WEC

Contract Metal Fabrication and Manufacturingwec-group.com

WEC Group is a UK-based engineering and fabrication company operating 15 manufacturing divisions across 760,000 sq ft, providing laser cutting, CNC machining, fabrication, welding, and finishing services to aerospace, defence, nuclear, rail, oil & gas, and automotive sectors.

Company typePrivate
Founded1979
HeadquartersDarwen, United Kingdom
Headcount501–1,000
GTM typeB2B
OfferingHardware or Manufacturing

What WEC does

WEC Group Ltd is a privately held UK engineering and fabrication group founded in 1979 by Steve Hartley and Ross Place, headquartered in Darwen, Lancashire. The company operates 15 specialist manufacturing divisions across approximately 760,000 sq ft of floorspace at 10 sites in Lancashire, Merseyside, Yorkshire, Lanarkshire, the West Midlands, and Dorset, employing 1,100+ staff. WEC provides subcontract manufacturing services including laser cutting (flat bed, tube, and 3D bevel), CNC machining and large/heavy machining, waterjet cutting, plasma cutting, robotic and coded welding, fabrication, and in-house powder coating and finishing, serving end-markets such as aerospace and defence, nuclear, oil and gas, rail, automotive, mining, and the public sector.

The group's technology base centres on capital-intensive metalworking equipment, including TRUMPF 24kW fibre lasers capable of cutting mild and stainless steel up to 60mm thick and sheet sizes up to 6m x 2m, Correa Fox M and Correa Axia heavy machining centres with 20-tonne rotary tables supporting components up to 10 tonnes and 6m in length, Dynamic waterjet systems cutting any material up to 200-300mm thick, and 7-axis robotic TIG welding cells. WEC holds ISO 9001:2015, ISO 3834, and AS9100 certifications, and runs the WEC Engineering Academy, an in-house apprenticeship programme described as the only welding/fabrication training facility of its calibre in the UK, producing WorldSkills medal-winning apprentices.

WEC monetises through project-based, quote-priced contract manufacturing services, long-term specialist contracts with tier-1 OEMs in nuclear, defence, aerospace, rail, and oil and gas, and product sales (notably CCTV poles exported to the Middle East and Far East, rail structures, and street furniture). Go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales supplemented by trade show participation at Subcon, Southern Manufacturing, and LAMMA. The company has grown primarily through a serial acquisition strategy spanning 5750 Components (2008), Nutter Aircrafts (2010), SP Fabrications (2010), Sherburn Metalwork (2011), HTA Group (2014/2015), MTL Advanced (2016), and Laser Profiles (2024).

WEC firmographics

Firmographics

Name: WEC
Legal name: WEC Group Ltd
Website: https://www.wec-group.com
Company type: Private
Founded year: 1979
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 501–1,000 employees
Short description: WEC Group is a UK-based engineering and fabrication company operating 15 manufacturing divisions across 760,000 sq ft, providing laser cutting, CNC machining, fabrication, welding, and finishing services to aerospace, defence, nuclear, rail, oil & gas, and automotive sectors.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

WEC industry classification

Industry

Product category: Contract Metal Fabrication and Manufacturing
NAICS: Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing (33641), Other Aircraft Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336413), Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing (3363), Metal Coating, Engraving (except Jewelry and Silverware), and Allied Services to Manufacturers (332812)
SIC: Sheet Metal Work (3444), Aircraft & Parts (3720), General Industrial Machinery & Equipment, Nec (3569)
akta.pro primary industry: CNC Plasma/Laser Cutting & Automated Fabrication Training (EDAOADAH)
akta.pro secondary industries: CNC Machining & Programming (EDAOAGAA), Specialty Vehicle Body Manufacturing (Emergency/Military/Mobile Clinics) (IMACAGAD), Testing, Inspection, Certification & Commissioning (TICx) Technical Services (BPAHAIAL)

Keywords

Metal fabrication services
Laser cutting services
CNC machining services
Contract manufacturing engineering
Precision metal fabrication

Where WEC is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Darwen
HQ country: United Kingdom
HQ region: Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

WEC business model

Business model

GTM type: B2B
Offering type: Hardware or Manufacturing
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

Contract Manufacturing & Fabrication Services: Project-based fabrication, laser cutting, CNC machining, waterjet cutting, and powder coating services delivered as subcontract engineering. Revenue generated through per-project pricing based on complexity, materials, and volume.
Product Sales: Sale of manufactured products including CCTV poles, rail structures, street furniture, and workshop machinery
Specialist Manufacturing Contracts: Long-term contracts for sectors including nuclear, defence, automotive, and aerospace with ongoing revenue from major OEM and tier-1 supplier relationships

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Other	Pay-as-you-go	Custom fabrication and machining services

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

WEC product offering

Product offering

Core offering

WEC Group provides comprehensive subcontract engineering and metal fabrication services including laser cutting, waterjet cutting, CNC machining, coded and robotic welding, fabrication, and powder coating/finishing. The group also manufactures and sells finished products such as CCTV poles and camera mounting solutions, rail structures (signal gantries, footbridges, electrification equipment), and street furniture (seating, litter bins, shelters). Services are delivered through 15 specialist divisions serving aerospace, defence, nuclear, oil & gas, rail, automotive, and public sector customers.

Product overview

WEC Group is one of the UK's largest engineering and fabrication companies, operating a multi-divisional structure with 15 specialist manufacturing companies. The portfolio comprises core service divisions (WEC Fabrication, WEC Laser, WEC Machining, WEC Waterjet, WEC Plasma, WEC Powder Coating, WEC Nuclear, WEC CCTV, WEC Rail, WEC Aerospace) alongside subsidiary divisions (5750 Components, HTA Group, MTL Advanced, Sherburn Metalwork, Laser Profiles, DNA Metalwork, M-Tec Architectural, Goose Foot Street Furniture, Clarendon by WEC). Products include CCTV poles and camera mounting solutions, rail structures, and street furniture. The company offers end-to-end manufacturing services from laser cutting and waterjet cutting to CNC machining, coded welding, fabrication, and finishing (powder coating), serving industries including aerospace, defence, nuclear, oil and gas, rail, and automotive.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

WEC Fabrication Services Metal and alloy fabrication services ranging from small precision components to large industrial fabrications, including coded welding (TIG, MIG, ARC), robotic welding, and sheet metalwork, serving aerospace, defence, nuclear, and rail customers.
WEC Laser Cutting Services Laser cutting services including flat bed, tube, and sheet metalwork using TRUMPF fibre lasers up to 24kW power, capable of cutting mild and stainless steel up to 60mm thick and brass, copper and non-ferrous metals up to 6mm.
WEC Machining Services CNC machining services including CNC turning, CNC milling, and large/heavy machining using Correa, Haas, Mazak, and Miyano machines for components up to 10 tonnes weight and 6m length.
WEC Waterjet Cutting Services Waterjet cutting services capable of cutting any materials up to 300mm thick with 4m x 2m bed size, used for precision components and large fabrications across sectors.
WEC Powder Coating Services In-house powder coating and wet painting finishing services processing components up to 1500mm high, 3000mm long, and 800mm wide in any RAL colour.
CCTV Poles and Camera Mounting Solutions Manufactured CCTV camera mounting solutions including lattice towers, masts, and columns for surveillance and security applications, exporting to Middle East, North Africa, Kuwait, and Far East markets.
Rail Structures Rail industry products including signal structures, gantries, footbridges, electrification equipment, and rolling stock metalwork for Network Rail and European rail operators.
Street Furniture Products Commercial street furniture including seating, litter bins, and shelters supplied to UK local authorities through the Goose Foot Street Furniture division.
WEC Aerospace Manufacturing Services Aerospace manufacturing services including precision components and fabrications delivered under AS9100 certification for aerospace and defence customers.
WEC Nuclear Manufacturing Services Nuclear sector fabrication and manufacturing services including heavy engineering fabrications, pressure vessels, and nuclear-grade components under ISO 3834 and ISO 9001 quality standards.
Workshop Machinery (Clarendon by WEC) Workshop machinery products offered through the Clarendon by WEC subsidiary division.
Architectural Metalwork (M-Tec) Architectural metalwork fabrication including public art, sculptures, and street features for community and public sector projects.

Quantifiable outcome

Reduced lead times through in-house capabilities and state-of-the-art equipment
+2 more outcomes

Companies that use WEC

Customer profile

Named customers7 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

WEC technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

WEC partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

Laser Profiles LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2024WEC Group acquired Laser Profiles Ltd, a precision laser cutting firm based near Bournemouth, Dorset, as part of strategic expansion to enhance market presence in the South of England and strengthen technological capabilities. The acquisition adds laser cutting and sheet metal fabrication services to WEC Group's portfolio.
AWFTE (Association of Welding and Fabrication Training & Education)minorOthersWEC Welding & Engineering Training Academy became a member of AWFTE, gaining access to latest welding and fabrication methods, materials information, and national welding competition opportunities for apprentices.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

WEC competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Customer concentration

WEC compliance and trust

Trust signal

Compliance5 records

WEC financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

WEC leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

WEC subsidiaries and ownership

Company hierarchy

Subsidiaries13 records

WEC funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

WEC M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about WEC

What does WEC do?

Is WEC a public or private company?

WEC is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.

When was WEC founded?

WEC was founded in 1979. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.

Where is WEC based?

WEC is headquartered in Darwen, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.

How does WEC make money?

Three revenue lines are on record. Contract Manufacturing & Fabrication Services are the primary driver. The others are product Sales and specialist Manufacturing Contracts.

Does WEC have an API?

No public API is recorded for WEC.

What industry is WEC in?

WEC's product category is Contract Metal Fabrication and Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAOADAH, CNC Plasma/Laser Cutting & Automated Fabrication Training, with a secondary code of EDAOAGAA, CNC Machining & Programming. Its NAICS code is 33641 and its SIC code is 3444.