About AMB

The UK’s leading hardfacing specialist and precision engineers with over 200 years of combined welding and machining expertise.
About AMB, AMB

Our History

Albert Marsh
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About AMB, AMB
Albert Marsh

Albert Marsh and Bestelite Hardfacing Company Ltd (AMB Co. Ltd) are a family-owned company steeped in history and it’s that ethos, that togetherness that has seen the company thrive over the course of the past 83 years.

The story began in 1938 when the original company was established by Albert Marsh, a highly skilled engineer with a solid background in a number of different Sheffield industries. Our first premises were on Portobello Street where we produced brick linings for refractors.

World War II
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About AMB, AMB
World War II

With the outbreak of World War II in 1939, Albert’s little business was suddenly galvanised to aid the war effort. The government needed armaments and the business was transformed overnight into a 24-hour production line, with over 50 people, almost exclusively women, working around the clock. Unfortunately, our factory suffered a direct hit from the Luftwaffe, but that didn’t deter our British spirit and we quickly transferred to a new site on Solly Street. After the war, we returned to our traditional refractory work, which continued in much the same vein well into the 1950s.

Bryant Hall
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About AMB, AMB
Bryant Hall
Within a decade of the war ending, there was an extremely important event in AMB’s history as Albert’s daughter married Bryant Hall, an accountant who ultimately became our company chairman for many years. Unfortunately, Albert Marsh’s health deteriorated over the next few years and with this in his mind, he brought his son-in-law into the business, before he sadly passed away in the early 1960s.
Brownell Street
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Brownell Street
Bert Butterworth, a Foreman at the time, stepped in to ensure the operational side of the business kept running, whilst Bryant Hall used his accountancy experience to stabilise the company financially and used his many contacts in the engineering industry to start growing the business. This inevitably led to a move into larger premises on Brownell Street.
Stellite
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Stellite

Bryant then joined forces with a friend, Jim Bardsley, who was the head salesman for Stellite. It was from this relationship, the company that was to become AMB Co. Ltd began manufacturing stellite rollers and the business went from strength to strength.

AMB Co. Ltd – Hawke Street
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About AMB, AMB
AMB Co. Ltd – Hawke Street
Our burgeoning reputation was further enhanced following the merger between ourselves and another of Sheffield’s most reputable engineering companies, Bestelite (Hardfacing) Ltd – a partnership based on strength and experience, resulting in the move to new premises on Hawke Street.
Elizabeth Austin
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About AMB, AMB
Elizabeth Austin
Shortly after relocating to our current facility, Bryant Hall sadly passed away and his daughter (Albert Marsh’s granddaughter and our current Chair), Elizabeth Austin, took up the reins of the family business. We have since forged ahead with plans to grow the business, investing in technology, and more importantly our people, to become the success story we are today, whilst still retaining that family ethos. Liz is still at the helm today, driving the business forward and her dad would be extremely proud.