News: Stelrad delivers strong operational performance despite subdued market

Stelrad, the UK's leading manufacturer of stylish modern radiators, has talked of ongoing economic uncertainty that has led to lower revenues in its latest financial results.

Registered in Newcastle, it now operates from facilities in both Nuth, in The Netherlands, and in Swinton, Mexborough. The Rotherham site handles the UK radiators business, coordinating an advanced production and distribution operation that spans a 17 acre site which is the largest radiator storage facility in the UK.

The company is a big supplier to new build housing developments and in a trading update for the ten months ended 31 October 2025, Stelrad said that new build end-market activity has remained subdued since the half year. The update added that the group "continues to implement proactive margin management initiatives and cost reduction activities, with continued operational excellence playing an important role in offsetting declines in volumes."

The board expects the full financial year to have an adjusted operating profit within a range of £32m to £33m, ahead of the prior year (£31.5m), with positive operating margin growth year-on-year.

After the announcement Stelrad successfully refinanced its £100m multicurrency facility agreement at improved terms which it says will reduce its future borrowing costs.

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Trevor Harvey, Chief Executive of Stelrad, said: "Stelrad continues to deliver a strong operational performance and remains on track to achieve growth in adjusted operating profit and margin expansion year-on-year, despite the subdued volume environment.

"Whilst the continued delay in end-market recovery remains frustrating, Stelrad's flexible, low-cost manufacturing footprint, outstanding customer service and unmatched product availability means that the Group remains well-positioned for the eventual recovery in our end markets, and I remain confident in our ability to deliver long-term value for our stakeholders."

The Rotherham site remains the company’s manufacturing hub for selected models, representing the brand’s continued investment in British engineering.

Stelrad explains that its customers increasingly want to know where their products are made, and for good reason. UK manufacturing means shorter supply chains, reduced delivery times, and lower environmental impact. It also reflects a continued investment in local communities and sustainable industry growth.

By producing selected radiators on site at Mexborough, Stelrad helps ensure that customers receive products made to exacting standards, including complying with BS-EN442.

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News: Rotherham visits spark youngsters’ interest in manufacturing and engineering

A number of factory visits across Rotherham took place on National Manufacturing Day aiming to inspire the manufacturing workforce of the future.

Now in its fourth year, National Manufacturing Day, headed up by the manufacturers organisation Make UK, has one goal: encourage UK manufacturers to throw open their doors to show young people the amazing career opportunities on offer in manufacturing - in the hope of inspiring them to think about a career in this exciting sector.

The Work-wise Foundation helped to organise site visits on the day. The employer-led charity supports the development of young people so they have the knowledge, skills, aptitude and opportunities for employment within South Yorkshire and beyond.

More than 140 young people visited to the University of Sheffield AMRC to see machines developing research components for aerospace, being able to program a robot and having a go at welding using augmented reality. With state-of-the-art facilities on the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham, the AMRC Training Centre has trained thousands of apprentices.

Nine schools from across Sheffield and Rotherham brought more than 140 children to visit the AMRC to see the pioneering innovations and cutting-edge research and technologies its engineers are developing.

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Following shop floor tours in the morning, the children participated in interactive workshops in the afternoon, which involved a number of engaging science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) activities, including being able to try out an augmented reality welder, robotics coding, using additive manufacturing 3D-pens and creating electric circuits from pre-set electric circuit diagrams.

Leading the afternoon sessions was Lisa Sellers, schools engagement lead at the University of Sheffield AMRC Training Centre. She said: “Doing STEM events like these are vitally important for young people as it helps them to think about the future, choose options and find out about advanced manufacturing in their local area.

“National Manufacturing Day is the perfect backdrop to do events like these and we’re lucky that South Yorkshire has so many different and amazing manufacturing companies to learn from.”

Stephen Phipson, chief executive officer of the manufacturers organisation Make UK, said the annual day continues to grow each year and that it’s an opportunity for the sector to come together to celebrate British innovation and showcase the careers on offer to people of all ages across the country.

He added: “Our supporting companies and organisations are at the forefront of technology development and global design. We hope this fourth National Manufacturing Day will encourage people who have never thought of manufacturing as a future career before to come along to see what it is really like. This is a highly paid sector with good jobs which offer something for everyone.”

John Barber, chief executive officer and co-founder of The Work-wise Foundation, said: “Work-wise was established to help bridge the gap between business and education, alongside showcasing the world of work and what career opportunities are on offer to young people.

“We are delighted to be partnering with Make UK, the University of Sheffield AMRC and AMRC Training Centre again this year to highlight some of the fantastic manufacturing businesses in South Yorkshire and provide insights into advanced manufacturing and the pathways to work available.

“It’s so important to give our future workforce the opportunity to gain first-hand knowledge to help them navigate further learning and career choices. We are very grateful to the AMRC and AMRC Training Centre for their continued support for our work.”

Rotherham schools, St. Bernard's Catholic High School, Wales High School Academy Trust and Aston Academy took part with Rotherham businesses, AMG Chrome Limited, AML, CMD Ltd, Stelrad Ltd and the UK Atomic Energy Authority hosted tours.

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News: Stelrad continues to trade well

Stelrad, the UK's leading manufacturer of stylish modern radiators, continues to trade well following a pivotal year which saw it join the London Stock Exchange.

Registered in Newcastle, it now operates from facilities in both Nuth, in The Netherlands, and in Mexborough. The Rotherham site handles the UK radiators business, coordinating an advanced production and distribution operation that spans a 17 acre site which is the largest radiator storage facility in the UK.

Despite the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic across the world, Stelrad's impressive progress continued in 2021 when it achieved a record financial performance.

Revenue of £272.3m was reported for the 12 months ended December 31 2021, up from £196.6m in 2020 whilst adjusted operating profit rose by 112.3% to £33.2m from the 2020 figure of £15.6m.

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Helping to heat homes sustainably, sales volume increased by 20% versus 2020 and was 9% higher than in 2019, the last pre-pandemic year. Bosses said that this performance was aided by the supportive backdrop of the continued focus on decarbonisation and the move towards higher added value premium steel panel radiators.

The year also saw the completion of a six-year programme of upgrading our three main facilities, which has seen a total of £25m invested in best-in class manufacturing capabilities. This included an £175k upgrade project to install 16 modern, fully modulating gas burners on the electrocoat ovens in the manufacturing site in Mexborough to help reduce the reliance on gas.

Stelrad shares began trading on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange in November 2021. The IPO valued the business at €320m (£274m).

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Since the end of the financial year, the group has performed slightly ahead of management expectations and the outlook for the group remains unchanged. Some reduction in overall volumes have been more than offset by increased revenues and improving margins.

Trevor Harvey, Chief Executive of Stelrad, said: "The Group continues to trade well thanks to our brand strength and well-established relationships with major distributors and specifiers. As energy prices continue to place pressure on household incomes, our products remain central to how consumers across Europe affordably heat homes and reduce energy consumption while governments continue to debate how best to decarbonise homes and meet long-term net zero carbon commitments. We are confident in our strategy and ability to continue growing our market share both organically and through M&A as we address this important trend."

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News: Stelrad welcomed to London Stock Exchange

Stelrad, the UK's leading manufacturer of stylish modern radiators, has been welcomed to the London Stock Exchange following a successful initial public offering (IPO).

Registered in Newcastle, it now operates from facilities in both Nuth, in The Netherlands, and in Mexborough. The Rotherham site handles the UK radiators business, coordinating an advanced production and distribution operation that spans a 17 acre site which is the largest radiator storage facility in the UK.

The IPO valued the business at €320m (£274m) and sees Stelrad shares trade on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol SRAD.

The origins of the Group date back to the 1930s and Stelrad enjoys long established commercial relationships with many of its customers, having served each of its top five customers for over twenty years.

The Group operates across six core geographies: UK, Benelux, Germany, France, Turkey and Poland and collectively, the total addressable market across these geographies has an estimated value of £1,100 million, and equates to approximately 24.4 million radiators.

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Following its admission to the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange, Stelrad Group PLC’s focus remains on exploiting the breadth of organic and inorganic growth opportunities on offer, continuing to focus on further improving our extensive product offering and the strong relationships it has with major distributors and specifiers.

Trevor Harvey, Chief Executive of Stelrad, said: "We are thrilled that Stelrad’s unique business proposition has resonated so strongly with investors, and are delighted to have received such a high level of demand for the Placing.

"Our successful growth strategy has been built upon a combination of standardised product design across all our manufacturing facilities, a key focus on specifiers across all of our end-markets and continued range innovation, alongside our multi-brand strategy that enables products and brands to be tailored to specific channels. As a result, we are the number one steel panel radiator business in a number of the markets where we operate.

"The listing of Stelrad on the Main Market of the London Stock exchange reflects not only the success that we have enjoyed to date but also our confidence in our ability to deliver further upside as part of our growth plan as we continue to play a leading role in keeping Europe warm.”

Michael Loudon, Partner at Clearwater International, the firm that advised Stelrad on the IPO, added: "The Group is well positioned to pursue growth both organically and through acquisitions, having already established itself as a leader in radiator manufacturing and distribution. Its broader role in driving energy efficiency and creating environmentally friendly homes increases its attractiveness in the market and we are confident of Stelrad’s continued success in the future."

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News: Rotherham radiator manufacturer warming up for IPO

Stelrad, the UK's leading manufacturer of stylish modern radiators, is considering joining the stock exchange with an initial public offering (IPO).

The company was founded in 1936, manufacturing steel column radiators from a purpose built factory in Southall. Registered in Newcastle, it now operates from facilities in both Nuth (The Netherlands) and in Mexborough (UK). The Swinton site handles the UK radiators business, coordinating an advanced production and distribution operation that spans a 17 acre site which is the largest radiator storage facility in the UK.

Stelrad, whose revenue grew to £242.5m in the year ended 30 June 2021, is now considering applying for admission of the Ordinary Shares to the premium segment of the Official List of the FCA and to trading on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange.

Stelrad, which is the main supplier of the significant majority of hydronic radiators to four of the largest national housebuilders, said that the share issue would raise around £25m to repay certain existing indebtedness of the Group (both external and with existing shareholders).

Bob Ellis, chairman of Stelrad, said: "Stelrad is a leading specialist manufacturer and distributor of steel panel radiators with a track record dating back to the 1930s. Today, the Group benefits from an unrivalled combination of brand strength, highly efficient operating infrastructure and market access, trading across six core geographies of the UK, Benelux, Germany, France, Turkey and Poland.

"The European countries where the Group operates have been progressive in advancing the decarbonisation agenda through strong regulation and policies and Stelrad's products will play a key role in the longer-term transition away from traditional gas boilers with larger surface area radiators in particular being well suited to low temperature systems such as heat pumps.

"The Group's highly experienced management team have a wealth of industry experience and a long-standing commitment to the business having put in place a strategy that has seen the business deliver a resilient financial performance in recent years and, as a result, the Group is well placed to build on the strong momentum through both organic and inorganic growth opportunities."

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Trevor Harvey, Chief Executive Officer of Stelrad, added: "Our successful growth strategy has been built upon a combination of standardised product design across all our manufacturing facilities, a key focus on specifiers across all of our end-markets and continued range innovation, alongside our multi-brand strategy that enables products and brands to be tailored to specific channels. As a result, we are the number one steel panel radiator business in a number of the markets where we operate.

"Hydronic systems dominate the heating market and steel panel radiators remain by far the most popular heat emitter with demand driven by both first-time installations and replacements. The overall market value is growing thanks to positive underlying market activity and continued adoption of premium panel radiators with the move towards decarbonisation presenting numerous opportunities and limited disruption to our longer-term growth plans.

"Our extensive product offering, strong relationships with all major distributors and specifiers plus this supportive market backdrop mean that we are confident of delivering further upside as part of our growth plan as we continue to play a leading role in keeping Europe warm."

The company said that it was "positioning for decarbonisation" with the scale and market position to adapt. Organic growth, extending already strong market positions in Europe and a focus on higher margin premium radiator segment are also part of the group's strategy.

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The announcement to the stock exchange also discusses manufacturing and plans for under-utilised Western European lines to be "upgraded and redeployed at the Group's facility in Çorlu [Turkey] where the Group benefits from lower raw material and labour costs."

Bregal Capital, a leading European private equity firm, completed the management buy-out (MBO) of the Ideal Stelrad for approximately £230m in 2013.

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News: Stelrad looking to expand Rotherham facility

Stelrad, the UK's leading manufacturer of stylish modern radiators, is hoping to extend its current facility in Rotherham after a sustained period of growth.

The company was founded in 1936 manufacturing steel column radiators from a purpose built factory in Southall. It now operates from facilities in both Nuth (The Netherlands) and in Mexborough (UK). The Swinton site handles the UK radiators business, coordinating an advanced production and distribution operation that spans a 17 acre site.

Since the warehouse was build in 2002/2003, The £70m turnover firm has grown its market share from a third to around half of the UK market. Stelrad puts this down to the efficiency of the warehousing and distribution facility. The growth has however resulted in increased pressure on the facility and to relive this pressure, more warehousing capacity is required.

Stelrad is now looking to squeeze every inch out of the site, which is home to around 165 staff.

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A recently submitted planning application for a 5,000 sq ft extension, drawn up by Topping Engineers, states: "The site at Mexborough is fairly restricted with limited space available for any new buildings however there are two areas of concrete hardstanding at either end of an existing canopy which are under-utilised.

"These areas would facilitate a warehouse extensions to be built. These extensions would be of modest scale compared to the existing building but would offer significant additional bulk storage. The extra capacity will assist in allowing the business to maintain its current levels of customer service and to continue its growth."

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News: Local companies pitch in for Bluebell Wood

A team from Stelrad in Rotherham, the UK's leading manufacturer of radiators for the heating sector, recently took on a team from the Royal Mail in a charity football match where the net result was a funding boost for Bluebell Wood Children's Hospice.

Lexi Kelly from the Mexborough company's marketing team, with the help of workmates Dean Holdsworth in maintenance and Adam Mars in production, organised the event for the morning of the day England played Sweden in the World Cup.

Based at North Anston in Rotherham, Bluebell Wood provides care and support to families who have a child who has a life limiting condition and is not expected to live into adulthood. It has to raise over £4m each year to continue its work, and receives less than 10% statutory funding.

The game was between Stelrad and the HR services team at Royal Mail, at Mexborough Athletic Football Ground. It ended in a narrow 5-4 victory for the Stelrad team.

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There was a bucket collection for spectators on the day, along with a raffle – with bottles and tickets to Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday games and to a Yorkshire Cricket Club match amongst the other prizes on offer. In total £850 was raised on the day and Stelrad kindly agreed to match the funds raised at the event, doubling that total to an impressive £1,700.

Lexi Kelly, from Stelrad, said: "I'd like to thank everyone who supported the event and who contributed to this excellent total. It was a lot of work but it all came together really well in the end! I'm really grateful to Stelrad for doubling the amount we raised on the morning of the event – its made the final amount we can donate to the charity very worthwhile!"

Julie Hampson, corporate fundraiser for Bluebell Wood Children's Hospice, added: "We'd like to say a huge thank you to everyone at Stelrad and the Royal Mail for their support on the day of the game. The amount raised will make a real difference to what we do here."

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News: Stelrad look to future with new apprentices

Stelrad, the UK's leading manufacturer of stylish modern radiators, has taken on new apprentices at its Rotherham facility as it forms a partnership with the RNN Group.

At its premises at Swinton, Stelrad has taken on five apprentices as production technicians for a two-year period, as part of its drive to provide career opportunities to local young people, whilst introducing new blood into the business.

Stelrad has formed a partnership with local training company RNN Training and the apprentices will divide their time between work based learning on the job at Stelrad and regular skills learning at Rotherham College.

Mark Evans, operational training and competency officer at Stelrad, said: "For the first year, the apprentices will have set time periods across different departments. They start off in the office doing a few days with HR, one day with Credit Control and Purchasing and so on, so they can see the whole Stelrad process in action, from the production of the material to distribution."

This varied and hands-on approach has proven popular with the apprentices, with the new learners commenting that the training was a good opportunity to understand all the different aspects of the business, which will give them insight into which area they would like to progress into after their apprenticeship has been completed.

The idea is to educate the apprentices in "the broad spectrum of the inner workings of Stelrad, from raw material coming in to radiators being sent out at the end."

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Having been an apprentice himself, Mark understands the advantages of learning on the job. He added: "Our operations director and our production manager trained as apprentices as well as me. We all think it's an ideal opportunity for these guys to develop themselves and their skills, and for us to invest in our local community."

RNN Training worked closely with Stelrad to find the right candidates for the apprenticeships, providing everything on the doorstep from support with the slection process to facilities at the group's Dinnington Campus.

Stelrad hopes to expand its apprenticeship intake in the future, branching out into different areas as the partnership with RNN Training progresses. Evans, added: "Apprenticeships are the foundation stone of bigger and better things. So from this, we're hoping to bring in an intake of four or five apprentices every year and the hope is that in three or four years' time, it'll be these guys who are training our other apprentices."

Charlie Grayson, business development manager at RNN Training, added: "This new partnership with Stelrad is an important step in strengthening our connections with local employers and in ensuring that young people continue to learn and develop in an educational environment that suits them best. We look forward to continuing our work with Stelrad in the future."

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News: Fit 4 Business in Rotherham

Rotherham-headquartered national recruiter, Stafforce, is aiming to help South Yorkshire employers get Fit 4 Business at a free breakfast event.

Held at client, Stelrad's site in Mexborough on March 7, it will cover reducing costs, increasing productivity and lifting operating efficiencies through three core "fitness" themes - legislation and compliance, lean operations and staff health and financial wellbeing.

The roadshow will focus on Agency Workers Regulations, which came into force on 1st October last year and affects anyone who takes or supplies temporary staff.

Fit 4 Business will also cover workplace health and financial wellbeing, which can foster a happy culture of secure, motivated staff, where low turnover and absenteeism and high productivity are the norm. Stafforce will share the success of the BeingBetter project, which ran in Rotherham and was funded by the European Economic Development Fund.

Ian Anderson, chief executive of Stafforce, said: "For many firms today, the only way to defend margin, never mind grow, is take out unnecessary cost and poor practice. Fit 4 Business will help them to do just that.

"As our clients and their markets have become more sophisticated, we have evolved too. We're not simply about recruitment, but also help firms become profitable, sustainable and effective.

"Pressures on employers have been ramped up by both the recession and legislation and we see it as our job to help them achieve full compliance with employment law, the ever more exacting audits of their clients and reasonable staff expectations."

Anyone wishing to attend Fit 4 Business should call Frances Slack on 0114 384 0100 or frances.slack@stafforce.co.uk

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