What CSE does

CSE (Cheshire Specialist Engineering Ltd.) is a UK-based precision sheet metal fabrication company headquartered in a 15,000 sq ft facility in Stockport, near the M6 motorway. Founded in the 1970s, the company produces custom-engineered metal parts, frames, enclosures, and assemblies in mild steel, stainless steel, and aluminium, serving scientific instrumentation (notably mass spectrometry), medical, electronics, robotics, power testing, and increasingly defence customers. Its technical capability rests on an LVD 4KW laser cutter, two HRB Amada 3-metre 100-ton press brakes, six MIG/TIG welding bays, two in-house powder coating booths, and a dedicated clean assembly room, all supported by MIETrak Pro production management software.

CSE operates a sales-led, quote-based B2B model with no standardised public pricing, no online purchasing, and no disclosed subscription or recurring-revenue mechanics. Revenue is generated through project-by-project fabrication and assembly work scoped to customer specifications. The company is privately held by Directors Rick Roberts and Steve Evans, with no external investors, no funding rounds, and no M&A activity disclosed. Its marketing is content-driven through case studies and industry news, supplemented by direct phone and email enquiry channels, and reinforced by sector credentials including ISO 9001:2015 (held 10+ years), JOSCAR, and Cyber Essentials, which together position the business to compete in the UK defence and high-assurance supply chain.

Name

CSE

Legal name

CSE Ltd.

Website

https://cseng.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CSE is a UK precision sheet metal fabricator producing custom parts, frames, and assemblies for scientific instrumentation, medical, electronics, power testing, and defence customers. It operates from a single Stockport facility using CNC laser cutting, press braking, welding, powder coating, and mechanical assembly, on a project-based B2B model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Precision Sheet Metal Fabrication

NAICS

Plate Work and Fabricated Structural Product Manufacturing (33231)

SIC

Sheet Metal Work (3444)

akta.pro primary industry

Structural Steel Fabrication (IMADACAA)

Keywords

• Precision sheet metal fabrication
• Laser cutting services
• CNC press brake forming
• MIG TIG welding services
• Powder coating finishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Stockport

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Precision Sheet Metal Fabrication: One-time project-based custom fabrication of sheet metal parts, frames, and enclosures to customer specifications. Revenue generated through individual project quotes based on complexity, materials (mild steel, aluminium, stainless steel), and volume requirements.
2. Mechanical Assembly Services: Complete mechanical assembly of fabricated components, including bespoke assembly room services for customers requiring clean, unpolluted assembly environments for complex units.
3. Powder Coating Finishing: In-house powder coating services providing corrosion protection and aesthetic finishes as part of the complete fabrication service offering.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CSE is a specialist supplier of precision-engineered sheet metal parts, fabricated frames, enclosures, and assemblies produced from mild steel, stainless steel, and aluminium. Work is delivered through in-house capabilities spanning laser cutting, CNC press brake folding, MIG and TIG welding, powder coating, metal finishing, and mechanical assembly, serving sectors such as scientific instrumentation, medical, defence, electronics, robotics, power testing, and food industry. Projects are managed from design consultation through to finished, ready-to-install product.

Product overview

CSE (Cheshire Specialist Engineering) is a specialist precision sheet metal fabrication company offering a comprehensive suite of manufacturing services. The core offering consists of precision sheet metal fabrication using mild steel, aluminium, and stainless steel, supported by integrated capabilities including laser cutting (LVD 4KW), metal folding (HRB Amada Press Brakes), welding (MIG/TIG), powder coating (in-house booths), and mechanical assembly. The company operates as a single unified service offering, guiding customers from concept design through manufacturing advice to finished products, delivering bespoke engineered solutions for scientific, medical, electronics, power, and defence sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Precision laser cutting: 20mm mild steel, 12mm stainless steel, 10mm aluminium capability
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• MAKE UKcoreOthers · 1 July 2025CSE officially became a member of MAKE UK, joining a powerful network of manufacturers committed to excellence, resilience, and sustainable growth. This membership allows CSE to share knowledge, engage in national conversations, and remain at the forefront of policy and best practice in UK manufacturing.
• MAKE UK DefencecoreOthers · 1 July 2025CSE joined MAKE UK Defence to strengthen its presence in the defence sector. Membership provides access to networks of defence manufacturers and keeps CSE updated with the latest policy changes and recommendations as UK defence spending increases.
• JOSCAR (Joint Supply Chain Accreditation Register)coreOthers · 24 June 2025CSE achieved JOSCAR registration, demonstrating capabilities, credibility, and compliance as a trusted supplier to the defence sector. JOSCAR is a highly respected accreditation system used by the UK's leading defence, aerospace, and security organisations to streamline supplier assurance.
• Cyber EssentialscoreOthers · 24 June 2025CSE achieved Cyber Essentials certification, a UK Government-backed scheme providing certification for companies equipped to meet cybersecurity requirements of high-assurance sectors such as defence. The standard ensures fundamental security controls guard against common cyber threats.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• WEC Group: WEC Group is one of the UK's largest steel and metal fabrication groups (laser cutting, press brake, welding, powder coating, assembly) serving construction, architectural, and industrial markets. It is a broad incumbent that overlaps with CSE's full-stack precision sheet metal offering but at significantly larger scale and broader end-market exposure rather than CSE's scientific/defence niche.

Direct peers

• Stainless Metalcraft: Stainless Metalcraft is a UK-based precision sheet metal fabricator offering laser cutting, forming, and finishing for demanding sectors including rail, scientific, and industrial OEMs. It mirrors CSE's full-stack precision offering and quality accreditations (ISO 9001) at comparable scale.
• Catley Engineering: Catley Engineering is a Manchester-area precision sheet metal fabricator offering laser cutting, bending, welding and finishing services to scientific and industrial customers. Geographic proximity and near-identical service mix make it one of the closest direct competitors to CSE in the North West UK market.
• Barnshaw Metal Bending: Barnshaw Metal Bending is a UK specialist in heavy-section and precision press brake/forming services, supplying fabrications to construction, transport, and industrial OEMs. It is comparable to CSE in the precision metal forming space but skews toward heavier-gauge structural work rather than enclosures for scientific instruments.
• Qualitetch: Qualitetch is a UK precision sheet metal fabricator offering laser cutting, CNC bending, welding, and finishing services to electronics, medical, and industrial customers. Like CSE, it competes on precision tolerances and bespoke low-to-medium volume runs with similar equipment, business model, and customer base.
• SHAD Manufacturing: SHAD Manufacturing is a UK precision sheet metal fabricator supplying laser-cut, bent, welded, and powder-coated components to demanding industrial sectors including medical and electronics. It closely matches CSE's customer profile of mid-volume, tight-tolerance work across multiple regulated verticals.
• MGB Engineering: MGB Engineering is a UK precision sheet metal and fabrication specialist serving defence, rail, aerospace, and industrial OEMs with laser cutting, welding, and assembly capabilities. It is a direct comparable to CSE, especially in defence accreditation (JOSCAR registered) and value-added assembly for high-spec sectors.

Regional players

• Hydro Technologies (HCL Group): Hydro Group is a UK-based manufacturer of underwater cable and connector systems with extensive in-house precision sheet metal fabrication and assembly capabilities serving defence, oil & gas, and scientific customers. Overlap with CSE is structural (fabrication-for-OEM model, defence exposure) rather than head-to-head product competition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cse_ltd

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 CSE