Materials Handling Engineers Association
The Materials Handling Engineers Association (MHEA) is a UK trade association founded in 1938 serving 100+ corporate members across the bulk materials handling sector through membership subscriptions, the annual BulkEx conference, site visits, and awards programmes.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1938
- HeadquartersCoppull, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Materials Handling Engineers Association does
The Materials Handling Engineers Association (MHEA) is a UK-based non-profit trade association founded in 1938 (originally as the Mechanical Handling Engineers Association, rebranded in 1996) and headquartered in Coppull, Lancashire. It serves companies across the bulk materials handling equipment supply chain — including OEMs, component suppliers, and end-user operators in aggregates, quarrying, cement, ports, power generation, recycling, minerals, and energy-from-waste — through a portfolio of membership services. Core offerings include tiered membership (Corporate, Associate, Affiliate Member, Affiliate Partner), the annual BulkEx technical conference, a year-round site visit programme to member facilities, the MHEA Members Directory, technical publications, and an annual awards programme including a dedicated Sustainability Award introduced in 2024.
The MHEA has 100+ corporate member companies, has had 43 Presidents since formation, and is led by a President (Matt Beverley since 2024), Vice President (Ben Dunn), and Secretariat (Linda White since March 2020). The organisation operates with a lean staff of approximately six employees based at its Lancashire secretariat office.
The business model is subscription- and event-based. Corporate membership is approximately £1,000 per year and grants benefits including logo usage, free online advertising, networking access, site visit entry, discounted conference stands, website exposure, and job board listings. Supplemental revenue is generated through BulkEx conference exhibitions and sponsorship, regional events (e.g., Meet the MHEA in Northern Ireland), and awards programmes. The MHEA also represents members' interests in external bodies and historically represented the UK in the Federation of European De La Manutention (FEM) and ISO General Assembly. No external funding, parent company, or subsidiary structure is present — the association is self-sustaining through member-derived revenue.
Materials Handling Engineers Association firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Materials Handling Engineers Association
- Legal name
- Materials Handling Engineers Association
- Website
- https://mhea.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1938
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Materials Handling Engineers Association (MHEA) is a UK trade association founded in 1938 serving 100+ corporate members across the bulk materials handling sector through membership subscriptions, the annual BulkEx conference, site visits, and awards programmes.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Materials Handling Engineers Association is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Coppull
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Materials Handling Engineers Association business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Corporate Membership Fees: Annual membership fees from corporate members. The association generates revenue through membership subscriptions which provide access to networking opportunities, industry promotion, conferences, site visits, and technical expertise sharing.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Corporate Membership - Annual membership for companies engaged in bulk solids handling industry |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Materials Handling Engineers Association product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The MHEA is a UK trade association offering tiered membership subscriptions, the BulkEx annual conference, an organised site visits programme to host facilities, a published members directory, technical publications, and an annual awards programme for the bulk materials handling industry. Membership levels include Corporate, Associate, Affiliate Member, and Affiliate Partner, with corporate membership priced at approximately £1,000 per year.
Product overview
The Materials Handling Engineers Association (MHEA) is a trade association offering a portfolio of membership services for companies in the bulk handling equipment sector. Its core offerings include Corporate, Associate, and Affiliate Membership tiers, the annual BulkEx technical conference, organised site visit programme to member facilities (quarries, cement works, power stations, ports), a members directory, publications, and the Sustainability Award programme. The association focuses on networking, knowledge sharing, best practice promotion, and professional development for the bulk materials handling industry.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- MHEA Corporate Membership Annual corporate membership for companies in the bulk handling equipment industry. Includes MHEA logo use, free online advertising, networking access, site visit access, discounted BulkEx conference stands, website exposure, and job board access. Priced at approximately £1,000 per year.
- MHEA Associate Membership Membership tier for end-users and integrators of bulk handling equipment (e.g., Biffa, EMR, Bristol Port Company, Drax Group), providing brand visibility within the supplier ecosystem.
- MHEA Affiliate Membership and Affiliate Partner Affiliate membership tiers for media outlets, academic or research partners, and other organisations aligned with the bulk handling industry.
- BulkEx Conference Annual technical conference for the bulk materials handling sector featuring industry speakers, expert presentations, an exhibition area, networking dinners, and the MHEA Awards ceremony. Members receive discounted exhibition and speaking opportunities.
- Site Visits Programme Organised visits to member facilities across the UK — including quarries (e.g., Bardon Hill, Holme Hall, Longcliffe), cement works (Hope Cement, Ribblesdale), power stations (Drax, Lynemouth), ports (Port of Tyne), energy-from-waste plants (Ferrybridge 1, Urbaser), and recycling facilities (Day Aggregates IBA plant) — to showcase bulk handling equipment, processes, and best practices.
- MHEA Members Directory Online directory listing corporate members, associate members, affiliate members, affiliate partners, and media partners in the bulk materials handling industry, including an interactive member location map.
- MHEA Publications Technical publications, industry reports, and educational resources for the materials handling sector.
- MHEA Sustainability Award Annual award recognising companies demonstrating outstanding commitment to sustainability within bulk materials handling, focused on efficiency, energy efficiency, waste reduction, and decarbonisation.
Quantifiable outcome
- 25% of John King Chains Ltd business comes from fellow MHEA members after joining in 2022
Companies that use Materials Handling Engineers Association
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Segments8 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Materials Handling Engineers Association technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Materials Handling Engineers Association partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Federation of European De La Manutention (FEM)coreThe MHEA represented the United Kingdom in the Federation of European De La Manutention (FEM), a prestigious body that shaped industry regulations and best practices across Europe. This role underscored the Association's influence and its commitment to raising engineering standards on an international scale. In 1964, representation transitioned to the British Materials Handling Federation (BMHF).
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Materials Handling Engineers Association competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Materials Handling Engineers Association social profiles
Digital presenceMaterials Handling Engineers Association financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Materials Handling Engineers Association leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Materials Handling Engineers Association funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Materials Handling Engineers Association 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 Materials Handling Engineers Association
What does Materials Handling Engineers Association do?
The MHEA is a UK trade association offering tiered membership subscriptions, the BulkEx annual conference, an organised site visits programme to host facilities, a published members directory, technical publications, and an annual awards programme for the bulk materials handling industry. Membership levels include Corporate, Associate, Affiliate Member, and Affiliate Partner, with corporate membership priced at approximately £1,000 per year.
Is Materials Handling Engineers Association a public or private company?
Materials Handling Engineers Association is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Materials Handling Engineers Association founded?
Materials Handling Engineers Association was founded in 1938. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Materials Handling Engineers Association based?
Materials Handling Engineers Association is headquartered in Coppull, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Materials Handling Engineers Association make money?
One revenue line is on record: corporate Membership Fees.
Does Materials Handling Engineers Association have an API?
No public API is recorded for Materials Handling Engineers Association.