A new town that was built to make things
Harlow was laid out with industry in mind, and the council's business pages say the emphasis was on engineering and electronics. Many of the modular units from that period are still in use along South Road in Templefields and in parts of the Pinnacles. Some major employers have left, yet Harlow keeps drawing new ones, helped by Stansted airport and the pull of London. The council has also adopted a local development order covering Templefields North East.
Older units and newer science campuses both need steel from outside: machine bases, enclosures, platforms and stairs. We make it to your drawing at a 12,000 sq ft workshop, with coded MIG, TIG and MMA welders. Quotes are itemised and arrive within 24 hours in the working week, lead times are confirmed in writing, and invoices run against your purchase order. We sell to commercial and trade buyers only.
What Harlow buyers send to a fabricator
- Packaging, display and plastics manufacturers Names such as HL Display, Synthomer and Plastic Products International have appeared on the council's cooling tower register. Plants like these order machine bases, platforms, guards and plant frames.
- Data centre and campus operators Kao Park, the former STC and Nortel site, now combines offices and data centres. Plant yards on such campuses call for generator and battery enclosures, plant screens and access stairs.
- Science and technology tenants Harlow Innovation Park markets itself on science, technology and research. Tenants order lab-side frames, rooftop plant platforms, and stainless or aluminium TIG-welded assemblies.
- Estate landlords and building contractors Owners of units at Mead Park, Riverway and Roydonbury order canopies, bollards, fire escapes and walkway guarding, supplied to fit by their own installers or contractors.
The bigger jobs Harlow firms commission
Large orders here include sets of 20 to 60 machine bases, trolleys or brackets for a production line, plant and generator enclosures with acoustic or ventilation detail, skids, and staircase and walkway packages for a refurbished unit. Structural items go through BS EN 1090 factory production control and can be UKCA or CE marked. Stainless and aluminium work is TIG welded by coded welders in a separate area. Finishes include powder coat, RAL wet spray and hot-dip galvanising, which we arrange.
Containers for Harlow compounds
On an older Templefields unit with spare yard, a container makes a quick store or plant room without building work. We frame structural openings into the rails so the box keeps its strength, fit doors, windows and roller shutters, and link or stack units for larger compounds. We also repair and repaint worn boxes. Customers supply the unit or we source one. Recent units cost about £3,400 to £6,800 each net of VAT. See container modifications.
Enclosures, bases and stairs for Harlow plant
For Harlow buyers we fabricate steel enclosures for generators, batteries and switchgear, machine bases, lifting frames, and supply-only stairs, fire escapes, walkways and handrails. We cut with plasma and bend in-house, and buy in laser-cut parts through suppliers. Coded welders cover MIG, TIG and MMA, and structural work runs under BS EN 1090 control. The quote shows material, fabrication and finish as separate lines so you can compare. See frames and skids.
Harlow's business locations
The council names Templefields, the Pinnacles, Harlow Innovation Park and Kao Park as the main business locations. Mead Park Industrial Estate offers modern detached and terraced units, Units A and B at 46,362 sq ft. Harlow Business Park, Riverway Industrial Estate, Roydonbury Industrial Estate and Ash Industrial Estate add more. The Indurent Business Estate on CM20 2TT offers modern industrial space.
Why a Bedford workshop can cost Harlow 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 Harlow 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 Harlow
Harlow is 53 road miles from Marston Moretaine, about 65 minutes by car, using the M1 and the A414. Drive times are by car, and a loaded lorry takes longer. We organise delivery through our logistics partners and agree the day with you. Everything is made in-house, so the price often comes out cheaper than local fabricators.
Our engineers visit the Harlow site to see the job. Templefields and the Pinnacles have a mix of unit sizes, so tell us the gate width, turning room and any height limit. Say what lifting there is on site and we agree the drop with you. Your own installer fits the steelwork. We supply fabricated steel to drawing and do not install on site.
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
Can older Templefields units order replacement machine bases?
Yes. Send a drawing or measured sketch with the loads, and we price material, fabrication and finish separately. Repeat orders are quoted against the same drawing, and the lead time is confirmed in writing.
Do you work with Harlow data centre campuses?
We make generator and battery enclosures, plant frames and access stairs to drawing for commercial buyers. Structural pieces can be supplied UKCA or CE marked under BS EN 1090. We do not install on site.
Do you deliver to Harlow?
Yes. We organise delivery to your site, 53 road miles via the M1 and A414, about 65 minutes by car. The route is chosen to suit the load, and a loaded lorry takes longer. Engineers can visit first to measure up.
Is staged payment available on a multi-unit Harlow order?
Yes, staged payment can be agreed on multi-unit orders, and invoices run against your purchase order. We work with commercial and trade buyers only, and the payment schedule is written into the quote.
Nearby areas
We also quote for firms in Enfield, Welwyn Garden City, Stevenage, Chelmsford, Basildon and Tilbury. See every town on the areas we serve page.