What Harlow Group does

Harlow Group is a privately-held UK precision sheet metalwork manufacturer founded in 1975, headquartered in Harlow, Essex, with a wholly-owned US subsidiary (Harlow FasTech) in Danville, Virginia established in 2018 with an $8 million investment. The company provides custom fabricated and assembled metal components from design through full production, operating 65,000+ sq ft of manufacturing space in the UK and employing over 130 people. Core manufacturing capabilities span Amada fibre laser cutting and laser/punch combination, electric and hydraulic brake-press forming, MIG/TIG welding with aerospace-approved coded welders, 5-axis CNC machining (Grob G350, YCM NXV1020A, Haas), and a separate Alpha Cell dedicated prototyping unit. Through its Gefertec partnership, Harlow operates wire arc additive manufacturing (3DMP) machines capable of 10x faster lead times versus conventional methods.

The company is AS9100 Rev D and ISO 9001:2015 certified and serves tier-one OEMs across aerospace (GE Aviation, Goodrich, Safran Power, supplying Boeing and Gulfstream), electronics (Sony, Flextronics), office equipment (Pitney Bowes), tools (Snap-on), marine (Kelvin Hughes), automotive (Lotus), scientific instruments (Carl Zeiss, Grant Instruments), medical (Medisafe International), and energy (Solarcentury). Revenue is generated through project-based and ongoing production contracts with enterprise customers, supplemented by Supply Management services (Kan-Ban, EDI, consignment stock, own-fleet UK delivery) and Design for Manufacture consulting. Marketing is primarily B2B field sales supported by industry events, technical workshops, and content marketing—no digital advertising is evident. Harlow is owned by its co-founders Alan Pearce (CEO) and David Gordon-Smith (CFO) along with senior management, with no external private equity or public market backing identified.

Name

Harlow Group

Legal name

Harlow Group Ltd

Website

https://harlowgroup.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Harlow Group is a UK-based, privately-held precision sheet metalwork manufacturer founded in 1975, providing design-to-production fabrication, CNC machining, finishing, and metal additive 3D printing for tier-one OEMs across aerospace, electronics, automotive, medical, and marine sectors, with a US subsidiary (FasTech) in Danville, Virginia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Harlow

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Precision Sheet Metal Manufacturing: Custom precision sheet metalwork fabrication and assembly services. Revenue generated through one-time production manufacturing contracts and project-based work from design through full production.
2. CNC Machining Services: CNC precision machining services complementing fabrication, producing complex components in small and large batch quantities. Materials include copper, aluminium, steels and plastics.
3. Metal Additive 3D Printing (FasTech): 3D metal printing and finishing services using Gefertec 3DMP technology. Four-step process: CAD to CAM conversion, net shape printing, 3D scan quality control, and finish milling.
4. Supply Management Services: Logistics, consignment stock, EDI forecast demand, Kan-Ban, spot orders, and outsourcing management including machine components, electrical items, plastics and turned parts.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Harlow Group is a UK-based contract metal manufacturer that produces precision sheet metal fabrications, CNC-machined components, and metal 3D-printed parts for industrial OEM customers. The company provides a vertically integrated service covering design support, fabrication, machining, additive manufacturing, powder coating, and mechanical assembly, primarily serving aerospace, automotive, medical, marine, electronics, and energy sector buyers.

Product overview

The Harlow Group is a market-leading provider of precision sheet metalwork, fabrications and assemblies offering a comprehensive one-stop-shop manufacturing solution. The company operates a unified service portfolio that includes: core precision sheet metalwork capabilities (Advanced Laser & Punch Technology, Precision Forming, Welding Services, Sheet Metal Processes, Finishing and Assembly, CNC Precision Machining), supported by Design for Manufacture services and an Alpha Cell dedicated prototype/pre-production unit. The company also offers Supply Management including logistics and outsourcing services. Through its FasTech sub-brand, the company provides 3D metal printing using GEFERTEC wire arc additive manufacturing technology. The portfolio spans from initial design consultation through prototyping, full production, and finishing, serving aerospace, automotive, medical, marine, telecommunications, and other industry sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FasTech: Metal additive 3D printing and finishing services, operating from Danville, Virginia, USA as part of the Harlow Group.

Products and services

• Precision Sheet Metal Fabrication Custom production of precision sheet metal components and enclosures (laser cutting, punching, bending, forming, welding) for industrial OEM customers in aerospace, automotive, medical, marine, electronics, and energy sectors.
• CNC Machining Multi-axis CNC milling and turning of precision metal components to customer specifications, offered as a standalone service or as part of an integrated part-production package.
• FasTech Metal 3D Printing / Additive Manufacturing Metal additive manufacturing service using metal 3D printing to produce complex, lightweight, or topology-optimised metal parts and prototypes for OEM customers; offered under the FasTech brand.
• Powder Coating and Surface Finishing In-house powder coating and surface finishing of fabricated and machined metal parts, providing corrosion protection, cosmetic finishes, and colour specification.
• Mechanical Assembly and Sub-Assembly Build

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 10x faster lead times for 3D metal printing compared to conventional manufacturing
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• GeferteccoreTechnology or Integration · 1 September 2019Job shop partnership for 3DMP services using Gefertec's arc405 and arc605 wire arc additive manufacturing machines. First such machines in the US, installed at the Danville, Virginia facility. Harlow Group provides metal additive 3D printing services to clients worldwide using this technology. 3DMP enables 10x faster lead times and near 100% material utilization.
• AmadacoreTechnology or Integration · 1 March 2017Continuing partnership with Amada, the industry's leading machine supplier. Harlow Group has installed fibre laser technology and combination laser/punch machines from Amada. Over £500,000 invested in Amada fibre laser and automatic sheet loader. Machines developed by Amada provide perfectly synchronized components for optimum performance.
• EcopareminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Energy management specialist providing Lean Energy Management solution to analyse energy consumption, identify reduction opportunities, and guide capital equipment investment decisions. Helped Harlow Group reduce electricity costs by £25,000 per year and inform investment in fibre laser technology.
• Oceaneering InspectionminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSubcontracted provider of UK NDT (Non-Destructive Testing) capabilities including visual inspection, positive material inspection, magnetic particle inspection, dye penetrant inspection, ultrasonic testing, and radiographic inspection.
• Acuren InspectionminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSubcontracted provider of UK NDT capabilities including full suite of inspections plus tomography inspection. Provides radiographic inspection capabilities.
• Airflow UKminorOthersSupplier of wet back spray booths installed at Harlow-based finishing facility. Modular designed units with superior overspray collection for environmental compliance.
• Invest EssexminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional economic development organisation. Harlow Group participated in Essex Means Business showcase and film campaign. Invest Essex supported US expansion announcement and CiCi Award nomination.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Xometry: US-listed digital on-demand manufacturing marketplace connecting customers with sheet metal, CNC and additive manufacturing capacity, representing an emerging marketplace model that competes for the same on-demand manufacturing wallet as Harlow Group's FasTech service.

Broad incumbents

• TRUMPF: Global machine tool, laser and metalworking technology leader with sheet metal processing equipment installed across the industry, including at fabricators like Harlow Group; provides a broad incumbent reference for the underlying equipment ecosystem.
• Senior plc: Large UK-listed aerospace and defence components manufacturer operating across fabricated metalwork, machined assemblies and fluid conveyance, providing a broader incumbent reference for Harlow Group's aerospace value chain position.
• Meggitt: Major UK-origin aerospace components specialist (now part of Parker Aerospace) supplying fabricated and assembled precision components into commercial and defence platforms, illustrating the scale ceiling Harlow Group would need to bridge to reach Tier-1 status.

Direct peers

• WEC Group: One of the UK's largest fabrication groups operating precision sheet metal, machining and finishing services across multiple sites, a direct comparable to Harlow Group's one-stop-shop vertical integration model.
• Holroyd Precision: UK-based precision metal fabrication and machining specialist serving industrial customers, with similar component complexity, tolerances and customer mix to Harlow Group's UK precision business.
• Dawson Shanahan: UK precision metal component manufacturer of comparable headcount producing fabricated and machined parts for industrial, aerospace and electronics customers, overlapping directly with Harlow Group's high-precision component offering.
• Brandauer: UK-based precision metal stamping and sheet metal fabricator of similar scale serving aerospace, automotive and medical customers, with comparable AS9100-equivalent certifications and a similar mix of high-mix low-volume production work.

Others

• Amada: Harlow Group's primary equipment supplier for fibre laser and combination laser/punch machines, with whom it has a continuing technology partnership exceeding £500,000 in installed capital; comparable as an enabling technology incumbent rather than a direct competitor.

Regional players

• Cox Manufacturing: US-based precision sheet metal fabricator serving aerospace, defence and industrial customers; while operating in a different geography, the precision component mix and Tier-2/Tier-3 aerospace supplier role make it a meaningful structural comparable.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Harlow Group