What Catnic does

Catnic is a UK-based manufacturer of steel construction products, founded in 1969 by Dr. Alfred Gooding and Brian Robinson and now operating as a trading brand of Tata Steel UK Limited, part of the Tata Steel Europe group. The company manufactures over 10,000 lintel variations (including its patented Thermally Broken Lintel with guaranteed psi values of 0.02–0.05 W/mK), plaster beads and mesh, builders metalwork, Juliet balconies, and the Catnic Urban standing seam steel roofing and cladding system, with a January 2026 addition of SolarSeam, an MCS-certified photovoltaic integration. Manufacturing is concentrated at the Caerphilly facility in Wales, with the registered office at Tata Steel Europe's London headquarters. The company holds BRE, BBA, BES 6001, MCS, UKCA, and CE certifications, and has collaborated with BSI to establish UK lintel standards.

Catnic's go-to-market is a hybrid B2B/B2C model. The primary channel is a nationwide network of builders' merchants and stockists, supplemented by a direct e-commerce Shop Direct channel on catnic.com and a trained and approved Catnic Urban contractor network. For larger developments, Catnic engages directly with housebuilders (Barratt Homes, David Wilson Homes, Hyde New Homes), architects, and specifiers through a dedicated field sales team and the free CLASS (Lintel Advance Scheduling System) service. Customer segments span residential housebuilders, architects and specifiers, tradespeople (bricklayers, plasterers, roofers), and self-build homeowners. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed for most lines, with delivery charges calculated at checkout; revenue model is one-time product sales across essentially all SKUs.

Catnic's commercial strategy is built on education-led demand generation: free CPD sessions, the PSI Value Calculator, 44+ technical guides, and a Build It Better College Initiative reaching 30 UK colleges in 2026. The company positions itself to capture regulatory tailwinds from Part L 2021 and the Future Homes Standard, leveraging its patented thermal-break technology as a defensible specification. As a Tata Steel enterprise, Catnic benefits from integrated access to pre-finished Colorcoat steel and the Galvalloy coating, while the SolarSeam and Urban Seam Façade launches represent deliberate moves up the value chain into building-integrated photovoltaics and commercial cladding.

Name

Catnic

Legal name

Tata Steel UK Limited

Website

https://catnic.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Catnic is a UK-based manufacturer of steel construction products including lintels, plaster beads, builders metalwork, and standing seam roofing systems. Operating as a Tata Steel enterprise, the company serves residential housebuilders, architects, specifiers, tradespeople, and self-build homeowners across the UK.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Steel Building Products / Construction Materials Manufacturing

NAICS

Plate Work and Fabricated Structural Product Manufacturing (33231), Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing (332322), All Other Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (33299)

SIC

Fabricated Structural Metal Products (3440), Sheet Metal Work (3444), Miscellaneous Fabricated Metal Products (3490)

akta.pro primary industry

Structural Steel Fabrication (IMADACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Metal Cladding, Soffits & Trim (Non-Panel Components) (IMADACAM), Architectural & Miscellaneous Metals (Stairs, Railings, Ladders) (IMADACAE)

Keywords

• Steel lintels manufacturing
• Construction building products
• Thermally broken lintels
• Standing seam roofing
• Plaster bead metalwork

Headquarters

HQ city

Caerphilly

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Steel Lintel Sales: Catnic generates the majority of its revenue through the manufacture and sale of steel lintels, including thermally broken lintels, cavity wall lintels, box lintels, solid wall lintels, timber frame lintels, and extreme load lintels. Products are sold through builders' merchants, direct online Shop, and project-specific specification channels. Over 10,000 lintel variations are available.
2. Urban Roofing and Cladding Sales: Sale of Catnic Urban standing seam steel roofing and cladding systems, including SolarSeam photovoltaic integration. Sold via specification/specifier route and through approved contractor network.
3. Plaster Bead, Mesh and Metalwork: Sale of plaster beads (angle beads, stop beads, edge beads, arch beads, movement beads, render beads, shadow gap beads), wall starter kits, expanded metal, mesh (render mesh, rib lath, metal lath, coil mesh), joist hangers, restraint straps, angle brackets, plate connectors, truss clips, and Juliet balconies.
4. Lintel Scheduling and Technical Services: Catnic offers a free scheduling service (CLASS) for lintel specification and a paid scheduling service for Urban roofing projects. Technical CPD training sessions are provided free to specifiers as a demand-generation tool.
5. Direct Online Sales (Shop Direct): E-commerce channel through catnic.com allowing direct purchase of lintels and related products by trade professionals and consumers, with kerbside delivery across mainland Great Britain.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Catnic manufactures steel construction products for the UK residential building sector, including over 10,000 variations of steel lintels (cavity wall, box, solid wall, timber frame, and patented thermally broken lintels), Catnic Urban standing seam steel roofing and cladding systems, plaster beads and mesh, builders metalwork, and Juliet balconies. The company also offers free technical services including a Lintel Advance Scheduling System (CLASS), a PSI Value Calculator, and CPD training for architects and specifiers.

Product overview

Catnic is a UK-based manufacturer of steel building products and part of Tata Steel Europe. The company offers a diverse portfolio organized into five core product categories: (1) Lintels - with over 10,000 variations including thermally broken lintels, cavity wall lintels, box lintels, and special lintels; (2) Urban Roofing & Cladding - a standing seam steel roofing and wall cladding system available with SolarSeam photovoltaic integration and Urban Seam Façade; (3) Plaster Bead & Mesh - hundreds of profiles for plastering applications; (4) Builders Metalwork - joist hangers, restraint straps, and related hardware; and (5) Juliet Balconies. Products are manufactured from 100% recyclable steel and carry various certifications including UKCA, CE, BBA, and BRE A+ rating.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Catnic Urban: Standing seam roofing and cladding system manufactured from pre-finished steel by Tata Steel.
• Catnic SolarSeam

Products and services

• Steel Lintels A range of over 10,000 variations of steel lintels for residential construction, including cavity wall, box, solid wall, single leaf, timber frame, closed eaves, internal wall, heavy duty, extra heavy duty, extreme load, and stainless steel lintels. Designed to provide structural support over window and door openings in masonry construction.
• Thermally Broken Lintels (TBL)
• Catnic Urban Standing Seam Roofing & Cladding Standing seam steel roofing and wall cladding system made from pre-finished steel. BBA and UKCA certified, rated BRE A+ for low environmental impact, and seven times lighter than traditional roof tiles. Available in multiple profiles and finishes.
• SolarSeam Photovoltaic System Photovoltaic system integrating flexible CIGS (Copper Indium Gallium Selenide) solar laminates factory-bonded to Catnic Urban standing seam roofing panels. MCS-certified, BROOF(t4) fire-rated, and designed for both new build and refurbishment projects, with superior shade tolerance.
• Urban Seam Façade A1 fire-rated pre-finished steel wall cladding system fixed to Tata Steel Trisobuild D32s carrier sheet. Suitable for multi-occupancy apartments, student accommodation, hotels, and mixed-use buildings, providing design continuity with Catnic Urban roofing.
• Plaster Bead and Mesh
• Builders Metalwork Steel builders metalwork products including joist hangers (timber to timber, timber to wall, heavy duty), restraint straps (light duty, heavy duty), angle brackets, angle plates, plate connectors, truss clips, and hand nail plates for structural timber connections.
• Juliet Balconies Steel Juliet balconies for residential applications, providing an external access solution for French doors and full-height openings in residential construction.
• Confidex Home Guarantee 25-year guarantee programme offered with Catnic Urban products for residential applications, providing homeowners with assurance of building material performance and corrosion protection.
• CLASS Lintel Advance Scheduling Service Free technical scheduling service for large-scale construction projects. Catnic's technical team produces a comprehensive document detailing lintel descriptions, prices, delivery times, and guaranteed structural accuracy, converting specifiers and developers into buyers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Heat loss at window head detail reduced by up to 96% using Thermally Broken Lintels vs standard lintels
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Tata Steel Europe (Parent Company)coreOthersCatnic is an enterprise of Tata Steel Europe Limited. Tata Steel provides the pre-finished steel (Colorcoat HPS200 Ultra, Colorcoat Prisma) used in Catnic Urban products, along with the Galvalloy metallic coating technology for corrosion resistance. Catnic's registered office is at Tata Steel Europe's London headquarters.
• Tata Steel (Colorcoat Brand)coreTechnology or IntegrationCatnic Urban is manufactured from Tata Steel's Colorcoat pre-finished steel products (Colorcoat HPS200 Ultra and Colorcoat Prisma). The Colorcoat brand provides the material foundation for Catnic's Urban roofing and cladding product line.
• Ultrapanel Building TechnologiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCatnic partnered with Ultrapanel for The Ultra Home demonstration house project, where Catnic Urban standing seam roofing was used alongside Ultrapanel's panelised construction system. Both companies share commitments to innovation, sustainability, and future-ready building solutions.
• DP ArchitectsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDP Architects (Oxfordshire) specified Catnic Urban for The Trail self-build project. The architect noted Catnic Urban was chosen over zinc for its cost-effectiveness, aesthetic appeal, and colour range matching with grey powder-coated aluminium windows.
• Raum ArchitectsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRaum Architects (Mumbles, Swansea) specified Catnic Urban steel standing seam roofing and cladding for the Shorelands coastal home extension project, achieving an award-winning finish on the Gower coastline.
• Steel Roof Installers UKminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSteel Roof Installers UK is a trained and approved Catnic Urban roofing contractor, having attended Catnic training in 2010. They now exclusively work on Urban projects and have installed Catnic Urban on multiple projects including The Trail (Oxfordshire) and its automotive studio phase.
• HJO DevelopmentsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerHJO Developments (Swansea) is the main contractor for the Shorelands project, benefiting from Catnic's installation training. They installed 137 sqm of Catnic Urban 514mm profile for the coastal home extension.
• Kynaston Contract ServicesminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerKynaston Contract Services designed and installed the Catnic Urban canopy/porch detail used across 150 houses at Cane Hill Park (Barratt Homes / David Wilson Homes). The company has worked with Catnic Urban for over 5 years.
• HGP ArchitectsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerHGP Architects specified Catnic Urban cladding alongside Tata Steel Urban Seam Façade for The Waterfront development (120 homes) in Shoreham-by-Sea, creating design continuity across the project's varied materials.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Voortman Steel Construction: Voortman is a Dutch-based steel fabrication and construction products manufacturer active across Europe. Comparable as a regional player in fabricated structural steel products serving the European construction market.
• Forterra plc: Forterra is a major UK manufacturer of building products including bricks, blocks, and concrete lintels. Comparable as a UK building products peer selling into the same housebuilder channel, though its product mix is masonry-focused rather than steel lintels.

Direct peers

• Metal Solutions Ltd: Metal Solutions is a UK specialist in standing seam metal roofing and cladding, directly competing with Catnic Urban. They serve similar architectural and self-build segments with comparable zinc, copper, and steel roofing systems.
• IG Lintels: IG Lintels is one of the largest manufacturers of steel lintels in the UK and Ireland, directly competing with Catnic across cavity wall, box, and thermally broken lintel ranges. Both serve builders' merchants and housebuilders with comparable product portfolios.
• Keystone Lintels: Keystone Lintels is a major UK and Irish lintel manufacturer producing a comparable range of standard, cavity, and thermally broken steel lintels. Direct overlap with Catnic across core lintel SKUs and merchant channel.
• Birtley Group: Birtley Group manufactures steel lintels and builders' metalwork in the UK, directly competing with Catnic in lintels, wall starters, and metalwork categories. They share similar merchant distribution channels and housebuilder customers.
• William Hobson (Doncaster) Ltd: UK manufacturer of steel lintels, beams, and structural metalwork, competing with Catnic in the builders' merchant and housebuilder channels. Comparable product range in standard steel lintels and metalwork.
• Vista Engineering: Vista Engineering is a UK-based manufacturer of steel lintels and structural metalwork, directly competing with Catnic in standard and heavy-duty lintel categories supplied through builders' merchants.

Broad incumbents

• Kingspan Group: Kingspan is a major global building envelope manufacturer with insulated panels, steel framing, and roofing systems that overlap with Catnic Urban and builders' metalwork categories at the building envelope level. It is a broader incumbent rather than a direct lintel competitor.
• Tata Steel Colorcoat (parent brand): Tata Steel is Catnic's parent company and supplies the pre-finished steel coil used in Catnic Urban products. While not a direct competitor at the brand level, Tata Steel is a broad incumbent in UK steel and could choose to compete with Catnic in downstream fabricated products.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/catnic
• Xx.com/CatnicUK

Compliance14 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Catnic