Established in 1939, Special Testing Ltd has been providing materials testing services with quality and integrity, and has established a reputation as one of the UK's leading accredited materials testing companies. Continual improvement programmes have allowed us to grow steadily into extended and enhanced facilities at our original site that opened more than 75 years ago.
In 1925, Bennett Beardshaw founded The Special Steel Co Ltd on Bacon Lane in Sheffield to melt and process tool steels. Demand for heat treatment services grew rapidly, as did the need for complementary mechanical testing. In 1939, a dedicated test house was built and Special Testing Works Ltd was formed.
As we became recognised for our expertise in mechanical testing, we invested in the latest testing equipment and demand for independent testing from external customers continued to grow. During the following years, it became necessary to extend our range of services to include metallurgical and corrosion testing. Therefore a metallurgical department was established in the early 1990s.
Continuous improvement programmes have driven growth both in capacity and capability, with the introduction of many other testing services, such as elevated temperature tensile testing and stress rupture testing.
In 2005, the test facility was extended to house the enhanced range of services. So now, the Mechanical, Metallurgical, Corrosion and Analytical Testing Laboratories are all located in the Douglas Building - named after Bennett’s son who worked for, and drove the company forward over 40 years.
Strategic planning and investment in buildings, equipment, staff and training, as the company has passed from one generation of the Beardshaw family to the next, has helped Special Testing Ltd become the success it is today.