Who We Are

In 1925, Mr. Bennett Beardshaw founded Special  Steel  Company  on Bacon Lane  in Sheffield.  Demand for  the heat  treatment furnaces grew rapidly  and  so  inevitably  the need for  testing increased.

In 1939 the test house was built and Special Testing Works Ltd was formed. The Group became involved in non destructive testing (NDT) in 1981 with the formation of STW (Non Destructive) Limited. NDT services are provided both in house and at customer sites.

Having developed a significant group of metals processing companies, including metallurgists with special manufacturing knowledge, Special Quality Alloys was established in 1986 to supply the market with nickel based superalloys and speciality steels.

To further expand our in-house facilities and expertise, two strategic acquisitions have been made. GH White and Co. limited became a members of the Special Steel Group in 1996 adding a much enhanced range of heat treatment capabilities. Hawk Engineering (Sheffield) Limited was acquired in 1998 allowing management of turnkey manufacturing projects.

Today, Special Quality Alloys utilises not only its own extensive range of facilities and qualified people, but also has access to Group company plants and expertise, providing us with a critical mass in metals processing that is truly world class.

To expand our world-wide service, we established the first overseas depot in 1999 with the formation of Special Quality Alloys Inc. Houston Texas.