HISTORY OF STAINLESS STEEL IN SHEFFIELD, UK

1913 Harry Brearley discovered stainless steel whilst working at the Brown-Firth Research Laboratories in Sheffield on the 13th of August 1913.

1948 Harry Brearley’s employer Firth Vickers opened a site at Shepcote Lane. Firth Vickers made the brand name “Staybrite” for stainless steel – it was popular and much like a brand name today, i.e. Hoover or Braun.

1965 ASR rod mill established in Sheffield by a local consortium to manufacture Carbon and Alloy Steels.

1967 British Steel Corporation, known as BSC, was formed of 14 companies in 1967. BSC allied with English Steel Corporation to form BSC Stainless, which continued to expand by acquiring operations in the UK.

1972 Formation of British Steel Stainless.

1977 SMACC melt shop built in 1977. Initially producing stainless steel in both ingot and continuously cast slab.

1989 SMACC Ingot production ceased in 1989 and restarted in 2009.

1992 Merger of Avesta Sheffield.

2001 Merger of AvestaPolarit.

2002 SMACC continuously cast long product (billet) production began.

2003 AvestaPolarit rebranded as Outokumpu.

2010 Sheffield Stainless Bar established in Sheffield adjacent to SMACC melt shop at Shepcote Lane.

2023 Long Products business became part of Marcegaglia Group.