37 years of UK structural steel from
a single continuous facility
Our Story
Established in Sharnford, Leicestershire in 1988, CR Steel Limited has fabricated structural steelwork from a single continuous UK facility for over three decades. From its origins as a specialist fabrication shop, the business now serves the UK's safety-critical energy infrastructure and commercial construction sectors with BS EN 1090 EXC 3 certification, Tier 1 contractor approvals and up to 10,000-tonne annual capacity.
BS EN 1090
Certified to BS EN 1090-1:2009+A1:2011 Execution Class 3 as per BS EN 1090-2:2018
30+ Years
Years supplying the industry with trusted structural steel fabrication and installation excellence
Workforce
Welding Quality Management System (WQMS) accredited by ISOQAR, approved to BS EN 1090 EXC 3.
UK-Wide
Site erection coverage across the United Kingdom with full project management support
Our story
From a 1988 fabrication facility to a digitally enabled UK structural steel partner.
Over three decades of structural steelwork, experienced senior leadership and a proprietary operating system integrating take-off, fabrication, certification and delivery under a single workflow.
Capability
What we
deliver.
From founding workshop origins and steady capability investment through modern EXC 3 accreditation and digital platform tools — every chapter has been about deepening accountable, integrated steel delivery.
Phase 01
1988 — Founded in Leicestershire
CR Steel Limited commences trading in Sharnford. From inception the focus is structural steelwork for UK construction — underpinned by quality, reliability and long-term client relationships.
- Independently owned
- Sharnford, Leicestershire
- Structural steel specialists
Phase 02
Continuity of ownership
Stable leadership progresses the business through successive growth phases, modernising production capability while preserving the relationships and reputation established over three decades.
- Continuity of values
- Modernised production
- Long-term client relationships
Phase 03
BS EN 1090 EXC 3 and Tier 1 energy approvals
Certification to BS EN 1090-1:2009 Execution Class 3 — the highest execution class — unlocks access to safety-critical energy infrastructure programmes. Approvals follow with multi-national, household-name energy contractors and the National Grid supply chain.
- EXC 3 certified
- ISO 9001:2015
- Constructionline & Ariba
- 5 Tier 1 approvals
Phase 04
Proprietary operating system
CR Steel develops a proprietary operating system delivering real-time visibility across enquiry, procurement, fabrication scheduling and site delivery — deployed internally and shared with framework clients.
- Real-time programme tracking
- Proactive risk management
- Transparent client reporting
The principles that built us
Our Ethos
Workshop-first since 1988
- Single continuous Leicestershire workshop
- Steel fabrication has always been our only focus
- Hands-on production culture, no outsourced core work
- Investment in plant rather than overhead
Relationships over transactions
- Repeat-client backbone across three decades
- Direct contact with the people doing the work
- Quotes honoured, programmes met
- Issues raised early — never buried
Quality earned, not claimed
- EXC3 certified to the highest 1090-1 class
- ISO 9001:2015 audited annually
- Coded welders qualified to procedure
- Independent NDT on safety-critical welds
Investing in the next 35 years
- Proprietary AI operating system in production use
- Real-time programme and certificate transparency
- Targeting 90% utilisation on UK energy work
- Building the platform for the next generation
Accreditations
Quality you can
prove anytime.
Every job leaves our facility with full documentation — mill certificates, weld records, inspection reports, CE / UKCA declarations and delivery notes.
- BS EN 1090 EXC 3
- BS EN 9606-1 Coded Welders
- ISOQAR Accredited WQMS
- UKCA Marking
- ISO 9001 Quality
- CE Marked Fabrication
Today
Financially solid
Financially stable, with approximately 1,500 tonnes of fabrication headroom currently available — providing the capacity to mobilise on new contracts without compromising existing client commitments.
Tomorrow
Scaling utilisation toward 90%
Targeting 90% utilisation of our up to 10,000-tonne annual capacity through direct project wins and framework relationships across UK energy infrastructure and commercial construction.
Always
Privately held and relationship-led
An independently owned business with a long-term commercial horizon — focused on sustaining the client relationships that have underpinned the business since 1988, not on a corporate exit.
More About
Explore related about.
Our history shapes how we work today — accredited fabrication, in-house engineering and a named project team on every contract. Explore the leadership, certifications and projects that continue that story.
About CR Steel
From our story and leadership through certifications, projects and policies — explore what makes CR Steel a trusted UK structural steel fabricator.
Est. 1988 · EXC3 certified
About CR Steel
Established UK structural steel fabricator. 35+ years of proven delivery to construction and energy infrastructure clients.
Experienced senior leadership
Leadership
Hands-on management from Mr R W Heighton, Managing Director — building on the foundations laid in 1988 with a long-term, relationship-led approach.
About
Past Projects
UKCA · EXC3 · ISO 9001
Certifications
BS EN 1090-1:2009 Execution Class 3, ISO 9001:2015, Constructionline and Ariba — QUALIFIED DELIVERY AT TOP TIER of UK energy and construction.
Governance & compliance
Policies
Health & safety and environmental policies underpinning every CR Steel project — published, audited and lived on the shop floor.
CDM 2015 compliant
Health & Safety Policy
Risk-assessed workshop and site operations, coded welding, RAMS, supervision and Constructionline pre-qualification on every project.
Low-waste, traceable steel
Environmental Policy
Full material traceability, scrap-minimising nesting, energy-efficient workshop and fabrication that powers UK grid and renewables infrastructure.
Our story
How CR Steel changed structural steel supply
CR Steel started where most structural steel businesses don't — with software. We built the platform first, then the workshop and the supply chain around it, so the digital experience drives the physical one rather than papering over it.
The result is a steel supplier that behaves like a modern service: transparent pricing, live production status, audit-ready paperwork and a single point of contact for every job.
From small jobs to full packages
We supply single RSJs to homeowners and full fabricated packages to tier-one contractors. The same metal fabrication standards apply to both.
Accredited, audited, accountable
Every fabrication runs under our BS EN 1090 and ISO 9001 system, audited annually by ISOQAR.
FAQs
Our story,
answered.
Where CR Steel started, how the business has grown and what hasn't changed about how we fabricate structural steel.
- CR Steel has been supplying and fabricating structural steel for over three decades, evolving from a regional stockholder into a fully CE / UKCA accredited structural steel and metal fabrication contractor working across the UK on commercial, industrial, energy and infrastructure projects.
Ready to build