Why Bedford buyers can see the work for themselves
Bedford has made things from steel for a century. Shorts Brothers chose the town for its airship works partly because light engineering firms were already here, and the two Grade II* listed Cardington hangars east of town remain the best-known result. Fabrication carries on across the borough in a quieter way, on estates such as Wilstead and Stewartby. What Bedford firms tend to need from a fabricator is framed and welded steelwork made to a drawing, often several pieces at a time, finished and ready for the customer's own installer.
Because the workshop is only nine miles away, a Bedford buyer can bring a drawing or a sample to Marston Moretaine and talk it through with Daniel Thomas before ordering. An itemised written quote follows within 24 hours in the working week, and the lead time is confirmed in writing. Orders are invoiced against your PO, with staged payments on multi-unit orders. We supply commercial and trade buyers only, so domestic jobs are not quoted.
What Bedford firms send a fabricator
- Engineering and production firms Makers of machinery, components and finished products order frames, guards, machine bases and brackets to drawing, often as repeat batches once the first piece has been approved.
- Warehouse and distribution occupiers Tenants on multi-let sites such as Wilstead fit out their own units. They ask for steel stairs, handrails, walkways and plant enclosures supplied ready for their own installer to fit.
- Cranfield Technology Park businesses The park holds more than 50 businesses. Development teams on a site like that need rigs, lifting frames and equipment housings built from a drawing, sometimes in stainless or aluminium by coded TIG welders.
- Airfield and rural business parks Sites such as Thurleigh Airfield Business Park offer open storage as well as warehouses, so operators look for modified containers for secure storage, stores and plant rooms.
Larger steel jobs Bedford firms commission
A borough with this mix of engineering firms and warehouse occupiers tends to order work in batches. Examples are a run of machine base frames welded from structural sections and sent out primed or powder coated, generator and plant enclosures, steel stairs and walkways with handrails for a loading bay or mezzanine, and lifting frames repeated across a production line. A first piece can be approved before the rest are cut. Parts in stainless or aluminium are welded by coded TIG welders in their own area, kept apart from carbon steel.
Containers for stores and plant rooms around Bedford
Open-storage sites such as Thurleigh Airfield Business Park suit containers fitted out as secure stores, plant rooms and workshops. We frame structural openings into the rails, fit doors, windows and roller shutters, link or stack units, cut them down, and repair and repaint worn ones. You supply the unit or we source one. Recent units have come in between about £3,400 and £6,800 each net of VAT, depending on scope. See container modifications.
Structural steel and stainless work, nine miles from Bedford
Structural steelwork falls under our BS EN 1090 factory production control, so it can be supplied UKCA or CE marked. Coded welders run MIG, TIG and MMA, and plasma cutting and bending are done in-house, with laser-cut parts bought in through suppliers. Finishes run from raw and primed to wet spray in RAL colours, powder coat or hot-dip galvanising, which we arrange. See commercial steel fabrication for the full range of larger work.
Bedford business parks within a short run of the yard
Wilstead Industrial Park is a 30-acre site with 456,000 sq ft of multi-let industrial and warehouse space. Broadmead Business Park at Stewartby sits midway between Bedford and M1 Junction 13. Glenmore Business Park is a development of 23 units, and Thurleigh Airfield Business Park offers open storage alongside warehouses, with access via the A6. Elsewhere in the borough you find the Elms Industrial Estate, Arkwright Industrial Estate, Priory Business Park and Ampthill Business Park. Each of them is a short run from our yard.
Why a Bedford workshop can cost Bedford less
Cutting, welding, finishing and checking all happen in our own 12,000 sq ft workshop, so no stage is passed to a subcontractor with its own margin. Delivery to Bedford goes through our logistics partners and shows as its own line on the quote. Put the two together and the total often comes in below a local fabricator, which is easy to check: send us the same drawing you've sent them.
Delivery and site visits in Bedford
Bedford is 9 road miles from Marston Moretaine, about 17 minutes by car on the A421, and a loaded lorry takes longer. We organise delivery to your site through our logistics partners and agree the day with you. Tell us the load size and weight when you ask for the quote so loading can be planned. Everything is made in-house, so the price often works out cheaper than other fabricators.
Our engineers visit your Bedford unit to see the job and measure up. Tell us the gate width, turning space and ground conditions. Multi-let sites such as Wilstead share yards, so agree a delivery slot with the landlord or estate office. Say what lifting there is on site and we agree the drop with you. Your own installer fits the steelwork on site, as we do not install.
How a job runs
- 01.Send the drawing
PDF or CAD, a dimensioned sketch, or a photo of the old part. Quantities and the site postcode help.
- 02.Itemised quote in 24 hours
Material, fabrication, finish and haulage broken out line by line, with the lead time confirmed in writing.
- 03.Agree spec and finish
Sections, tolerances, weld spec and finish confirmed before anything is cut.
- 04.Fabricated inside our unit
Cut, welded and assembled by coded welders in our 12,000 sq ft Marston Moretaine workshop.
- 05.Check and paperwork
Dimensionally checked before dispatch; welder qualification and mill certificates on request.
- 06.Delivered to site
We organise delivery to your site through our logistics partners, or you can collect from the yard if that suits. One-offs and batches both welcome.
Work we take on
- Container modifications: conversions and modifications to drawing, single units or batches
- Structural openings: side openings, doors, roller shutters, linking and cut-downs
- Container repairs: panel, door and rail repairs and repaints for depots and fleets
- Steel enclosures: generator, acoustic, plant and battery housings
- Skids and frames: skids, machine bases, lifting frames and supports
- Commercial fabrication: fabrication to drawing, structural steelwork, one-offs and batches
- Stairs and fire escapes: supplied ready for your installer to fit
- Walkways and railings: handrails, platforms and ladders, supplied to fit
Frequently asked questions
How long does a quote take for a Bedford job?
An itemised written quote comes back within 24 hours in the working week. It breaks out material, fabrication, finish and any container work, and the lead time is confirmed in writing before you commit to the order.
Do you deliver to Bedford sites?
Yes. We organise delivery from Marston Moretaine, 9 road miles away, through our logistics partners, and our engineers can visit first to measure up. You can collect from the yard if you prefer. Tell us the load size so loading can be planned.
Do you fit steelwork at Bedford premises?
No. We make and finish the work in our workshop and your own installer fits it. We supply commercial and trade buyers only, so there is no domestic work and no container homes or garden rooms.
Can structural steel for a Bedford project carry a CE or UKCA mark?
Yes. Our factory production control is certified to BS EN 1090, so structural steelwork can be supplied UKCA or CE marked. Say which mark your specification needs when you send the drawing.
Will your engineers visit our Bedford site?
Bedford is 17 minutes away by car, so our engineers can visit to see the job, and many buyers also drive over with a drawing or sample. Phone Daniel Thomas on 07365 129991 to fix a time.
Nearby areas
We also quote for firms in St Neots, Milton Keynes, Wellingborough, Hitchin and Huntingdon. See every town on the areas we serve page.