Only five years after having started out in business Watson Engineering has seen its products in use in places as diverse as Plymouth, Ireland, Nigeria, Swansea and Oxford - and their plans are to cast their nets even further in the coming years as they continue to grow their company.

Only five years after having started out in business Watson Engineering has seen its products in use in places as diverse as Plymouth, Ireland, Nigeria, Swansea and Oxford - and their plans are to cast their nets even further in the coming years as they continue to grow their company. Brothers Ian and James (Watson) started Watson Engineering in Beeston, having worked in the manufacturing world for a number of years.

Their brother-in-law, Johnny Scott, finally joined them two and a half years ago adding his experience as a buyer, and with many contacts in the sales and contracting side. However, the family connections go much further than that through the nine full-timers that now make up Watson Engineering at Lotherton Park Farm, near Aberford, just 5 miles east of Leeds. Everyone seems to be related to at least one or two others in the business, so they are really keeping things in the family!

Their specialisms include providing industrial gates and fencing although Ian and James’ experience encompasses far more than just that. They supply companies such as Davison Fencing in Leeds and other reputable fencing contractors, who conduct all the fitting.

‘At the moment we are finding that quite a lot of the work is coming from schools. All schools have become much more safety conscious in recent years and we manufacture the mesh systems, posts and sliding gates. We are also getting a lot of work from ‘new builds’ . Everything needs to be secure these days,’ says James. ‘And all new commercial and industrial buildings require strong, reliable gates and fencing.’

Their business has now grown to such an extent that they are presently in the process of having a new building put up themselves to house their new ‘post division’ for mesh systems. Clearly their business has grown rapidly as they already operate out of a much bigger space than when they started in Lotherton, after moving from Beeston, just a year ago. ‘We’re a lot more technically minded than purely producing fencing here,’ says Ian. ‘Both James and I have manufactured a great deal of products from sheet metal and that side is now expanding nicely too.

It has enabled us to gain some really good jobs and there is definitely a great deal of untapped potential custom still out there, recession or not.’ Ian carried out a great deal of work in providing machinery guards for the London Underground in the wake of the Kings Cross escalator fire some years ago, when he worked for Procters in Leeds. Both James and Johnny also used to work for Procters. The work they have carried out as Watson Engineering can now be seen all over the world, which is obviously a source of great pride for them, as Johnny explains: ‘We manufactured all of the security fencing and sliding gates for Lagos Airport in Nigeria. We’ve also provided fencing for Liberty Stadium, Swansea City’s new ground; ballstop fencing for Manchester United’s training ground; a Hindu temple in Bradford; an RSPB bird sanctuary; the Dogs Trust; Morrisons HQ; the Institute of Carlow (Ireland); a Porsche garage; and various private schools, where we have even manufactured a dug-out.’ They have also watched their products on TV!

James explains: ‘We provided the fencing and gates at Swansea’s Liberty Stadium at the away end. I won’t say who the visitors were, but they certainly tested our welding credentials - which proved well up to the job!’ Another of their biggest jobs was in providing the security fencing for the Devonport Naval Base in Plymouth where it involved 6 sliding gates and security barriers, as well as all of the fencing.

‘We were delighted to land that one, especially as it was with the armed services. It’s good to think that in our own way we may have helped with national security,’ says Ian. The sheet metal manufacturing side is one of the areas where greater expansion is anticipated in the coming years and presently sees them making everything from conveyors, balconies, counterbalanced doors, staircases and hand railing to anti-ram protection with bollards and crash barriers.

If you would like to get in touch contact: WATSON ENGINEERING
Tel: 0113 393 5522
Email: watsoneng1@yahoo.co.uk
www.watsonengineering.co.uk