Award-winning bridge builder
Beaver Bridges is breathing new life into Irlam, Greater Manchester, which was once home to the Partington Steel & Iron Company, and later
British Steel, with steelmaking continuing there until 1979. Although steel production ended decades ago, the town's industrial heritage remains visible in its substantial infrastructure, which has provided an ideal foundation for Beaver Bridges as it enters its next phase of growth with a flagship fabrication facility for the next generation of manufacturing.
The company’s new Forge 44 facility takes its name from both its manufacturing focus and its M44 postcode, with the development also receiving recognition from
Made in Britain, the trade organisation representing more than 2,250 British manufacturers. Its trademark is prominently displayed as a 5m mural inside the new Forge 44 facility, celebrating the site’s continued role in British manufacturing.
John Pearce, CEO of Made in Britain, said: "This is what ‘good growth’ in every industrial postcode looks like. The new Beaver Bridges facility is an embodiment of the future-facing British manufacturing story, connecting optimism, skilled, meaningful work in a vibrant and dynamic business that’s built on foundations that are centuries strong. It proves that manufacturing is as vital to our collective future as it was to our industrial past.
He continued: “What’s particularly impressive is how fast the team here has grown to become one of the country’s leading bridge specialists. To have got to this point in just ten years shows the potential that engineering expertise, transformational investment and a commitment to UK fabrication and good growth can bring. This company has doubled its manufacturing capacity while continuing to invest in people, facilities and innovation, demonstrating that unwavering confidence and long-term thinking can help strengthen Britain's infrastructure and building base for years to come. A new era of British industry is being forged by great British manufacturers like this."
Work to modernise the facility began in March 2026 and was completed in June, ready for Beaver Bridges to move in right away. Rather than constructing a new factory from scratch, the company recognised the engineering potential of an existing industrial facility. The renovation installed new cranes and renewed floors while the building was reclad and modern welfare facilities were fitted. The result is a manufacturing environment that visitors frequently mistake for a new-build while preserving the characteristics that made the site ideally suited to heavy fabrication.
The investment has doubled the company's UK fabrication capacity from 20,000 sq ft to 40,000 sq ft, while introducing a dedicated trial erection area where complete or partial bridge structures can be assembled before delivery. By identifying fabrication, construction and finish issues before components leave the factory, the facility reduces installation risk on site while allowing clients to inspect finishes, colours and connections before manufacture is signed off.
Richard Hinckley, business director at Beaver Bridges, said: "Forge 44 represents far more than additional manufacturing space. It gives us the capacity to take on larger and more technically demanding projects while giving clients the opportunity to see their bridge assembled before it ever reaches site.”
The investment comes as Beaver Bridges celebrates its tenth anniversary. As a member of Made in Britain since 2022, Beaver Bridges has the right to display the internationally recognised Made in Britain trademark, independently verifying that its bridges are designed and manufactured in the UK. Mr Hinckley added: "As a business, we're incredibly proud to manufacture in Britain and champion UK engineering. The Made in Britain trademark reinforces that commitment, particularly as we continue to grow internationally, demonstrating to customers that every bridge we deliver is designed and manufactured here in the UK.”
Originally developed for heavy engineering, the refurbished facility combines high-clearance fabrication space with extensive external yards and direct access to the strategic road network. The site enables Beaver Bridges to manufacture, assemble and transport increasingly large and complex bridge structures across the UK and overseas. Located just minutes from the A57, with direct connections to the M60 and M6, Forge 44 offers efficient access to the UK’s motorway network, helping the company transport oversized bridge components and strengthen its ability to deliver major infrastructure projects.
The expansion follows another successful year for Beaver Bridges, which was named UK Bridge Contractor of the Year 2026 at the New Civil Engineer Bridge Awards, the company’s second win in the category in three years. The business, which was established by a team of just six people a decade ago, now employs more than 120 people across multiple UK locations. Annual turnover has grown to more than £30 million, with the company targeting £50 million by 2028.
The investment in Forge 44 underlines Beaver Bridges’ continued commitment to expanding its UK manufacturing capabilities while supporting the delivery of increasingly ambitious bridge and infrastructure projects both at home and internationally.