West Yorkshire Steel

Established in 1975 we supply a wide range of steel specifications. Combined with a wealth of experience and knowledge, we offer guidance on steel equivalent grades and hard to find steel specifications. Whilst many things have changed in the steel industry our commitment to quality and service remains the same, with our dedication to total customer satisfaction. Much of our competition has been consumed by merger mania, hoping that bigger is better; we remain a family run business committed to providing a friendly and reliable service.

Our founder, Brian Ellis, spent his working life in steel. Qualifying as a metallurgist at Sheffield Technical College, he worked for Kayser Ellison, Climax Molybdenum and Uddeholm.

Recognising that UK industry was a big user of special steel grades, and that service and knowledge of steel from suppliers was not forthcoming, Brian started West Yorkshire Steel. Setting up the business from the family home garage, some stock was laid down with bandsaw cutting facilities.

To begin with WYS mainly suppled steel grades to the large industrial areas of Leeds, to customers including Doncaster Monk Bridge (industrial turbines), Greenbat (locomotives) , Plastona John Waddington (plastics toolmakers) and Charles F Thackray (medical instruments).

Our early customers were very pleased with the products and service, combined with expert metallurgical knowledge and so the business grew at a rapid pace. Commercial premises were therefore found (interestingly in a WWII Nissen hut) and in 1980 we moved to our current premises which were built purposefully to suit our steel stockholding requirements.