For applications as demanding as nuclear submarines to aerospace, and motorsport to biomedical, Pro-Roll manufactures high-quality long products through melting, forging, and rolling in steels, stainless steels, nickel alloys, cobalt alloys and titanium alloys. Based in Sheffield, UK, the company is an independent “mini-mill” capable of manufacturing small batches of special alloys to order. Managing Director Symon Havenhand explained the high level of technical skill the company has in-house enables it to be both at the cutting edge of new alloy development by producing embryonic batches for large mills, and produce legacy grades which have long been discontinued.
By Joanne McIntyre, Stainless Steel World
Pro-Roll began life as an independent rolling mill providing service-based processing for customers working with special steels and advanced alloys, including stainless steels, nickel-based alloys, and titanium. Over time, the business evolved from a hot rolling operation into a long-bar producer and processor, incorporating downstream capabilities such as heat treatment, straightening, and machining. Successive expansions transformed Pro-Roll into a fully independent “mini-mill” capable of manufacturing special grades to order. The acquisition of an eleven-acre steelworks site in 2025 marked a further step change, enabling full vertical integration -from melting and forging through to hot rolling, heat treatment, and finishing.
“Effectively, we are a miniature steel mill focused on niche materials rather than volume production,” explains Symon Havenhand. “Our strength lies in grades that are difficult to source, challenging to manufacture, or no longer available from mainstream producers.”
Pro-Roll also offers a comprehensive metals conversion service, which ranges from large ingots to small special sections and a total materials management capability.
From new alloy development to legacy materials
A core part of Pro-Roll’s activity is R&D support for major steel producers developing new alloy systems.
“We regularly manufacture embryonic batches of new alloys that large mills simply cannot produce due to their large minimum production volumes,” says Havenhand.
“We focus on niche materials, difficult grades, and applications
requiring a high degree of metallurgical and
process expertise”
“They provide the chemistry and design intent, while our team brings the practical manufacturing knowledge needed to understand how these materials behave in real processing conditions. That puts us right at the leading edge of alloy development.”
At the other end of the spectrum, Pro-Roll has developed a strong reputation for reproducing legacy alloys that remain embedded in critical design specifications. One notable example came from the aerospace heritage sector. A UK-based organisation responsible for refurbishing WWII fighter aircraft – including the iconic Supermarine Spitfire – approached Pro-Roll to recreate a historic alloy for undercarriage struts. The company redeveloped the original material, forged it, and now supplies new undercarriage material for Spitfires of various vintages.
“Even in modern engineering, legacy-grade materials are often locked into certification frameworks and cannot simply be substituted,” Havenhand notes.
New site completes the manufacturing circle
The newly acquired eleven-acre site in Ecclesfield, located just ten minutes from Pro-Roll’s headquarters, was formerly an operational steelworks with existing forging infrastructure, including a 1000-tonne Press Forge, GFM Radial forge, and supporting furnacing.
“We already had melting at the front end and finishing capabilities at the back end, but forging was the missing link,” says Havenhand. “This site allows us to complete the full manufacturing circle.”
The facility is currently being expanded with the installation of an additional open-die forging press, followed by new heat treatment equipment and extended finishing capacity, including centreless turning and grinding of bars ranging from 5/16”- 4” (8mm – 101.6mm) in diameter.
“Demand for precision-finished bar continues to grow, and we are scaling accordingly. By the end of this expansion phase, our workforce will reach around 75 people.”
The site also provides substantial headroom for future growth, with extensive land and manufacturing space. “Crucially, it seals our independence,” Havenhand adds. “We now control every process in-house.”
Pro-Roll on-site facilities
• Melting Shop – 2 x 6-tonne induction air-melt furnaces, with vacuum degassing plant & argon
purging
• 1000-Tonne Open Die Forging Press
• GFM SX-16 Rotary Precision Forge
• 10” Hand Rolling Mill
• Specialist Bar Sawing department
• NADCAP Heat Treatment Facility, with water quenching and rapid air cooling
• Reeling, Stretch and Bump/Press Straightening Facilities
• Bar Peeling
• Centreless Grinding department
• Machining (Lathe Turning & Milling) department
• Non-Destructive Testing Facility
• Dedicated final inspection and packaging department
Contract processing and specialist hire work
Alongside its own production, Pro-Roll remains deeply committed to contract processing – a service that reflects the company’s origins and continues to be a major part of its business.
“We process customer-owned material at any stage of manufacture,” Havenhand explains. “A significant volume comes from mainland Europe, where specialist grades are shipped to us for rolling and finishing before being returned.”
Brexit has not disrupted this activity thanks to Pro-Roll’s use of Inward Processing Relief (IPR), which allows materials to move freely for processing without attracting duties or tariffs. The company also undertakes specialist processing work for customers in the United States.
One example involves a German medical implant manufacturer producing cobalt-based alloys for hip, knee, and spinal implants. The customer casts the billets in-house, ships them to Pro-Roll for rolling into precision bar diameters, and then completes final machining back in Germany.
“Mills and distributors from all over the world send material to us for specialist processing – from aerospace and motorsport to defence and medical,” says Havenhand.
Highly specialised sectors
Pro-Roll also manufactures proprietary alloys for highly specialised applications, including nuclear reactor components for submarine programmes. Nuclear power generation is another key sector,
with long-term supply contracts for specialist stainless grades used in reactor designs. The emergence of Small Modular Reactors (SMR) technology is an interesting future application for the specialist mini mill. Civil aerospace continues to grow in importance, supported by recent accreditations, including SAFRAN Group approval for helicopter engine applications.
“We continue to work through OEM qualification programmes and in-house approvals across multiple aerospace platforms.”
Materials processed
• Carbon Steels
• Alloy Steels
• Martensitic Stainless Steels
• Ferritic Stainless Steels
• Austenitic Stainless Steels
• Precipitation Hardening Stainless Steels
• Air Melt Nickel Alloys
• Nickel Alloys
• Cobalt Alloys
• Titanium Grades
The company’s ability to produce small, bespoke batches of alloys has led it to develop a strong customer base in other demanding industries, including the petrochemical, motorsport, biomedical and general engineering sectors.
Small-batch capability and manufacturing flexibility
Pro-Roll’s niche is flexibility, particularly where large mills are constrained by minimum batch sizes.
“We can even manufacture single bars if required,” says Havenhand.
“That level of flexibility is critical for expensive alloys where a customer may only need 50 kg, but a large mill requires a 500 kg minimum.”
The company’s melting operation can produce melts as small as five tonnes, compared with industry norms of 35–75 tonnes.
“That opens the door for custom alloy development, specialist prototypes, and highly targeted production runs. Larger quantities are naturally more economical, but our real value lies in the ability to manufacture what others won’t.”
A specialist partner for complex materials
Pro-Roll now operates as a fully integrated specialist mini-mill serving some of the most demanding sectors in global engineering. It has attained a wealth of customer approvals over the years, enabling it to provide alloys of the highest quality.
“As an approved manufacturer, we pride ourselves on offering our customers the highest level of quality and satisfaction, regardless of the material’s final application,” continues Havenhand. “As such, we strive to obtain industry-recognised approvals that put our customers’ minds at rest.”
Pro-Roll currently holds:
- ISO 9001/AS 9100
- NADCAP Heat Treating (Merit Program)
- SAFRAN Helicopter Engines Approval
- Rolls-Royce Aerospace SABRe
- Rolls-Royce Nuclear GS3001
“We focus on niche materials, difficult grades, and applications requiring a high degree of metallurgical and process expertise,” Havenhand concludes. “These are often areas that fall outside the commercial priorities of large-volume producers – but for us, that complexity is exactly what makes the work so compelling.”
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