Somers Forge Ltd

What Somers Forge Ltd does

Somers Forge Limited is a privately held UK family-run open die forging manufacturer, founded in 1866 with roots to 1697 at Lye Forge, and operated today under the Folkes Holding Group by the Folkes family. Its single-site Halesowen, West Midlands facility operates a varied range of forging presses and hammers capable of producing components from 1 kilogram to over 80 tonnes, with lengths up to 23 metres, supported by in-house heat treatment (annealing, normalising, quenching, tempering, stress relieving, post-weld heat treatment), CNC and conventional machining including Europe's largest horizontal deep hole borer, an in-house test laboratory, and a steel stockholding subsidiary (Somers Steelstock). The A&B Richardson Engineering subsidiary, acquired in May 2022, adds tool, die, and CNC machining capacity from Oldbury following a £4 million new facility opened in January 2025.

The company's revenue model is overwhelmingly project-based and bespoke: each forging is engineered and quoted to customer specification across defence (UK MOD supplier since 1912), marine (over 15 global navies, including the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier programme), power generation, nuclear (Fit For Nuclear certified), oil and gas (Achilles FPAL approved), aerospace (AS9100D-certified titanium forgings), mining, rail, paper, food processing, and general engineering. Pricing is quote-based per order, with payment terms of 30 days from invoice (pro forma for first-time accounts). The S.O.S. Express Service introduces a premium rapid-turnaround tier (5-day unmachined, 10-day machined). Other revenue streams include hire work and subcontract forging/heat treatment/machining services for third-party manufacturers, branded die steel sales (Electem No.5 / DIN 1.2713, Somdie / DIN 1.2714), and the proprietary Somplas GRP marine coating.

Go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales led by Sales Director Jon Warr, supported by defence procurement frameworks (including the MaST framework up to £850 million over seven years and Dreadnought Alliance supply chain participation), visits from senior government and naval officials, earned media exposure (BBC, ITV, Sky News, CNBC), site tours of the manufacturing facility, and selective industry event participation. Customer concentration is anchored by defence and naval programmes (UK MOD, Royal Navy, BAE Systems — Zero Defect Award 2023), with the US market served from a Westland, Michigan office (Somers Steel USA). The company is the largest employer in Halesowen, runs a four-year apprenticeship programme, and lists no public pricing — all commercial activity is negotiated per specification.

Name

Somers Forge Ltd

Legal name

Somers Forge Limited

Website

https://somersforge.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1866

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Somers Forge is a UK-based open die forging manufacturer producing custom forged components from 1kg to 80+ tonnes for defence, marine, nuclear, oil & gas, aerospace, and power generation industries, offering in-house forging, heat treatment, machining, and testing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Open Die Forging Services

NAICS

Forging and Stamping (3321), Iron and Steel Forging (332111), Special Die and Tool, Die Set, Jig, and Fixture Manufacturing (333514)

SIC

Metal Forgings & Stampings (3460), Miscellaneous Fabricated Metal Products (3490)

akta.pro primary industry

Sheet Metal, Stamping & Presswork (EDAOAGAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Metal Forming & Fabrication Machines (Presses, Bending, Shearing, Stamping) (IMAHADAC), Tool & Die Making (EDAOAGAC), Welding, Joining & Soldering Equipment (Arc, Resistance, Friction, Brazing) (IMAHADAH)

Keywords

• Open die forging
• Forged steel components
• Heavy industrial forging
• Custom metal forging
• Heat treatment services

Headquarters

HQ city

Westland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Open Die Forgings: Somers Forge manufactures bespoke open die forgings from 1kg to 80+ tonnes in weight, with lengths up to 23 metres. Products are sold directly to enterprise buyers in critical industries (defence, marine, nuclear, oil & gas, aerospace, power generation). Each order is custom to customer specification; revenue is one-time per contract with no recurring subscription. Payment terms are 30 days from invoice (per terms and conditions).
2. Hire Work / Subcontract Forging, Heat Treatment & Machining: Somers offers hire work forging (ingot conversion for mill producers), subcontract heat treatment (annealing, normalising, hydrogen diffusion, tempering, water/oil quenching, stress relieving, post weld heat treatment), and subcontract machining (vertical boring, horizontal deep hole boring, milling, turning, drilling, sawing, honing, balancing). Materials from 1kg to 100 tonnes. This represents a separate revenue stream from third-party manufacturers who lack in-house capabilities.
3. S.O.S. Express Service: Express/manufacturing service with commitment to fast-track manufacturing, testing and next-day delivery. Targets urgent breakdowns (e.g., oil rigs) or customers let down by other manufacturers. Includes 5-day unmachined forging and 10-day machined forging options. Payment terms are 30 days from date of invoice to approved accounts; first-time accounts on pro forma basis only.
4. Steel Stockholding (Somers Steelstock): Somers Steelstock stocks and sells steel bar stock, die steels, tool steels, and branded steels (Electem, Somdie, Thermodie, Somtherm). Stocks large diameter forged bars (310mm to 1015mm). Provides next-day delivery and value-added services including sawing, heat treatment, and finishing. Revenue from steel stock sales, primarily in West Midlands region.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Somers Forge Ltd produces large, custom-engineered open die forged steel components for heavy industrial applications. Its offering integrates forging, heat treatment, machining and metallurgical testing under one facility to deliver finished forged parts used in defence, marine, nuclear, oil & gas, aerospace and power generation equipment.

Product overview

Somers Forge Ltd is a world-leading open die forging company offering a complete, integrated manufacturing solution. The core offering consists of four main service lines: Forging (open die forging from 1kg to 80+ tonnes with heavy and light forge operations), Heat Treatment (annealing, normalising, quenching, tempering, stress relieving up to 23 metres), Machining (CNC and conventional with Europe's largest horizontal deep hole borer), and Testing (in-house destructive and non-destructive testing). These are supported by rapid Express/S.O.S. Services (10-day machined, 5-day unmachined forgings), hirework/subcontract services, and the Somers Steelstock steel stockholding division. The company also operates A&B Richardson Engineering as an acquired subsidiary (tool and die manufacturing). Specialty products include naval/defence forgings, marine propulsion systems with proprietary Somplas GRP coating, aerospace titanium forgings, branded die steels (Electem No.5, Somdie), forged flanges, rotor shafts, and stainless steel/duplex forgings. All capabilities are housed at the UK headquarters in Halesowen with a US office in Michigan.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Somers Steelstock: Steel stockholding division offering forged bar stock in diameters from 310mm to 1015mm, die steels, and tool steels since 1971.
• Somplas
• Somers Optimal Service (S.O.S)

Products and services

• Open Die Forging Custom production of large open die forged steel components for defence, marine, nuclear, oil & gas, aerospace and power generation customers. Each forging is engineered to customer specification in material grade, weight and geometry.
• Ring Rolling Ring-rolled forged components for industrial applications including bearings, flanges and gear blanks used in heavy industry.
• Heat Treatment Services Heat treatment of forged steel components to achieve specified mechanical properties, conducted in-house as part of the integrated manufacturing process.
• CNC Machining CNC machining of forged components to deliver near-net or finished-shape parts, reducing the need for customers to source machining separately.
• Metallurgical Testing and Inspection In-house metallurgical testing, material analysis and inspection services to verify forged products meet customer specifications and required industry certifications.

Quantifiable outcome

• Propulsion shaft refurbishment returns shafts to 'new' condition, lasting an additional 12 years depending on water environment
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments12 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• A&B Richardson EngineeringcoreOthers · 25 May 2022Somers Forge acquired A&B Richardson Engineering in May 2022. The company continues to operate under the A&B Richardson Engineering name as a leading tool and die manufacturer based in Oldbury. The acquisition tripled Somers Forge's CNC machining capacity. In 2025, A&B Richardson opened a new £4 million facility equipped with state-of-the-art CNC machinery for producing the UK's largest dies and critical machined components for defence and aerospace industries. Andy Richardson, Managing Director of A&B Richardson Engineering, started the business 20 years ago in a 500 sq. ft. unit.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Bharat Forge: One of the world's largest forging groups (India-headquartered) producing open die, closed die and ring-rolled forgings across automotive, aerospace, defence, oil & gas and power — comparable on process breadth and end-market overlap with Somers' defence/aerospace/oil & gas segments.
• Sheffield Forgemasters: UK-based open die forging specialist supplying defence, civil nuclear and power generation — the closest direct peer in geography, process and end markets, including nuclear-grade large forgings and submarine programme work.
• Scot Forge: US-headquartered open and ring-rolled forging company producing custom forged components from a few pounds to over 300,000 lbs — directly comparable on open die forging capability, custom-heavy order book, and broad industrial/defence customer mix.
• Doncasters Group: Global precision castings and forgings supplier to aerospace, defence, industrial gas turbine and oil & gas — comparable in offering high-integrity forged and machined components into AS9100/NADCAP-quality end markets.
• Aubert & Duval: French specialist in high-performance steels, superalloys, and open die/forged parts for aerospace, defence, energy and nuclear — overlapping on large forged aerospace and nuclear components with similar certification requirements.
• Leistritz Advanced Technologies: German manufacturer of open die forgings, ring rolled products and precision machined components for aerospace, energy, marine and oil & gas — comparable on custom heavy forging, machining integration, and certified industrial-grade output.
• Ellwood Group: US specialty steelmaker and open die forger serving aerospace, defence, oil & gas, and power generation — comparable on large forged components, in-house steelmaking, and integrated heat treatment/testing capability.
• Forgital Group: Italian producer of rolled and forged rings, open die forgings and finished machined components for aerospace, defence, marine and industrial markets — comparable on custom heavy forging for certified, regulated end uses.

Broad incumbents

• Bodycote: Global leader in heat treatment and metal joining services with a much larger footprint — overlapping with Somers' heat treatment and weld cladding revenue line, though broader and not specialised in open die forging.
• Wallwork Heat Treatment: UK-based commercial heat treatment and metal processing provider (vacuum, nitriding, brazing) — directly comparable to Somers' subcontract heat treatment offering and adjacent to its forging/heat-treatment integrated model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SomersForge/?ref=br_rs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/somers-forge-ltd
• Instagraminstagram.com/somersforge

Compliance15 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Somers Forge Ltd