Tomrods & The Steel Ball Company
March 21, 2011
Steel Business Briefing – March 21, 2011
Laurence McDougall and John Thompson, owners of UK steel companies All Steels Trading, Tomrods, Bradley Steels and Legg Brothers, have bought ball manufacturer Helipebs in conjunction with John Wraith, a former Caparo main board director.
McDougall, Thompson and Wraith will each own a third of the Gloucestershire-based company, which has been renamed The Steel Ball Company.
The Steel Ball Company manufactures forged steel balls from 25mm to 75mm in diameter for use as grinding media in mining, mineral processing and cement manufacturing. It can be produce around 20,000 tonnes per year using hot rolled round bars as its raw material. One of the company’s main customers is a gold mine in Africa, Steel Business Briefing understands.
McDougall says The Steel Ball Company has good synergies with Legg Brothers, the special section re-rolling mill that is already a bulk buyer of round bar feedstock.