Logistics, manufacturing and the A5
The borough's own economic strategy says logistics and manufacturing lead local employment, and the 2020 employment review counted three large B2 and B8 schemes proposed or under construction. A regional profile lists MIRA, Caterpillar and Triumph among large employers in the district, and textile and clothing manufacturing tops the town's sector breakdown. The mix is wide, from warehouses to engineering to garments. That spread keeps demand for steelwork varied across the year.
Warehouse and factory sites share a steady need for steelwork: yard stores, plant frames, access stairs and walkways, and containers set up as stores or workshops. We build to your drawing with coded welders and BS EN 1090 control on structural items, send an itemised written quote within 24 hours in the working week, and confirm the lead time in writing. Commercial and trade only. Invoices go against your PO.
Hinckley buyers, from sheds to workshops
- Warehouse and distribution operators Occupiers of B8 units near the A5 and M69 order yard stores, cage frames, canopy frames, plant enclosures and modified containers for welfare, tools or plant.
- Automotive and engineering firms With MIRA and Caterpillar named among the district's large employers, suppliers nearby buy machine bases, fixtures, test frames and guarding made to drawing.
- Textile and clothing manufacturers The town's biggest manufacturing group still makes garments. Such sites need new mezzanine steel, stairs, walkways and equipment platforms, made to fit and supplied for their contractor.
- Developers and fit-out contractors New-build units on Hinckley's business parks need fire escapes, canopy steel, handrails and plant frames supplied to fit by the contractor's own installers.
Jobs that suit Hinckley's sheds and plants
For a logistics tenant, a bigger order might be six or eight modified containers fitted with roller shutters for tool and plant stores, plus canopy frames and a yard stair. For a manufacturer, it could be a set of machine bases and platforms in one finish, or an equipment frame with walkway and handrail sections. We cut and bend in-house, buy laser-cut parts from suppliers, and arrange hot-dip galvanising, powder coat or RAL wet spray. Single small brackets are possible but rarely worth a delivery on their own.
Container work for Hinckley's warehouse sites
Warehouse yards and building sites in the Hinckley area use containers as stores, workshops, welfare units and plant rooms. We frame structural openings into the rails, fit doors, windows and roller shutters, link or stack units, and handle cut-downs, repairs and repaints. You can supply the units or we source them. Capacity is around 8 units a week, and multi-unit orders can be staged. See container modifications.
Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council is the planning authority. A container used as a store or workshop on a business site may need permission, depending on use, size and how long it stays. The council publishes self-assessment forms on its planning permission pages, and its planning team takes enquiries. Ask before you order, because we cannot give planning advice.
Fabrication for Hinckley factories and distribution units
Structural steelwork is made under BS EN 1090 factory production control and can be supplied UKCA or CE marked. For plant, we build enclosures for generators, acoustic equipment and switchgear, plus skids, frames and machine bases. Supply-only stairs, fire escapes, walkways and handrails are made to fit and left for your installer. Stainless and aluminium parts are welded by coded welders in a separate area. See steel walkways and railings.
West Hinckley, Hinckley Park and the older estates
West Hinckley Business Park lies off Watling Street (the A5) and is planned to bring around 2,500 jobs of light industrial, office and related use. Hinckley Park is a strategic business park next to junction 1 of the M69. Hinckley Business Park has two terraced single-storey blocks, Phoenix Park on Brindley Road has 21 small units, and Harrowbrook Industrial Estate, Sketchley Meadows Business Park and The Lawns Business Centre complete the local list.
Why a Bedford workshop can cost Hinckley 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 Hinckley 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 Hinckley
Hinckley is 54 road miles from Marston Moretaine, about 67 minutes by car via the M1 and A5. Our logistics partners deliver the finished steel or containers to your unit, and we organise the booking. A loaded lorry takes longer, and the A5 can slow it near junctions. Since fabrication and finishing all happen under our roof, the price often lands below a local quote.
Hinckley's newer parks have wide yards and good turning room, while older estates and town-edge units can be tighter. Our engineers visit to see the job, so give them the gate widths, any height limits and the spot where the load goes. Tell us what lifting is on site and we agree the drop with you. Your installer fits or sets the steel and containers. We 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
How many containers can you modify in one go for a Hinckley depot?
Capacity is around 8 units a week, and 12 have gone through in one week. Multi-unit jobs are built in sequence, with staged payments agreed on the quote before you commit.
Do you deliver to Hinckley?
Yes. We organise delivery from Marston Moretaine to Hinckley sites, 54 miles by the M1 and A5, and our engineers can visit first to measure up. The drop is agreed with you, including the access and lifting on site.
Can you quote against a drawing from a Hinckley factory?
Yes. Send the latest revision and finish. The itemised written quote follows within 24 hours in the working week, and the lead time is confirmed in writing before any order.
Will a container on my Hinckley unit need planning permission?
Possibly, depending on use, size and how long the unit stays. Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council decides and publishes self-assessment forms on its website. Check with the planning team before ordering.
Do you supply stairs and walkways for Hinckley mezzanines?
Yes, supply only. Send dimensions, loading and finish, and your installer fits them. Structural items can be supplied UKCA or CE marked under our BS EN 1090 factory production control.
Nearby areas
We also quote for firms in Nuneaton, Lutterworth, Coventry, Leicester, Rugby, Loughborough, Birmingham, Nottingham and Derby. See every town on the areas we serve page.