Lawton Tubes
Lawton Tubes is a 107-year-old, family-owned UK manufacturer and distributor of copper tubes, pipes, and fittings serving plumbing, air conditioning, medical gas, and industrial customers across 35+ countries, with FY2025 turnover of £230 million.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1918
- HeadquartersCoventry, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Lawton Tubes does
Lawton Tubes is a 107-year-old, family-owned UK manufacturer and distributor of copper tubes, pipes, and fittings headquartered in Coventry, with a secondary engineering manufacturing facility in Poole, Dorset, and an international presence in Dubai, UAE. The company serves four end-markets: plumbing, air conditioning and refrigeration (ACR), medical gas, and industrial/engineering applications, supplying products that comply with British and European standards including BS EN 1057, EN 13348, and EN 1254, and that carry BSI Kitemark, CE Marking, WRAS approval, ISO 9001, and ISO 14001 certifications. Its manufacturing capability spans seamless drawing, cutting, deburring, eddy current testing, cleaning, inkjet marking, and engraving, with specialized processes including medical-grade degreasing exceeding EN 13348 carbon-content thresholds and bespoke shaped-tube production for induction heating and distillation applications. The product portfolio of over 4,000 SKUs includes plumbing and ACR tubes, medical gas tubes, level wound coils, pancake coils, profiled/shaped tubes, and a full fittings and accessories range (end-feed, compression, solder ring, press fittings, brass Munsen rings, and soldering solutions).
The business operates a sales-led, B2B go-to-market model: in the UK, orders are taken exclusively through a national and independent merchant network (not direct from the public or contractors), with delivery fulfilled by Lawton's own fleet; internationally, sales flow through regional distributors in the Middle East and South-East Asia, covering over 35 countries across plumbing, air-conditioning, medical, and industrial segments. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, and revenue is generated through hardware sales of copper tubes, pipes, fittings, and accessories. Reported turnover reached £150 million in 2019 and £230 million in 2025, with the 2024 King's Award for Enterprise in International Trade and a £25 million transformation programme through 2026 (new headquarters, ERP, warehouse technology) signalling continued investment in operational scale and export growth.
Lawton Tubes firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Lawton Tubes
- Legal name
- The Lawton Tubes Co.
- Website
- https://lawtontubes.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1918
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Lawton Tubes is a 107-year-old, family-owned UK manufacturer and distributor of copper tubes, pipes, and fittings serving plumbing, air conditioning, medical gas, and industrial customers across 35+ countries, with FY2025 turnover of £230 million.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Lawton Tubes industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Copper Tubes and Pipes
- NAICS
- Copper Rolling, Drawing, Extruding, and Alloying (331420), Other Metal Valve and Pipe Fitting Manufacturing (332919)
- SIC
- Wholesale-Hardware & Plumbing & Heating Equipment & Supplies (5070)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Pipes & Tubing (Metal, Plastic & Composite) (IMADALAC)
Keywords
Where Lawton Tubes is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Coventry
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Lawton Tubes business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Copper Tube and Pipe Sales: Manufacture and distribution of copper tubes, pipes, and fittings to plumbing, HVAC, medical gas, and engineering sectors through merchant networks and direct sales.
- Copper Fittings and Accessories: Distribution of over 4,000 product lines including fixtures, fittings, solder products, and accessories.
- Export and International Sales: International sales to over 35 countries, with established operations in UAE and Dubai markets.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Lawton Tubes product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Lawton Tubes manufactures and distributes copper tubes, pipes, fittings, and accessories for four primary sectors: plumbing, air conditioning and refrigeration (ACR), medical gas, and engineering/industrial applications. Products include straight length tubes, level wound coils, pancake coils, profiled tubes, and a comprehensive range of fittings (end-feed, compression, solder ring, press), supported by in-house manufacturing in Coventry and Dorset and merchant/distributor-led sales across 35+ countries.
Product overview
Lawton Tubes is a UK-based manufacturer and supplier of copper pipes, tubes, and fittings serving the plumbing, air conditioning/refrigeration (ACR), medical gas, and engineering sectors. The core product portfolio centers on copper tubes in various forms (straight lengths, coils, pancake coils, profiled shapes) along with comprehensive fittings and accessories including end-feed fittings, compression fittings, solder ring fittings, brass Munsen rings, and soldering solutions. The company operates under the Lawton Tubes and Wardtec Engineering brands, with manufacturing facilities in Coventry and Dorset, UK. Products comply with British and European standards including BS EN 1057, EN 13348, and EN 1254, and are certified to ISO 9001, BSI Kitemark, CE Marking, and WRAS standards.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Plumbing Copper Tubes
Quantifiable outcome
- 120 miles of medical gas copper pipe delivered to NHS Nightingale hospitals during COVID-19 pandemic
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Lawton Tubes
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Lawton Tubes technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Lawton Tubes partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Copper Sustainability Partnership (CuSP)minorCollaboration with Copper Sustainability Partnership (CuSP) focused on sustainability initiatives. Lawton Tubes embraces sustainability and collaborates with CuSP on environmental programs.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Lawton Tubes competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Mueller Industries: Mueller Industries is a major US manufacturer of copper and copper-alloy products including tube, fittings, and rod serving plumbing, HVAC, and OEM end-markets. Directly comparable to Lawton Tubes in core copper tube manufacturing, B2B distribution model, and end-market exposure.
- Halcor (ElvalHalcor): Halcor is the copper tubes division of ElvalHalcor and a leading European copper tube manufacturer with plants in Greece and Bulgaria serving plumbing, HVAC, industrial gas and medical applications. Closely comparable to Lawton in product mix, European footprint, and target sectors.
- KME Group: KME is an Italian-headquartered European copper semi-finished products group manufacturing tubes, bars and sheets for construction, HVAC and industrial applications. Direct peer to Lawton in copper tube production with overlapping customer segments and comparable European distribution.
- Cambridge-Lee Industries: Cambridge-Lee is a US-based copper tube manufacturer focused exclusively on seamless copper water tube, plumbing tube and ACR tube products. Closely comparable to Lawton Tubes in copper tube manufacturing, plumbing/ACR end-markets and merchant/wholesale distribution model.
- Cerro Flow Products: Cerro is a US-based manufacturer of copper fittings, stub-outs and related plumbing accessories serving wholesale and OEM channels. Comparable to Lawton's fittings and accessories distribution business, particularly in compression and end-feed copper fittings.
Broad incumbents
- Wieland Group: Wieland is one of the world's largest processors of semi-finished copper and copper-alloy products with plants across Europe and North America. Comparable to Lawton in copper tube and fittings production but operates at much greater scale across broader product categories.
- Luvata: Luvata, owned by Mitsubishi Materials, is a global manufacturer of copper products and engineered solutions spanning tubes, busbars and superconducting wire. Comparable to Lawton in copper tube manufacturing for HVAC/R and industrial applications though at much broader product scope.
- Furukawa Electric: Furukawa Electric is a Japanese global manufacturer of copper and aluminium products including tubes for HVAC, refrigeration and industrial applications. Comparable to Lawton in copper tube manufacturing though operating at significantly greater scale across multiple continents and product categories.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Lawton Tubes social profiles
Digital presenceLawton Tubes compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance7 records
Lawton Tubes financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Lawton Tubes leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Lawton Tubes subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Lawton Tubes funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Lawton Tubes M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Lawton Tubes
What does Lawton Tubes do?
Lawton Tubes manufactures and distributes copper tubes, pipes, fittings, and accessories for four primary sectors: plumbing, air conditioning and refrigeration (ACR), medical gas, and engineering/industrial applications. Products include straight length tubes, level wound coils, pancake coils, profiled tubes, and a comprehensive range of fittings (end-feed, compression, solder ring, press), supported by in-house manufacturing in Coventry and Dorset and merchant/distributor-led sales across 35+ countries.
Is Lawton Tubes a public or private company?
Lawton Tubes is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Lawton Tubes founded?
Lawton Tubes was founded in 1918. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Lawton Tubes based?
Lawton Tubes is headquartered in Coventry, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Lawton Tubes make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Copper Tube and Pipe Sales are the primary driver. The others are copper Fittings and Accessories and export and International Sales.
Who are Lawton Tubes's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Mueller Industries, Halcor (ElvalHalcor), KME Group, Cambridge-Lee Industries and Cerro Flow Products. Broad incumbents are Wieland Group, Luvata and Furukawa Electric.
Does Lawton Tubes have an API?
No public API is recorded for Lawton Tubes.
What industry is Lawton Tubes in?
Lawton Tubes's product category is Copper Tubes and Pipes. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMADALAC, Pipes & Tubing (Metal, Plastic & Composite). Its NAICS code is 331420 and its SIC code is 5070.