Over 75 Years of SM Thompson – Our Story

For over 75 years, we’ve been proud to be part of the steel industry here in the North East.

What started in 1950 as a small family-run steel stockholding business has grown into a modern steel processing company. While a lot has changed over the years, we’ve always remained a family business, with the same focus on looking after our customers and continuing to move forward.

How it all started

SM Thompson was established in 1950 by Stanley Moorhouse Thompson.

We started in Middlesbrough as steel stockists before later operating from Port Clarence railway station, supplying steel to customers across the local area.

As the business grew, we moved to larger premises at Newport Bridge in Middlesbrough in 1955.

Stanley’s eldest son, Howard, later joined the business, bringing the next generation of the Thompson family into SM Thompson.

Always investing in what’s next

We’ve always believed that investing in the right equipment and technology is an important part of moving the business forward.

In 1985, we brought one of the first CNC plasma cutters to the North East, helping us expand our cutting capabilities and offer our customers a more advanced service.

We continued to invest over the following years, including the installation of our first CNC drilling machine in 1992.

In 2012, the next generation of the family took another step forward when Howard’s son, Harvey, became Managing Director.

As the business continued to grow, we moved to our current premises in South Bank, Middlesbrough, in 2015.

From steel stock to complete engineering partner

Today, we’ve developed far beyond our beginnings as a steel stockist.

From our 100-metre-long facility, we offer a wide range of steel processing services, including laser, plasma and flame cutting, plate and section rolling, pressing, drilling and bevel cutting.

Our investment in modern laser technology means we can cut mild steel, stainless steel and aluminium from 1mm to 30mm thick, giving customers greater flexibility when it comes to material selection and allowing us to support a wider range of projects.

We’ve also continued to develop our rolling and forming capabilities, allowing us to provide customers with more of their requirements under one roof.

Whether it’s supplying steel plate, producing profiles or forming components, our aim is to make the process as straightforward as possible for our customers.

Experience and technology working together

The steel industry has changed significantly since we first started.

Technology has moved on, customer requirements have become more demanding and accuracy, quality and traceability are more important than ever.

That’s why we continue to invest in both our machinery and our systems.

Our modern production and software systems give us greater visibility across our operations and help us maintain traceability throughout the process.

But technology is only part of what we offer.

After more than 75 years in the industry, we’ve built up a huge amount of knowledge and experience. Our team understands steel, the different grades and materials we work with, and the practical challenges that can come with processing them.

For us, it’s about bringing experience, technology and the right people together to deliver a service our customers can rely on.

75 years and still moving forward

In 2025, we celebrated 75 years of SM Thompson.

Looking back, we’re incredibly proud of how far we’ve come – from Stanley Moorhouse Thompson starting the business in 1950, through three generations of the Thompson family, to the company we are today.

We’re proud of our history, but we’re not standing still.

We’ll continue investing in new technology, developing our capabilities and looking for ways to improve the service we provide to our customers.

After more than 75 years, we’re still family-run, still independently minded and still passionate about what we do.

From Steel Stock, to Profiles to Bending – Over 75 years of Engineering Excellence.

Find out more about our services at www.smthompson.co.uk or contact our team at sales@smthompson.co.uk.