UK-engineered lifting equipment, delivered worldwide.

Somers Handling is an engineering-led UK manufacturer of lifting and handling equipment. Our work spans bespoke slab-handling tongs for steel mills, rail-vehicle lifting jacks for depot maintenance, spreader beams and frames engineered to BS EN 13155, billet lifting beams for primary aluminium producers, and one-off lifting solutions for non-standard loads.

Every item we design is calculated, drawn and reviewed in-house. Our engineers work alongside customers from initial concept through fabrication, proof-load testing and commissioning on site.

A long-standing name in UK lifting equipment

The Somers name has been associated with UK-manufactured lifting and handling equipment for generations. Today's Somers Handling continues that engineering tradition from our works in Wednesbury, at the heart of the West Midlands manufacturing region.

The continuity isn't just in the name. Our team has direct experience of Somers-built equipment going back decades — including tongs, grabs and lifters commissioned in the 1990s and 2000s that are still in daily service at steel, aluminium and specialist mills around the world. One of our recent projects was a direct replacement of a Somers-built billet tong in a Swedish specialist-steel mill that had given more than twenty years of reliable service — a compelling reference point, both for the robustness of the original engineering and for what the current business is able to deliver in its next chapter.

How we work

Projects typically begin with a short call or site visit to understand the load envelope, operating environment and duty cycle. We produce concept and detail design — supported by FEA where required — and manufacture in the UK with full material traceability. All lifting accessories are supplied with a declaration of conformity and test certification.

UK-built, globally delivered

We design and build at Wednesbury, and we ship worldwide. Recent projects include a coordinated family of billet lifting beams for a premium aluminium producer in the Middle East, an 85-tonne motorised duplex slab tong for ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India, and a hydraulic billet tong for a specialist-steel producer in Sweden — all engineered, manufactured and factory-tested at our UK works before shipment.

For international customers, we handle export documentation, CE-marked conformity pack, and shipment logistics from Wednesbury to the customer's preferred destination. Factory Acceptance Testing under customer witness is a routine part of the delivery process for overseas projects — giving the customer full confidence in the equipment's performance before it ever leaves the UK.

Standards and compliance

Lifting accessories are designed and manufactured to BS EN 13155, CE/UKCA marked, and suitable for use under the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER 1998). Cranes are built to BS EN 15011; rail vehicle lifts to BS EN 1493; man-riding davits to BS EN 795 Class E. Industry guidance from the Lifting Equipment Engineers Association (LEEA 059) sits alongside the formal standards. Statutory thorough-examination and servicing are offered as ongoing services.

Registered details

Somers Handling is registered in England, company number 16526522. Registered office: Unit 1, Kings Hill Business Park, Darlaston Road, Wednesbury, WS10 7SH.