Paul Clews, Managing Director of Alpha Manufacturing, explains how blending customer-driven innovation with the latest advances in technology is proving to be a recipe for success.
After a record-breaking year in 2025, when turnover topped £22.5m, Alpha Manufacturing has carried strong momentum into 2026. We also smashed previous targets on the number of parts we designed and manufactured, hitting 1.4 million, up 28% year on year.
The phrase “work smarter, not harder” has a lot of merit. However, as a leader in our field, 2026 has continued to show why we believe in doing both. We are constantly looking to innovate, but also to go the extra mile for our clients.
As we now stand firmly in the second half of 2026, I am delighted to report that Alpha Manufacturing remains on an upward trajectory. Here are some of the highlights from this year so far:
Peer recognition
One of the standout moments of the past six months was being named Engineering Manufacturer of the Year at the Made in the Midlands UK Awards. This is part of a national series of accolades designed to recognise the very best manufacturers from across the UK.
Here’s what the award organisers had to say about us: “The judges were very impressed with this entry, which ticked all the boxes for innovative and sustainable manufacturing. It has strong targets in sustainability, a clear innovation strategy and a commitment to developing the region’s talent and industrial base.”
Alpha Manufacturing was also proud to contribute to wider Group success, as The HEX Group scooped the Business of the Year award at the coveted Staffordshire Chambers Awards. The accolade recognised a period of exceptional growth, investment and innovation across the Group, underpinned by major new and ongoing customer partnerships, continued investment in advanced manufacturing technologies, and an unwavering commitment to skills development, sustainability and long-term business resilience.
Adding genuine value
A key differentiator for Alpha Manufacturing in 2026 has been its growing ability to add genuine value for clients. By combining advanced CNC punch tooling, forming techniques and intelligent programming, Alpha Manufacturing continues to eradicate processes within customer operations. This reduces cost, lead time and environmental impact, while improving repeatability and quality across product lifecycles.
A critical element of this progress is that we combine scale with flexibility. The ability to manufacture millions of parts annually while managing thousands of unique components enables Alpha Manufacturing to support customers at every stage of growth, from prototype to full production. This balance, combined with the reliability of a UK-based supply chain, is strengthening Alpha Manufacturing’s position as a trusted partner rather than simply a supplier.
A clear example of exceeding customer expectations this year is the recent adoption of metrology-grade 3D scanning technology to support increasingly complex fabrication requirements.
Customers in sectors such as energy, infrastructure and data centres require high levels of dimensional accuracy, traceability and confidence in quality. Traditional inspection methods were becoming increasingly time-consuming and limited in the data they could provide. In response, we invested £130,000 in a Creaform MetraSCAN 3D system, typically used in aerospace applications.
This means we can now capture millions of data points per second, delivering inspection accuracy of up to 0.025mm. It has significantly reduced reliance on manual measurement, shortened inspection times and improved repeatability for high-volume work.
For customers, this translates into increased confidence in product quality, faster response to queries and clearer evidence of compliance. We are also developing a digital library of scanning templates, enabling rapid inspection of repeat parts and further improving efficiency.
We are also using AI-enabled condition monitoring to enhance preventative maintenance and uptime. These are just a few examples of how the latest technology is paying dividends for our clients in 2026.
Investing for success
These purchases are part of a broader investment programme that demonstrates how Alpha Manufacturing continues to evolve by embracing new technologies and smarter ways of working and that has already delivered significant advances in automation and productivity. To build on this progress, we have ordered a TRUMPF TruLaser 5030 paired with a LiftMaster Compact, fully integrated with our STOPA storage system. Once installed, it will further support lights-out production, helping us increase capacity while maintaining the high levels of quality and efficiency our customers expect.
Together, these investments are transforming productivity, reducing manual handling, enhancing accuracy and enabling us to operate as a truly 24/7 manufacturing facility. The result is a step-change in capacity and efficiency, enabling Alpha Manufacturing to simultaneously handle both high volume production and complex work.
Importantly, the business has continued to fund this growth through reinvestment rather than debt, ensuring financial resilience and long-term sustainability.
We have also brought more logistics in-house after investing £130,000 in a new 18-tonne Volvo FM Globetrotter truck to further enhance delivery performance and value for our customers, replacing our 7.5-tonne vehicle, which is retiring after years of faithful service. The new truck enables us to maximise load efficiencies and increase the volume of products delivered on each journey. Its sleeper cab also allows us to travel longer distances while maintaining flexibility around driver hours. Following the success of this investment, we have already placed an order for an identical vehicle, alongside two additional 3.5-tonne trucks, further strengthening our fleet and supporting future growth.
With greater payload, increased load height and maximised load space, the new Volvo FM is enabling us to carry more orders per journey. This improves efficiency while cutting emissions and reliance on subcontract hauliers.
This investment is more than a new truck; it is part of a strategic upgrade to our logistics operation and a clear statement of intent for continued growth. With the introduction of paperless operating systems, live vehicle tracking, real time tachograph monitoring, and instant electronic Proof of Delivery, we can now ensure complete visibility and control across every delivery.
Putting people first
Alongside this capital investment, 2026 has also seen Alpha Manufacturing continue to put people first, with a firm focus on developing talent and helping our people reach their full potential.
Through The HEX Group Academy, Alpha Manufacturing has now trained more than 200 apprentices since 2010, with the latest intake of 22 joining last September and continuing their education journey with the company. By tailoring apprentice intakes and training programmes to the evolving needs of the business, we are ensuring we have the skills required to support future growth and technological advancement. Each annual intake has achieved a 100% pass rate while supporting both its own workforce and other regional manufacturing businesses.
Leaner and greener
Sustainability has also remained embedded throughout Alpha Manufacturing’s operations in 2026. As part of The HEX Group, we follow the HEX360 strategy, working collaboratively with customers to support their environmental goals, from reducing embodied carbon through smarter design to efficient production and logistics.
Over 2,000 solar panels now generate enough energy to operate our machinery, while LED lighting has reduced energy consumption by more than 43%, and waste reduction initiatives have cut carbon footprint by 75%. Alpha Manufacturing has also committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2037.
Looking ahead…
While we are proud of what we have achieved so far in 2026, we are not standing still. The investments we are making in technology, sustainability and our people are all focused on one goal: helping our customers succeed.
The second half of the year promises to be just as exciting, and we remain committed to working smarter and harder to deliver the innovation, quality and service our customers have come to expect from Alpha Manufacturing.