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Historic Sheffield metals firm Special Melted Products creating scores of jobs in £50m expansion
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Special Melted Products, a historic Sheffield metals manufacturer tracing its origins to 1842, is undertaking an ambitious expansion programme to strengthen the UK's domestic aerospace and defence supply chain. The company, currently employing 260 people, plans to construct a new facility incorporating advanced manufacturing equipment including furnaces and a 7,000-tonne press, funded partly through a £2.2m loan from Lloyds. The expansion targets job creation and revenue growth whilst addressing supply chain vulnerabilities.
The investment, dubbed Project Vulcan, reflects a strategic shift toward what company leadership terms "sovereign capability" in advanced materials manufacturing. By reducing dependence on overseas suppliers and building domestic capacity in nickel-based superalloys, the project aims to strengthen both the regional economy and the UK's competitive position in high-value aerospace manufacturing whilst supporting apprenticeships and local supply networks.
In short
- Sheffield-based Special Melted Products is investing £50m in a major expansion to boost domestic production of aerospace and defence materials
- The project aims to create 168 jobs by 2030 and reduce UK reliance on US-supplied components through increased domestic manufacturing capability
Explained simply
Special Melted Products is a Sheffield-based metalworking company that has been manufacturing specialized materials for over 180 years. The firm produces advanced metals used primarily in aerospace and defence industries, where reliability and quality are essential.
The company is investing £50 million to build a new production facility with modern equipment, creating numerous new jobs. This expansion is partly funded by a £2.2m loan from Lloyds bank and reflects growing demand for high-quality metal components used in aircraft engines and defence systems.
The investment aims to reduce the UK's dependence on foreign suppliers for these critical materials by building more of this manufacturing capacity at home. By producing these specialized metals domestically rather than importing them, the company hopes to strengthen both the regional economy and Britain's competitive position in global aerospace manufacturing, whilst supporting apprenticeships and smaller local suppliers.
Business Economy Sheffield UK World