Howard Bros

What Howard Bros does

Howard Bros (Engravers) Limited is a family-run precision engraving and die manufacturing business founded in 1948 and headquartered in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter. The company produces custom embossing dies, stamping tools, steel marking punches, hot foil blocking dies, mould tool engravings, packaging dies, and coin/minting dies for manufacturing trades (jewellery, badges, packaging), medical packaging (Braille compliance tooling), and government mints worldwide. Customers include Harris Brush Ferrules and various government mints; the firm claims worldwide supply of minting dies alongside a UK and European industrial base.

The company's production capability rests on 13 CNC machines (including 3- and 4-axis rotary engraving) and 2 CNC lathes, supported by Carveco, ArtCam, and Cimigrafi CAM software and a Renishaw Cyclone 3D scanner that digitizes traditional plasters and mould surfaces when CAD data is unavailable. Cutters as small as 0.1mm enable intricate coin and mint die work. Howard Bros was the first UK buyer of a high-precision Kuhlman engraving machine in the early 1990s, and in June 2018 acquired Die Design, adding 28 years of traditional handcrafted die-sinking capability plus a finished-goods line of enamel badges, cufflinks, medals, and lapel pins.

Revenue is generated through one-time, project-based custom manufacturing orders with quote-based pricing negotiated directly via phone and email. The go-to-market is relationship-driven B2B sales with minimal digital marketing presence beyond a content/website channel. The firm is privately held by the Howard family (Chris Howard listed as data controller), with no external investment or public listing. The operating headcount is 5 employees, and revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Howard Bros

Legal name

Howard Bros (Engravers) Limited

Website

https://howardbros.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Howard Bros (Engravers) Limited is a family-run Birmingham precision engraving and die manufacturer founded in 1948, producing custom embossing dies, coin dies, marking punches, foiling dies, and mould tools for jewellery, packaging, medical, and government mint customers in the UK, Europe, and worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Precision Die Manufacturing

NAICS

Special Die and Tool, Die Set, Jig, and Fixture Manufacturing (333514)

SIC

Metal Forgings & Stampings (3460)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYIMAHADAB

Metal Cutting Tools, Tooling & Workholding (Cutters, Inserts, Chucks, Fixtures)

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Industrial Machinery & Heavy Equipment/Machine Tools & Metalworking Equipment

SECONDARYIMAHADAC

Metal Forming & Fabrication Machines (Presses, Bending, Shearing, Stamping)

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Industrial Machinery & Heavy Equipment/Machine Tools & Metalworking Equipment

Keywords

• Precision die manufacturing
• Engraving tools
• Coin die production
• Embossing tools
• Marking punches

Headquarters

HQ city

Birmingham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Custom Tool Manufacturing: Manufacture of custom embossing tools, marking punches, coin dies, and industrial dies to customer specifications. Products are machined from materials such as steel, brass, and aluminium using CNC precision engraving. Revenue is generated through one-time project-based orders for custom tooling.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Howard Bros manufactures custom precision engraving tools and dies for industrial, jewellery, minting, and packaging customers. Core products include coin and minting dies, embossing dies and stamping tools, steel marking punches, hot foil blocking dies, mould tool engravings, and packaging/industrial dies, all machined to customer specifications from materials such as steel, brass, and aluminium. Production combines 13 CNC machines and 2 CNC lathes with traditional handcrafted die-sinking techniques.

Product overview

Howard Bros is a precision engraving and die manufacturing company offering a portfolio of specialized products and services for industrial, jewellery, and packaging applications. Their core offerings include Minting Dies/Coin Dies for government mints worldwide, Embossing Dies & Stamping Tools for jewellery and packaging trades, Steel Marking Punches for metal traceability, Hot Foil Blocking Dies, Mould Tool Engraving services, Packaging Dies & Industrial Dies, and Specialist/Bespoke Engraving Products. In June 2018, they acquired Die Design, adding traditional handcrafted enamel badges, cufflinks, medals, and lapel pins to their portfolio. The company combines traditional engraving craftsmanship with modern CNC technology (13 CNC machines, 2 CNC lathes) and software including Carveco, ArtCam, and Cimagraph.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Minting Dies / Coin Dies

Quantifiable outcome

• Produces minting dies with cutters as small as 0.1mm

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Die DesigncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2018In June 2018, Howard Bros welcomed Die Design into the Howard Bros family. Die Design had been in business for 28 years with extensive knowledge of traditional handcrafting die sinking. The partnership allowed Howard Bros to combine traditional methods with new digital CNC techniques, broadening their capabilities in producing enamel badges, cufflinks, badges, medals, lapel pins, and other custom metal products.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Pannier Corporation: US-based manufacturer of embossing, marking, and coding equipment for industrial applications. Directly comparable to Howard Bros in metal embossing dies and industrial marking, serving similar manufacturing-trade customers with quote-based custom tooling.
• Östling Marking Systems: German manufacturer of industrial marking machines, embossing tools, and traceability systems. Closely comparable to Howard Bros in metal marking punches and embossing die production for industrial customers.
• Durable Technologies: Industrial marking and traceability equipment group (parent of Technifor). Directly comparable to Howard Bros' marking punch and industrial die business, supplying permanent marking solutions to metalworking and packaging manufacturers globally.

Broad incumbents

• Heimerle+Meule: German precious-metals refiner and producer of blanks, coins, and medals for central banks and mints worldwide. Comparable to Howard Bros on the coin/mint die side, but operates at far larger scale across the full minting supply chain.
• Trodat: Global stamp and marking brand owned by Trote Group, producing hand stamps, self-inking stamps, and marking tools at scale. Overlaps with Howard Bros' marking punch and stamping die categories but serves a broader consumer-and-SMB portfolio.
• Bunting Magnetics: Manufacturer of magnetic and marking/identification equipment for industrial customers, including metal marking and branding solutions. Overlaps with Howard Bros' marking and traceability use cases but as part of a wider industrial portfolio.
• Schuler Group: Global press manufacturer serving automotive, coin blank production, and metalforming industries. Overlaps with Howard Bros' stamping/embossing die customers but delivers capital equipment (presses) rather than custom engraving tooling.
• KBA-MetalPrint: Specialist in hot-foil stamping, embossing, and security printing equipment for packaging and label converters. Comparable to Howard Bros' foiling die and packaging die product lines, though KBA sells complete machines rather than bespoke dies.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/howard-bros

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Howard Bros