Steel Benders UK celebrates major milestone with a shirt handed over by Thornaby FC
A partnership between Steel Benders UK and Thornaby FC reached a celebratory moment as the non-league football club visited the company’s new Hartlepool site to mark the official start of construction on their future six-acre home.
In a special gesture, representatives from Thornaby visited the Brenda Road site to present a framed team shirt, highlighting the Teesside club’s commitment to Steel Benders as their official main shirt sponsor.
This presentation marked the start of the firm’s major relocation project.
This initiative will see the entire operations of Steel Benders UK – specialists in steel profiling, forming and bending – move into a brand-new 40,000 sq ft factory in Hartlepool.
This relocation is set to significantly boost their capacity, particularly in high-profile sectors like renewable energy and construction, and will create new jobs within the region.
Investing in the North-East
Steel Benders’ commitment to Thornaby reflected their own focus on investing locally and building strong community ties.
The company expanded its relationship with the club this season by becoming the official front-of-shirt sponsor for the men’s and women’s kits.
Tania Cooper, Steel Benders’ Managing Director, said: “Linking so well with a local club like Thornaby FC, who are doing great things for their community, feels incredibly important to us as a company focused on investing in the North-East.
“To have the club visit our site to personally mark the start of construction on our new Hartlepool facility underscores the genuine, shared commitment we have to the region. We are immensely excited for the future here.”
The partnership also received high praise from the club side. Ryan McKnight, Thornaby FC’s Chief Operations Officer, highlighted the value of our support.
He said: “Having a company of Steel Benders UK’s reputation and local standing choose to partner with us as our main kit sponsor is a massive vote of confidence in the direction we’re heading.
“Their belief in our club’s unified vision is exactly the kind of strong partnership we want, and we are incredibly proud to have their name front and centre on both our home and away shirts.”
Construction underway
Following successful planning approval, groundwork for the new facility began in August. In a demonstration of the quality of its own services, Steel Benders UK is providing all the structural steel for the build.
Further cementing the local links, the contract for the crucial foundations phase has been awarded to Brims Construction, a firm with a regional office in Thornaby.
Tania said: “With planning in place, we have Brims Construction on site and they are stripping it back and are in the process of building pits, laying the foundations for our machines.
“Work started in August and now there are clear signs of progress on the new 40,000 sq ft factory, which will see the whole company head to Brenda Road, making Hartlepool our home. We anticipate being fully operational in Hartlepool by June 2026.”
This relocation marks a huge new chapter for Steel Benders UK.