New Machine Shop Tops Out at Sheffield Forgemasters

Sheffield Forgemasters has marked an important milestone in the development of its vast new machine shop with a Topping Out ceremony for the final steel roof-beam being installed.

To celebrate the milestone, the company’s machine shop teams and development contractors, McLaughlin & Harvey, came together for the ceremony on the site of the new 30,000 m2 machine shop, where the framework is almost complete.

Attendees were invited to sign their names on the final roof-beam before Sheffield Forgemasters’ longest serving machinist, Paul Haxton with almost 50 years' service, and first year apprentice, Joe Garrett, were invited to tighten the golden bolt that will hold the last steel beam in place.   

Photo: Joe Garrett (left) and Paul Haxton (right) tighten the bolt that will hold the final steel beam in place.   

Gareth Barker, Chief Operating Officer at Sheffield Forgemasters, said: “This event marks a significant milestone in the development of our new machine shop, and it is fantastic so many people were able to join us to mark the occasion.

“Our new facility enables us to bring together our years of expertise and investment in state-of-the-art machines, to deliver incredible accuracies and dramatically improve our ability to innovate, making Sheffield Forgemasters more competitive on the world stage.

“Attending the topping out ceremony were a number of our long serving employees, some with almost fifty-years of service with the company alongside our first-year apprentices, who’ll transfer this inherited skill and knowledge into future engineering practices.

Photo: COO Gareth Barker speaks the gathered ground at the topping out ceremony

“For many of our machinists, this was the first time they had visited the new site and what will eventually be their new workplace.”

The company’s new machine shop is being built alongside a new 13,000 tonne Forging Line, both of which underpin a £1.3 billion recapitalisation programme being driven by its MOD owners.

Gareth added: “It’s less than two years until the site is due to become operational and will provide a working environment that is cleaner, faster and better in every way. This really is an exciting time for Sheffield Forgemasters.”

Fast becoming an iconic landmark for the city, the new machine shop is due to be operational by the end of 2028.

The machine shop project team consists of Arup, which handled the ecological and travel assessments, Bond Bryan Architects, and JLL, which acted on behalf of Sheffield Forgemasters for the site acquisition and planning submissions, and delivery support partner, Turner & Townsend.