Wilbury Way makers and the steel they buy in
Hertfordshire Futures names Hitchin among the county's towns with the highest concentrations of manufacturing employment. Industrial units line Wilbury Way, about a mile north of the town centre, with the Cadwell Lane Estate beside it as the other large industrial pocket. Royde & Tucker, the hinge and door hardware maker, is one name from the area. A town with that profile has a steady need for the structural and fabricated steel its own shop floors do not produce.
Makers of that kind buy in the steel they cannot build themselves. We take the drawing, then return an itemised written quote within 24 hours in the working week and confirm the lead time in writing. Repeat batches are invoiced against your purchase order, and staged payments suit multi-unit orders. Daniel Thomas handles the quotes. We work for commercial and trade buyers only, and your own installer fits what we make.
What Hitchin shop floors send out to be made
- Hardware and component manufacturers Firms making metal products need jigs, trolleys, racking frames and machine bases. We fabricate these from a drawing and repeat them in batches once the first has been approved.
- Workshop and trade-counter occupiers Units on Wilbury Way and in Knowl Piece typically ask for plant guards, platforms, stairs and handrails as supply-only steel for their own fitters.
- Engineering and aerospace suppliers Hertfordshire's engineering sector includes Airbus, MBDA, Johnson Matthey and Smiths Detection, and suppliers in the county order enclosures and frames, some in TIG-welded stainless or aluminium.
- Property owners and contractors Landlords and contractors working on units such as Hillgate on Wilbury Way order steel canopies, escape stairs and walkways, finished in RAL paint or galvanised.
Batch and assembly work from Hitchin firms
Manufacturers on streets like Wilbury Way tend to order in series rather than singly. Typical examples are racking frames and trolleys for a production line, jigs and welded machine bases, guards and platforms with handrails for newly fitted equipment, and canopies or escape stairs for a unit owner. A first piece is approved against the drawing and the rest follow in a batch. Finishes run from raw and primed to powder coat or hot-dip galvanising, which we arrange, and stainless parts are welded in their own area.
Stores and plant rooms for Hitchin commercial plots
Container work for Hitchin tends to be stores, plant rooms and site cabins for commercial plots, more than big depot orders. We frame structural openings into the rails, fit doors, windows and roller shutters, and handle repairs and repaints, with the unit supplied by you or sourced by us. Recent units cost about £3,400 to £6,800 each net of VAT depending on scope. See container repairs.
Frames, bases and enclosures to drawing
Our larger fabrication work for Hitchin buyers means frames, machine bases, lifting frames, skids and brackets in batches, plus steel enclosures for plant and generator equipment. Coded MIG, TIG and MMA welders do the work, plasma cutting and bending are in-house, and BS EN 1090 control covers structural items so they can be supplied UKCA or CE marked. Powder coat and hot-dip galvanising are arranged by us. See frames and skids.
Wilbury Way, Cadwell Lane and the smaller Hitchin sites
Wilbury Way and the Cadwell Lane Estate form the main industrial area, about a mile north of the town centre and railway station. Wilbury Park offers warehouse, workshop and studio space there, and Hillgate is a modern warehouse and office building on Wilbury Way. Smaller sites include Knowl Piece, where gated units are advertised, and the Cam Centre. We deliver from our yard to any of them.
Why a Bedford workshop can cost Hitchin 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 Hitchin 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 Hitchin
Getting work to Hitchin takes 22 road miles and about 36 minutes by car from the Marston Moretaine yard, via the M1, and a loaded lorry takes longer. Our logistics partners deliver to your unit on a day we organise and agree with you. Smaller batches of frames can go on a curtain-sider, so give us the dimensions and weights when you ask for the quote. Making everything in-house often keeps our price under local fabricators.
Before the drawing is final our engineers visit your Hitchin unit, look at the job and take the measurements. Many units sit on gated sites or shared yards, such as Knowl Piece, so tell us the gate code, opening hours and turning space. Say whether you have a forklift or other lifting on site, and we agree the drop with you. Your own installer fits the steel.
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 a small Hitchin manufacturer order a repeat batch of frames?
Yes. Repeat batches are routine. We price the first run line by line, then quote repeats against the same drawing, with the lead time confirmed in writing.
How does payment work for a Hitchin order?
We invoice against your purchase order. On multi-unit orders payment can be staged. We deal with commercial and trade buyers only and do not take domestic work.
Do you offer powder coating for Hitchin jobs?
Finishes available are raw, primed, RAL wet spray, powder coat and hot-dip galvanised, which we arrange. The quote lists each finish as its own line so the cost is visible.
Will your engineers visit our Hitchin unit?
Yes. We are based in Bedford, and engineers visit Hitchin to see the work and measure up. We then organise delivery of the finished frames or units to your site. Phone Daniel Thomas on 07365 129991 to fix a day. Bringing a drawing to the workshop is also welcome.
Can you make guards and platforms for machinery we have just installed?
Yes. Send the layout drawing or a dimensioned sketch, or ask us to come and measure up on site, and we make the guards, platforms, stairs and handrails to fit. They are delivered to you and your own installer positions them. We do not fit them ourselves.
Nearby areas
We also quote for firms in Stevenage, Luton, Welwyn Garden City, Dunstable, Bedford and Cambridge. See every town on the areas we serve page.