flow fans combining characteristics of axial and centrifugal designs for efficient air movement.
• Woodwaste Fans Specialised fans designed for wood waste and biomass processing applications.
• FanSafe Tag Inspection Management System Portable fan tagging and inspection management system that tracks asset identification, inspection due dates, pre-use checklists and safe use indicators for hazardous area portable fans, with labels rated for -40°C to +90°C.
• Fan Servicing, Maintenance & Repairs (via Complete Fan Maintenance Ltd) On-site fan servicing, inspection, refurbishment and emergency repair services delivered through subsidiary Complete Fan Maintenance Ltd, covering impeller balancing, vibration analysis, bearing and drive replacement, coupling alignment, BS 848 performance testing, LEV testing, and extended warranty options.
• Fan Spare Parts Supply of replacement parts for industrial fans, including bearings, drives, motors and accessories, manufactured at the Huddersfield factory and fitted on-site to minimise customer downtime.
• Bespoke Industrial Fan Design and Manufacture Bespoke design and manufacture of industrial fans tailored to specific customer requirements, including exotic materials, special coatings and full hazardous area certification for nuclear, oil & gas, chemical, marine, power generation and automotive applications.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 50 years of continuous operation serving thousands of companies globally
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• British Standards Institution (BSI) — Committee EXL/23coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Scott Harding, Sales Director, was welcomed as a member of BSI Committee EXL/23 — Explosion and Fire Precautions in Industrial and Chemical Plant. The committee develops and refines standards that safeguard people, facilities, and equipment in industrial and chemical environments. BSI community comprises more than 13,000 committee members including industry experts, manufacturers, and stakeholders.
• Oceania Engineering Services (OES)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 5 June 2018Woodcock & Wilson partnered with OES, a heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and refrigeration specialist based in Australia. OES provides hazardous area expertise regarding IECEx, ATEX, and AusEx, delivering equipment and solutions for project phases from inception through to operation and decommissioning. Services include service and maintenance, hookup and commissioning, site surveys, engineering and project management. OES has been awarded ongoing specialist service and maintenance works on Shell Prelude FLNG (world's largest offshore facility).
• Complete Fan Maintenance Limited (CFM)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Complete Fan Maintenance Ltd, a respected fan and air handling unit servicing and refurbishment company established in 1987 (originating from Matthews & Yates Cyclone works), was acquired and joined the Woodcock & Wilson group. CFM brings on-site troubleshooting expertise, backup service capabilities, routine maintenance, repair, equipment refurbishment, condition monitoring, diagnostics, site balancing, energy audits, and LEV testing. Both companies maintain individual identities while drawing on each other's expertise.
• Nuclear AMRC (Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Nuclear AMRC on the F4H2 (Fit for Hydrogen) and CCUS (Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage) programme. The Nuclear AMRC provided invaluable insights into the hydrogen economy and positioned Woodcock & Wilson as pioneers of innovation in manufacturing. Assessment against F4H2 and F4CCUS standards proved the company's capabilities for hydrogen production and carbon capture markets.
• Zero Carbon Humber PartnershipminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWoodcock & Wilson is a proud member of the Zero Carbon Humber Partnership, contributing to the transformation of the Humber region into the world's first net-zero industrial region by 2040. Partnership supports the company's positioning in hydrogen and carbon capture markets.
• ISO/TC 67/SC 6/WG 11 — Petroleum and Natural Gas Industries: HVACcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScott Harding serves as a committee member for ISO/TC 67/SC 6/WG 11 focusing on HVAC standards for offshore production installations in the petroleum and natural gas industries.
• CEN/TC 305/WG 02 — Potentially Explosive AtmospherescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScott Harding serves on CEN TC305 WG02 focusing on explosion prevention and protection standards (EN14986) in potentially explosive atmospheres.
• National Nuclear Ventilation Forum (NNVF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWoodcock & Wilson is an active contributor to the NNVF, collaborating with UK nuclear licensee companies, supply chain partners, and ventilation plant manufacturers to drive innovation and maintain high standards in the nuclear sector.
• CEN TC305 / WG02 (Equipment for use in potentially explosive atmospheres)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharles Halstead, Engineering Manager, is a recognized member of CEN TC305/WG02, the committee responsible for drafting international ATEX fan specifications. He is also involved in the EcoDesign Directive relating to ErP (Energy related Products) set out by the European Union.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/woodcockwilson
• Facebookfacebook.com/woodcockwilson

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Woodcock & Wilson