We’re delighted to share that following a two-day audit we have officially achieved BS EN 15085 and ISO 3834 recertification.
Due to our rapid growth in welding capacity, we are no longer classified as a small concern under the standard, so our expansion required us to enhance our internal welding coordination team in order to maintain total compliance.
BS EN 15085 is the British and European standard series that specifies the requirements for the welding of railway vehicles and components. It governs the quality, design, production and testing of welded metallic parts used in trains, trams, and rail infrastructure to ensure structural integrity and safety.
ISO 3834 outlines the quality requirements for the fusion welding of metallic materials, both in workshops and installation sites.
To meet these higher standards, we have increased the capabilities and qualifications of our Responsible Welding Coordination (RWC) team.
We have a strong commitment to our employees, who we see as the drivers of our success, which is why for a number of years we’ve invested in professional development. And having anticipated our growth and the changes in requirements, we actively invested in the education and development of our team to secure our recertification success.
In just 14 months, Alan Bailey successfully completed a 24-month Higher National Certificate (HNC) in Fabrication, Welding and Inspection, achieving a 96% Grade A Pass. Following this success, Kurt Stubbs has also now enrolled in his HNC program to further strengthen our team.
This recertification highlights our commitment to support our customers with high-quality sheet metal manufacturing capabilities. If you’d like to explore our extensive certifications that enable us to work in critical industries or that demonstrate our commitment to quality and the environment you can see our full list here.
And, if you’d like to work with a manufacturing partner that can deliver precision sheet metal fabrications, get in touch.
As a complete manufacturing partner, we’re able to deliver both manual and automated welding capabilities from our state-of-the-art facility in County Durham. And therefore, know where and when to apply the precision of automated welding with the expertise of manual welding of complex fabrications.
If we first look at manual welding, it’s a well-established discipline that delivers versatility, adaptability and strict quality control.
A welder has to control and set up the welding parameters on the welding machine to the required procedure specifications. This learned experience isn’t easy to apply and requires educated skill, especially when dealing with changeable and complex welds. A skilled welder can adjust technique, speed and make corrections in real-time by continually making quality observations during the process (often by ear alone) and adapting as necessary.
Therefore, manual welding is often best suited to small batches, prototypes or one-off products where complex geometries and specialised materials require the spatial awareness and problem-solving skills of an experienced welder, who can make appropriate judgements on the weld process.
With our team of skilled MAG and TIG welders and dedicated welding bays, we can be ready to start a project quickly with our expertise to know which equipment will be required to ensure a successful outcome.
In addition, we hold a wealth of certifications which ensure our weld projects can be trusted for quality and safety in critical applications, such as:
Furthermore, all welding procedures and our welder qualifications are carried out by a third party in accordance with ISO 15614 and ISO 9606 and are Lloyds approved.
All of this being said, and in addition to our highly skilled welding team, we have two automatic Panasonic MAG welding robots and most recently have installed a welding cobot.
Both robot cells are equipped with automated turntables allowing maximum productivity. They have rotary manipulators allowing workpieces to be turned independently of the robot position.
These machines enable us to deliver precise accuracy at speed and are best suited to repetitive, high-volume work where we can maximise efficiency and guarantee uniformity across long production runs.
With the maximum welding robot capacity for components as 150kg and 2200mm long for metal fabrication and welding, they are ideal for the manufacture of automotive frames, agricultural parts and structural frames.
Whilst our cobot welding bridges the gap between manual precision and full industrial automation, offering a highly flexible, safe, and cost-effective solution for our fabrication shop. Unlike traditional industrial robots that require massive safety cages and complex programming, collaborative robots (cobots) are designed to work directly alongside human operators.
However, the strongest point of our automated welding capabilities is that they enable us to deliver a hybrid workflow. Which means that we can ensure structural integrity is maintained where strength is critical, cosmetic areas are finished cleanly and production remains highly cost-effective.
You can never wholly replace the ‘irreplaceable’ human skill of welding but combining rich experience with the automation of robots and working in collaboration with cobots can undoubtedly save time and resources – freeing assets and people to be used elsewhere to better meet the demands of our busy fabrication facility, such as on more complex weld projects or quality inspection.
By balancing automated capacity with manual expertise, we support the consolidation of supply chains, simplify supplier management and accelerate time-to-market.
From initial profile cutting through to fabrication and final powder coating and assembly, we can manage the entire subcontract process under one roof.
Contact our technical engineering team to discuss your next project.
We always look to champion our team members and shine a light in recognition of their achievements as they arise throughout the year. In addition, we spend time at the end of each year reflecting on these successes and award employees and teams based on demonstrating the values of the company as well as skills and personal advancements.
The 2025 Hydram Employee Awards went to:
Employees of the Year: Sean Magee, David Hamilton, Paul Tindale
Most improved Employees of the Year: Stuart Cook, Rafal Razniak, Michael Wilkinson
Apprentice of the Year: Natasha McLaren
Team of the Year: Welding & Dressing Team
Now, more than six months on, we spent time with some of the winners of the awards to get an insight into what they enjoy most about their role and working at Hydram, what they are looking forward to achieving by the end of this year and finally what advice they would pass on.
Dave Brentley a member of the welding team, which won Team of the Year, commented: “This past year and on receiving the award I’m most proud of the quality performance of the team and seeing them consistently deliver high quality. I think it puts us and the business in a great position, and I look forward to seeing the team develop as the business continues to invest in our welding capabilities.
“The advice I always give and what I’d want to hear is to make your career, whatever that may be, what you want to do. Then it will never truly feel like work.”
Employee of the Year, Sean Magee, primary operations added: “My advice to the younger generation would be to work hard and really listen. And always look for opportunities for promotion, so that you continue to learn and grow.
“At Hydram, there are great chances to be promoted and you’re able to surround yourself with a good bunch of people that you can have a laugh with but also ask questions of. Especially in my role, people tend to think we just press a button. And okay, we do that too but if we don’t consider the material or set the laser head properly then that leads to quality issues – and quality is something that you have to check closely. This is when working with a team you can trust and learn from is key.
“And looking ahead to achievements for this year, I would like to win the award again – retain the title!”
Stuart Cook, primary operations and winner of Most Improved Employee of the Year concluded: “The people I work with at Hydram are brilliant and it’s actually really great to have been given this award as there’s often a misconception on how skilled the role is. You have to be able to read drawings accurately and attention to detail is important as setting up is key because mistakes can’t be rectified – you can’t reweld or rework, you have to redo.
“So, my advice to those just starting their careers is the same to those who may have worked for years; pay attention to learn the skills required.”
We also asked what project they felt had the biggest impact on the business in the past year. And the result across the board was a resounding expansion of our Supplier Excellence Recognition with Caterpillar. You can read more about that here.
And, if you’re looking for your next role and want to work in a company that values and rewards its employees and provides opportunities to learn, grow and work on projects that have national importance – take a look at a current vacancies.
As a leading UK sheet metal fabrication company, we have been applying our expertise in the supply of powder coated fabricated metal products and fabrications to Hitachi Rail since 2016.
The Customer
Hitachi Rail is a global, integrated railway provider that designs, manufactures, and maintains trains, signalling systems, and digital solutions for passenger and freight rail. Operating in 38 countries, with 11 manufacturing sites, it is a major player in sustainable mobility and offers turnkey solutions for high-speed, metro, and tram networks – worldwide.
Hydram’s initial step into rail
Following Hitachi Rail’s successful contract win to deliver the Intercity Express Programme (IEP) project it began looking to strengthen its supply chain and in particular its North East connection to companies operating in close proximity to its manufacturing facility in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham.
It was at this point Hydram, already established as a subcontract fabricator that could deliver quality at scale, decided to diversify into production for rail and we were selected to supply more than 1,500 components and assemblies to Hitachi Rail.
The majority of components we supplied for the IEP project were for the carriage interiors. This included hand poles, painted interior panels and various bracketry and exterior under-floor assemblies.
Maintaining quality at the heart of manufacture
For us, quality has and always will be a core competence. It drives forward our capabilities and ensures customer trust, long-term growth and a strong market edge.
Identifying our niche ability to serve the rail industry with quality, repeatable and high-volume components, delivered on time, we looked to quantify our capabilities with official accreditation. Which now includes, but isn’t limited to: ISO 9001:2015, ISO 3834-2:2005 – which defines comprehensive quality requirements for fusion welding of metallic materials for products used with in the transport sector. And in addition, we hold the top level of certification for welding of railway vehicles and components, BS EN 15085-2.
Ongoing partnership
We’re continuing our strong partnership with Hitachi Rail by providing metalwork components for exterior bodywork, interior trim panelling as well as tubular steel fabrications for hand poles and luggage racks.
We’re also able to manufacture a variety of metal cabinets and metal enclosures, from heavy-duty railway trackside signalling equipment location cases, to panels and brackets.
Find out more about Hydram’s collaboration with Hitachi Rail and how the partnership has supported business growth, whilst developing new talent through a successful apprentice scheme.
If you have a project to discuss or would like to explore our capabilities get in touch with our team.
We have welcomed Lee Goodhall as Operations Director and Ewan Sorby as Head of Finance as we gear up for growth in new markets.
As an experienced subcontractor that acts as a complete manufacturing partner we have strong ambitions to grow in new markets that demand the precision we can offer, such as in defence and critical national infrastructure including data centres. And the experience of both Lee and Ewan will support us in this.
Lee brings with him more than 20 years’ experience of leading strategic planning, operational leadership and business transformation across industries including energy, manufacturing and fabrication. As Operations Director, Lee is tasked with setting and delivering our business strategy, ensuring alignment between business goals and operational performance across commercial, quality, HR, safety, health and environment, production, engineering, IT as well as other supporting functions.
In Ewan’s role as Head of Finance, he embeds financial governance into day-to-day operations and applies data-driven insight to enable strategic decision making and operational performance. He will act as a business partner across the business to strengthen controls, drive efficiencies and support our drive for continuous improvement as we move into new markets.
As a CIMA qualified accountant with more than 13 years’ experience in the finance industry, which has included finance roles at a Japanese-owned Tier-1 automotive company and a Swiss-owned pharmaceutical manufacturer based in the North East of England, Ewan brings a wealth of experience within manufacturing environments.
David Greatorex, Managing Director at Hydram commented on the appointments: “It’s an exciting time for the company as we approach our 50th year in business, and continue our ambitions to be a world-class provider of precision sheet metal fabrication.
“We do this by focusing on long-term partnerships, superior quality and on-time delivery through investment in state-of-the-art equipment and our people. And with the appointment of Lee and Ewan I feel we’re making another positive step forward as we look to grow beyond the current industries we serve. We welcome them to the team and look forward to what their skills and experience will bring to the company.”
Lee Goodhall, Operations Director at Hydram, commented: “Hydram is renowned for delivering a wide range of subcontractor services to a high standard across critical industries. Due to the synergy between this and my experience in complex manufacturing environments, I recognised a strong strategic alignment with the company’s direction and ambitions.
“I’m looking forward to working closely with the senior leadership team to drive improvements in efficiency, quality and delivery performance in an organisation where operational excellence and growth are key factors. I believe the company has a solid operational foundation, a skilled workforce and strong potential to further enhance its performance, innovation and market position.”
Ewan Sorby, Head of Finance at Hydram Engineering added: “As a well-established and respected business in the County Durham area, I am delighted by the opportunity to excel in a role which aligns with my cross-functional experience.
“The business has an exciting future with strong growth potential and I look forward to responding to business challenges with practical and commercially focused financial solutions.”
Through our comprehensive range of metalwork services, including laser cutting, CNC punching, metal forming, fabrication, machining, powder coating and assembly, we supply high-quality components across mission critical industries. Have a project to discuss? Contact our team.
As a business we champion all our employees each and every day and strive to develop a workforce that is diverse.
In the engineering sector, it’s long been a challenge to encourage women into roles, but through ongoing activities, such as local outreach and apprenticeships we are proud to employ a number of females across the business.
By working in our local community, we highlight not just engineering and STEM roles but show the benefits of working in an engineering company. Demonstrating that roles and opportunities can be varied and rewarding and have real-world impact. We’ve also worked hard over the years to grow and develop our apprenticeship programme.
We spoke to a couple of our current employees about how they started their career and what advice they would give to others about pursuing a career in engineering.
Katie Brown, Quality Technician, Quality Team
“I’ve always enjoyed being hands on and solving problems, so engineering felt like a natural fit for me. I’ve worked at Hydram as a Quality Technician for almost two years, and I like that no two days are the same and that my role allows me to contribute to producing products that have a real purpose. Working in engineering has also given me the opportunity to learn and develop new skills, which is something I really value.
“I’ve been really fortunate to work alongside experienced colleagues who have shared their knowledge and supported my development. And some of the best advice I’ve been given is to never be afraid to ask questions and to always be willing to learn. Engineering is an industry where you never stop learning and being curious and open-minded is one of the best ways to grow.
“I believe one of the biggest misconceptions of engineering is that it is only about machines and is a career mainly suited to men. Engineering is incredibly varied and relies on a wide range of skills, including communication, teamwork and attention to detail. In my role, I challenge this misconception by showing that engineering offers opportunities for everyone and that there are many different career paths within the industry.
“I’d encourage people to give engineering a chance, even if they don’t know exactly what area they want to work in. It’s a career with endless opportunities to learn, progress and make a real difference. Don’t be put off by stereotypes – engineering is for anyone who enjoys solving problems, being creative and wanting to be part of something bigger. Be curious, ask questions and believe in your abilities, because there is a place for everyone in engineering.”
Leia Sunter, Junior CAD/CAM Technician, Engineering Team
“I have been at Hydram for almost five years. I started on a three-year Level 3 Apprenticeship pathway, rotating between different sections within the factory.
“Once I qualified, I moved into the Engineering Team and have since started a Degree Apprenticeship.
“Growing up, my experience of engineering was primarily my Grandad tinkering away in his garage, making ideas come to life with a pile of scrap metal and a stick welder.
“Then when I was 12, I saw a documentary about the McLaren Factory on TV. I remember being fascinated by the level of detail and precision they were working to, it really resonated with me.
“The documentary also featured a young female engineer; it was the first time I had seen someone ‘like me’ in and engineering environment. I have always been quite practical and curious about how and why things work, but I hadn’t considered engineering as a potential career option until that moment. It was then that I decided that was what I was going to do.
“I have been incredibly lucky to have had a lot of supportive teachers and mentors throughout school, college and as I started my career. It would be impossible to pick one above the rest as they have all helped guide me to where I am today and have provided great advice. One of which is, which I like to share with others, ‘to do what you are good at, but most importantly, do what you enjoy’.
“Engineering is such a vast discipline and therefore engineering roles can vary from being broad to very niche and specific. So, it can be helpful to identify which part of engineering appeals to you the most. For me, through the opportunities I’ve had, it’s design and CAD modelling.
“I think one of the biggest misconceptions about engineering is that it’s all about engines and vehicles and that you need to be interested in cars. This is not true. Whilst engineering is widely associated with the automotive, rail and aerospace sectors, you can be an engineer in pretty much every industry you can think of. Civil and structural engineers deal with buildings, bridges, roads and other infrastructure. Software engineers create computer systems and programmes. Chemical engineers can work with pharmaceuticals, food, oil and gas or creating materials and chemicals. Electrical engineers work with electrical systems and equipment, from the simplest circuits to complex machinery or working on the National Grid – see it really is vast.”
Natasha McLaren, third-year Level 3 Metal Fabrications Apprentice
“Owing to the variety of roles and opportunities, I was interested in an engineering career and I enjoy learning about the different sections of engineering through my apprenticeship.
“Hydram’s welding supervisors, Jamie and Dave, have helped me develop my skills in welding which has allowed me to improve and become more knowledgeable in this skill. So much so, that I was recently awarded runner-up Practical Welder at The Welding Institute’s annual dinner and awards.
“I’ve found a big misconception about engineering is that you won’t develop skills you can use day to day. I have learnt skills throughout my apprenticeship that I use all the time, even for simple tasks, that I may not have learnt without doing this apprenticeship.
“For anyone considering a role in engineering or similar, I’d say keep working hard and stay engaged in every task you do. Even if it is something simple, as all the hard work will pay off even if it doesn’t feel like it at the time.”
Lily Scott, first year Level 3 Metal Fabrication Apprentice
“I started my Level 3 Metal Fabrications Apprenticeship with Hydram in September 2025. I have always been interested in design and engineering through school and I have always liked figuring out how things work and fixing problems.
“Before I started my apprenticeship, I was working with a family friend on building work and he also welded and had a lot of vehicles that he would work on. I was therefore exposed to some of the engineering he did, which made me interested to learn more and from that point I decided I wanted to gain qualifications in this area.
“I’ve found that one of the biggest misconceptions is that engineering is all on a huge scale. Through my apprenticeship I have learnt that there are so many small parts that go into engineering before anything else.
“Advice I would give to others would be, don’t be intimidated about going into engineering because it can lead to so many different types of jobs. And especially if you go down the apprenticeship route, you learn so much about every process that you take with you as you progress. I’ve been able to start from the ground up and the team here have all been so supportive.”
We currently have a number of open vacancies, so if you would like to develop your career in a company that champions its employees and provides opportunities for growth – check these out.
We combine automated CNC panel benders and a series of multi-axis press brakes to deliver highly flexible, efficient and cost-effective sheet metal fabrications.
Within our machining capabilities is our state-of-the-art Salvagnini P4Xe panel bender. It provides the ability to bend all four sides of a part automatically, without manual retooling. It also enables exceptional repeatability which ensures consistent part quality across both batch-one and mass production runs.
Through its use we manufacture enclosures and electrical boxes for applications in datacentres, rail infrastructure, power generation and defence.
As the machine’s automated clamping and powered blades enable automatic tool changing we can make significant set up time savings. Which translates to the following benefits to our customers:
The Salvagnini P4Xe panel bender also benefits from adaptive bending technology which means that it can compensate for a range of material thickness and tensile strength variations all in real-time. This reduces waste and ensures the production of precision bends from the first to that last sheet.
This automation also supports the safety and wellbeing of our workforce as it requires less manual handling and skill.
We invested in our first automated panel bender back in 2013, with the Salvagnini P4 2116 panel bender. The ambition was to remove some of the manual handling associated with operating press brakes across high-volume projects, and the P4 and now P4Xe have done that – and much more. By continuing to invest in state-of-the-art machinery and equipment we’ve been able to be more flexibility and increase our efficiencies.
However, alongside our investment in automation we’ve continued to upskill our employees who continue to use our fleet of multi-axis press brakes, which are capable of handling more complex and bespoke angles.
We currently maintain a number of press brakes that have varying capabilities with a maximum bend length of 4 metres and a maximum force of 250 tonnes. And hold a number of tools on site – often bespoke to our clients across rail and off-highway.
If you’d like to know more about the technical elements of how sheet metal bending works, check out our guide here. And to discuss a project where our capabilities can provide precision bends, contact our team.
At Hydram, we are well positioned to deliver in the present and are adding additional capacity in preparation for the future.
This includes future proofing and having the latest state-of-the-art plant and equipment to maintain our competitive advantage whilst further improving our quality standards and efficiencies, which supports on time delivery to our varied customer base.
On the back of our recent investment in a new cobot, we spoke to our Operations Director, Lee Goodhall, on our latest state-of-art addition to our 150,000 sq ft facility.
It’s not always an easy decision when it comes to investing in new equipment or upgrades as it can come with high upfront costs and sometimes operational disruption. But for us, we have found the often-perceived barriers are outweighed when looking at benefits of taking the step to new equipment.
We’re approaching our 50th year and within our workforce retain decades of manufacturing expertise, so we know that modern machinery directly reduces waste, it limits expensive and timely rework – helping to ensure client satisfaction too and it can significantly reduce lead times.
Through upgrading our equipment we’ve been able to handle more complex designs, automate repetitive tasks and most importantly meet rising customer demands for precision and repeatability and flexibility. All of which helps us to remain competitive and provide a full range of subcontract services.
As mentioned, we have invested in a new welding cobot which supports our move towards automation as we look to improve standardisation and improve operational efficiency. The cobot does both things and further increases our weld capacity. Further to this are two new LOEWER grinding machines, which will improve our efficiency further as these are a more modern piece of equipment replacing our older Grind Masters. The LOEWER machines have a higher throughput and provide more precisioned-360° edge rounding.
As part of this upgrade further consideration has also been given to the plant layout, so that our new machines will be optimally positioned to reduce double handling and improve efficiency at our 10kw Trumpf TruLaser 3030, which was installed in the previous financial year.
Following contract wins across our current customer base and with new customers coming onboard we again reviewed our current capacities and decided to invest further in our CNC Section.
This has led to us bringing in additional capacity to future proof the business in the form of a further ST15 lathe, which has a small footprint and delivers high-volume production. As well as a Haas VF-4 milling machine which again is engineered to support high-volume production.
We’re also considering further upgrades to our tube cutting and bending section to enable us to deliver enhanced precision, with a more streamlined workflow, so watch this space.
Bringing in new equipment on to site has meant we have increased our capacity and offering, but it also means we are using the most energy efficient equipment available. This further supports sustainability and improves our operational capability, which in turn supports efficient turn-around of products as expected by our customer base.
The new equipment brings on site flexibility to meet peaks and troughs in demand from our customer base across our operations of laser cutting, punching, pressing, weld, paint and assembly, all with minimal downtime.
Part of our objectives in the coming year is a bias towards increased automation and having the latest and most efficient plant and equipment offering to provide to our customers. This is so that we can continue to meet enhanced quality standards, deliver on time and bring further flexibility to projects.
Our ambition is to move further towards automation and bring to fruition some of the advantages of reducing cycle times and enhancing our ability to meet large volume orders.
Automation of repetitive, high-volume jobs means that we can reduce bottlenecks whilst improving flow with quick job changeovers. All of which supports improving quality standards with improved consistency, repeatability and reduced process variation.
This will also enable us to improve operator skillsets and bring further job enrichment as we develop our onsite team to new ways of working including programming and inspection.
Furthermore, from a sustainability perspective, the investments have led us to see improved nesting of materials at laser cutting, reduced rework and improved yield from materials.
From a growth perspective, Hydram will benefit from lower manufacturing costs, improved customer satisfaction, enhanced capability from plant, people, and process. Which in turn brings further competitive advantage and improves our market position as the UK’s leading sheet metal fabrication company.
We’re delighted to share that we have achieved Cyber Essentials Plus. This signifies that our IT security controls have been independently audited, verified, and proven effective against cyber threats, going beyond self-assessment.
This accreditation provides high assurance of protection for technical drawings, CAD data, and sensitive client projects, enabling us to work within the requirements of customers in defence, other critical industries and across supply chains.
Following our achievement of obtaining Cyber Essentials, which is a self-assessment against five security controls, this independent technical audit provides higher assurance against those same controls.
The five technical controls required for Cyber Essentials accreditation are:
– Secure configuration
– User access control
– Malware protection
– Security update management
– Firewalls
More details on Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus can be found on the National Cyber Security Centre’s website, which also has some useful resources for any businesses looking to strengthen their cyber resilience and security.
In addition, the standard can act as a significant assurance tool in helping to address the challenges organisations may face in securing and managing supply chains.
David Greatorex, Managing Director at Hydram commented: “To be awarded Cyber Essentials Plus signals that we have established processes in place to ensure continuous monitoring of our digital infrastructure. This can help alert us to risks and demonstrates our commitment to assure clients of our security procedures and ability to handle sensitive data.
“I am grateful to our internal teams for their due diligence throughout the audit process and their ongoing support to deliver quality and security. All of this will strengthen our offering in sectors such as defence and industrial data centres.
To learn more about our accreditations which span management systems, cyber security, quality and welding qualifications, take a look here.
This Wednesday (29 April) is Stop Food Waste Day, an annual global day of action held to raise awareness of the 33 per cent of food wasted globally and educate people on reducing it.
In support of the Stop Food Waste Day initiative, we sat down with Neil Bell, Senior Account Manager at Hydram and a member of our ESG group to share details of our work to support The Bread and Butter Thing (TBBT). Which is a UK-based charity and mobile food club that provides heavily discounted groceries to low-income families and individuals, reducing food waste and tackling food insecurity.
How did Hydram become involved with The Bread and Butter Thing?
We were looking to partner with a local charity who were directly involved in supporting the local community. After reviewing several charities, we chose to partner with The Bread and Butter Thing due to the direct and positive impact that they have within the local community.
From our initial engagement with them we have been inspired by their hands-on approach and the tangible difference they make every day.
Why is the work they do important to Hydram?
At Hydram, we believe businesses have a responsibility beyond their core operations – to contribute meaningfully to the communities they serve. TBBT not only helps families access affordable food but also reduces food waste. They do this by partnering with supermarkets, factories and farms to intercept edible surplus food – often wasted due to mislabelling, oversupply, or a short shelf life – and redistributing it to community members. By supporting the charity, it allows us to be part of something that creates both social and environmental impact.
What impact has supporting The Bread and Butter Thing had on Hydram?
Through activities with TBBT, it has given employees an even stronger sense of purpose and pride in where they work. Whether through direct involvement or simply knowing the company is contributing to a worthwhile cause, it’s also sparked more internal conversations about sustainability and community engagement which is great. And off the back of this we’re continuing to look at ways we can get more of our employees engaged.
In what ways have you supported the organisation?
We have supported the organisation through a combination of practical and financial contributions. Which has included:
– Funding the purchase of 30 freezer boxes
– The purchase of uniforms for all of their staff
– Several volunteers from Hydram spending a day working on site at The Bread and Butter Thing
– Donating 100 Easter eggs
– Raising £226 from our Easter raffle
What more do you hope to achieve with The Bread and Butter Thing?
Looking ahead, we’d like to deepen our involvement and explore more ways to support their growth. This could include expanding our contributions, increasing employee participation, and helping raise awareness of their work to a wider audience. We would like to help them reach more communities and make an even bigger impact.
Jim Fieldsend, Philanthropy and Fundraising Lead at The Bread and Butter Thing commented on the partnership: “The support we’ve received from Hydram over the past six months has been nothing short of brilliant!
“Staff have taken time out of their busy work schedules to volunteer with our team in Chilton. They’ve supported us financially through buying sets of essential uniform, and freezer boxes used to transport chilled food into the communities we serve. At Easter the team even organised a raffle to fundraise on our behalf and were even kind enough to donate 100 Easter eggs for us to give to families at our local food clubs.
“We can’t thank the Hydram team enough. This kind of support is so valuable to TBBT as we work to help more families in the North East who are struggling with the pressure of the cost of living, and to put good quality food on the table.
“We’re really grateful to the team at Hydram and look forward to continuing to develop our partnership in the coming months, so that together we can help improve more lives and build stronger communities.”
To keep up to date with our work with The Bread and Butter Thing follow us on LinkedIn.
And, if you’re interested in working with a leading sheet metal subcontractor that values its employees and works with a range of exciting companies we welcome you to view our latest vacancies.
This spring and summer, the team will be on the road the length and breadth of the UK and across to Europe to meet with customers, prospects and contacts at a number of leading tradeshows and conferences. Details of events are posted below, and if you’re also attending any of those listed, we look forward to seeing you there.
Subcon
This June we’re excited to exhibit for the first time at Subcon – the UK’s largest subcontract manufacturing supply chain show.
Held 3-4 June at the NEC, Birmingham the event has been bringing together the manufacturing sector for nearly 50 years. More than 200 leading UK and international suppliers will gather for the exhibition with attendees able to access a range of workshops and a packed conference programme sharing insights across skills, manufacturing and innovation.
As a full single-source metalwork subcontractor, the event will provide a great platform for us to demonstrate our comprehensive manufacturing solutions which are delivered with high quality and reliability.
Registration is free, and the team looks forward to welcoming you to our stand G80 to grow our connections and discuss how we can be your partner to deliver high volume and precision production.
RSN
An annual networking event for rail professionals, RSN (Rolling Stock Networking) provides unrivalled opportunities for the rail industry to gather and share experiences and innovations. We’re therefore delighted to once again be exhibiting at the show which is being held at Derby Arena on 2nd July.
The event is now sold out for exhibitors but those looking to connect with the rail industry can learn more about the event and register for a free pass here.
With our specialised manufacturing expertise in the rail sector, the event offers a great opportunity for us to showcase our metalwork capabilities directly to buyers and manufacturers as well as providing access to strengthen our relationships within the rail supply chain. We hope to see you there.
InnoTrans
Wrapping up the spring/summer event season, our business development manager, Joanne Farms will be attending InnoTrans, 22-25 September in Berlin. The bi-annual event is a leading international trade fair for showcasing transport technology across five segments: Railway Technology, Railway Infrastructure, Public Transport, Interiors and Tunnel Construction. The show also has 3,500m of display track, a static bus display area and a demonstration course offering fantastic opportunities to check out the latest product developments.
We also look forward to the event’s extensive convention, which again is split across numerous forums including public transport, dialog which will cover transformation, resilience and growth and a rail leaders’ summit.
And to help navigate the 40+ halls, at the Berlin Exhibition Grounds there are guided tours. If you’re also attending or exhibiting and want to meet up with a leading and highly accredited subcontractor in the rail and bus transport industry, get in touch.
We’ll also be heading to the Make UK Defence Summit at the British Motor Museum in Warwick towards the end of the year, 18-19 November 2026. It’s always one we look forward to and even more so this year with its bigger venue, as it means more space for 500+ delegates and extra exhibitors – providing even more opportunities to connect, learn, and grow. So if you’re interested to see how our precision engineering can support your defence project, contact the team or meet us there!
If you’d like to keep up to date on our news, projects and where you can meet the team, follow us on LinkedIn.
Last Friday (17 April 2026), the Teesside branch of The Welding Institute held its 71st annual dinner at Middlesbrough Football Club, in celebration of the high calibre of welding capabilities in the region – and we were delighted to attend.
The event was a great opportunity to connect with the welding industry, familiar faces and new, as well as champion apprentices.
Since 2011, we have been supporting apprenticeship programmes in partnership with local colleges and universities, whilst delivering welding training in-house that is dedicated to skills that meet the requirements of sheet metalwork. We are proud that our current apprentices make up almost six per cent of our workforce. This, alongside also continuing to employ a number of former apprentices demonstrates our commitment to developing future talent.
The dinner also included an awards ceremony in which our third-year Level 3 Metal Fabrications apprentice, Natasha McLaren was a finalist and announced runner-up in the award for Practical Welder. Our Level 6 Degree apprentice Sam Pilcher was also nominated for Apprentice Welder of the year. We couldn’t be more proud of their achievement, skills and hard work.
We’d like to extend our sincere congratulations to all that were nominated and recognised on the night.
Alan Bailey, Welding Co-ordinator at Hydram and committee member for The Welding Institute, commented: “This was my second time attending the dinner and once again it really was great coming together and celebration of the talent in the industry.
“The evening really embraced and empowered future talent through the bond of the welding community in the North East and it was humbling to be able to showcase the investment and dedication of the Hydram team to training and development.
“Congratulations to all of the award winners on the night, you are part of a very special group of people and you should be so proud of your achievements. We were especially honoured to see our apprentice Natasha McLaren being awarded runner-up in her category.”
As a company we encourage employees to take up relevant memberships, such as with The Welding Institute, and support training and professional development alongside our apprenticeship programme.
To find out more about our apprenticeship programme, get in touch or if you’re looking to join a leading subcontractor that works across industries and values its employees through a number of investments and commitments explore our current vacancies here.
Want to know more about the Hydram team and our capabilities to support your project? Read how we deliver full-service, precision-engineered solutions which combine advanced manufacturing capability with comprehensive project management to meet the stringent quality and high-volume demands of sectors such as rail, critical infrastructure, and defence.
Header image: (left to right back, and left to right front line) Adam Heslop (East Durham College), Lee Bailey (Software & Systems Engineer / Apprentice Liaison Officer at Hydram) Lee Goodhall (Operations Director at Hydram), Kurt Stubbs (AWeldI), Sam Pilcher (Robot Welder at Hydram), Claire Willians (SHE Manager at Hydram), Alan Bailey (Welding Co-Ordinator at Hydram), Chris Brennan (East Durham College), Nathasha McLaren (3rd year Level 3 Metal Fabrication Apprentice at Hydram), Katie Bingham (HR Manager at Hydram), Jake Westmoreland (Welder at Hydram)
Image 2: (left to right) Dan Churchill (WB Alloys, Award Sponsor), Natasha McLaren
Image 3: (left to right) Lee Bailey, Lee Goodhall, Natasha McLaren, Chris Brennan (East Durham College), Adam Heslop (East Durham College)
As part of our ongoing commitment to quality and investing in smart and efficient engineering solutions, we’re delighted to introduce our first collaborative robot (cobot) welding cell, the Megatronic CoWelder.
The 9 sqm welding cobot is capable of MIG welding programmes and will enable us to enhance flexibility, repeatability, and process control across our projects.
Complementing the skills of our team, the investment strengthens our existing welding capabilities, which includes high-capacity robotic welding cells, manual MIG and TIG welding, projection nut & stud welding as well as spot welding.
By further strengthening our automated welding capability with the CoWelder, we will deliver consistent and high-quality fabrications at scale. And as the cobot has been designed to work together with individuals in a shared workspace, safety is highly considered with a number of safety control functions in place. Such as its built-in virtual safety fence that limits the three-dimensional working range of the six-axis arm, which can move at speed between welding positions.
The unit can increase flexibility through its portability, as it can easily be moved between workstations and has been designed to handle both small and large batch volumes.
David Greatortex, Managing Director at Hydram, commented: “I’m delighted to share that we have once again made a solid enhancement to our manufacturing capabilities.
“We looked across the marketplace to identify a solution that would meet our requirements to optimise welding efficiency and deliver high-quality and uniformed components that supports our team’s output. We decided upon Migatronic, as it is a well-established manufacturer of arc welding machines and welding equipment and its CoWelder has been designed to be fast to implement.
“And in fact, the cobot has already begun to make significant impact in our day-to-day operations and is supporting us to meet the high-quality needs of the sectors we work in, such as rail and off-highway.”
The addition of the welding cobot is part of our strategic growth programme to invest in automation which has in recent times included a 10kW laser cutting machine.
Explore our services to see how we apply automation alongside an exceptionally skilled and experienced team to deliver quality parts in line with delivery requirements.
Or contact our team if you have a project to discuss where our sheet metal fabrication expertise can support: +44 (0) 1388 720222, enquiries@hydram.co.uk.
With origins dating back to the early 1900s, International Women’s Day (IWD) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender equality.
With 8 March 2026 marking an extraordinary milestone of 115 years IWD remains a global, annual event focused on gender equality and celebrating women’s achievements.
As 11 per cent of our workforce is made up of women in diverse rolls across the company we wanted to shine a spotlight on their achievements and also use this as an opportunity to demonstrate that working in manufacturing and engineering, doesn’t always have to be on the shop floor.
We asked Joanne Farms, Business Development Manager and Katie Bingham, HR Manager to answer a couple of short questions around working for a leading sheet metal fabrication company.
What do you enjoy about working at Hydram?
Joanne: “I have worked at Hydram for 22 years and have never looked back. Every day is different, which makes for an exciting and rewarding career. Being part of a supportive and positive workforce also makes the job truly enjoyable.
“Manufacturing is the backbone of Britain and something we should celebrate and be proud of. The contribution we make as an industry is vital to the strength of our country.”
Katie: “As HR Manager, and having been with Hydram for just under two years, I can honestly say there are no boring days. Manufacturing is fast-paced and hands-on, and I enjoy working closely with both our office and shop floor teams to support development, recruitment and progression across the business.
“Seeing people grow in what is traditionally a male-dominated industry is incredibly rewarding.”
What advice would you give to other women considering manufacturing?
Joanne: “I would encourage any woman not to be afraid of pursuing a career in manufacturing. The opportunities are incredibly diverse, ranging from accounts and machine operation to engineering and technical roles. It’s also very rewarding to see how your work contributes to building trains, diggers, and the latest power generation technologies that support communities across the UK.”
Katie: “Don’t let perception hold you back. Manufacturing today offers real career progression, technical development and long-term opportunities across a wide range of roles. If you’re willing to learn and get involved, there’s space to build a successful and fulfilling career.”
As one of the largest sheet metal fabrication companies in the UK, Hydram operates from a 135,000 sq ft facility, employing around 200 employees. It is currently recruiting for a number of roles, check them out here and join a fast-paced and diverse company https://hydram.co.uk/careers/
Caterpillar is the world’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, off-highway diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives. Its Supplier Excellence Recognition programme honours top-tier suppliers for exceptional performance in quality, delivery, cost management and innovation.
Following a visit from representatives from Caterpillar Peterlee to our site in February, to discuss our ongoing partnership, we were provided with the certificate. It was awarded in recognition of our ongoing commitment to quality and customer service, in our supply of metal fabrications to Caterpillar facilities across the UK.
The highly productive visit focused on strengthening our partnership, which has spanned 15 years, and has been built on collaboration and a shared commitment to excellence.
We discussed future plans and our ambitions to grow our capabilities through investment in people and state-of-the-art equipment. Such as our new cutting-edge 10kW fibre laser cutting system, Trumpf TruLaser 3030, and our first welding cobot which is enhancing our automated welding capability.
David Greatorex, Managing Director at Hydram commented on the award: “I’d like to extend a huge thank you to all Hydram employees whose hard work and dedication make achievements like this possible.
“It was fantastic to once again welcome Caterpillar to our site and showcase our quality-first approach and our quality assurance procedures and facilities.
“We have a great partnership with Caterpillar. And we are proud to continue this and demonstrate our commitment to supporting their requirements and meeting their rigorous performance levels.”
To find out more about our work supporting off-highway companies click here.
