About us
The leading sand casting engineering and foundry business globally.
LEADERS IN CASTING INNOVATION
Remaining true to a core philosophy of absolute customer service, while expanding our offer as technology allows, Grainger & Worrall to be at the global forefront of castings development and innovation. The world is demanding ever-lighter, ever more efficient means of propulsion and at Grainger & Worrall, we are helping to drive that trend. However, we are only able to because of almost three quarters of a century of accrued know-how. No other castings organisation has the same resource or history of delivery.
WE WORK WITH THE BEST.
We are privileged to have world-class customers, organisations that lead the world in their respective spheres – and we continue to deliver innovation in order to help them stay there.
We are very open minded to change – market change, regulation change, fundamental energy change. In many respects, we think we’re unique, underpinned by an underlying ethos of humility and respect, to our clients, our employees and our suppliers. Yet that does not compromise on an insatiable desire to keep delivering ground-breaking innovation to our client-base now, and in the future.
Our history
WE'VE LEARNT A THING OR TWO IN 75 YEARS...
As a privately owned family company, now run by co-founder Vernon Grainger’s three grandsons James, Matthew, and Edward, Grainger and Worrall are the market leaders in the field of prototype and small series complex high integrity structural castings, currently working within a diverse range of industries including automotive, commercial vehicles motorsport, aerospace and defence.
The company was founded in 1946 by brothers-in-law Vernon Grainger and Charles Worrall, who set up business in post-war Britain as pattern makers and casting manufacturers in the Midlands. In 2020, the company is still innovating and creating new opportunities for a new generation of engineers.
Founded 1946
1946
In post-war Britain Pattern Makers and Brothers in Law Vernon Grainger and Charles Worrall went into partnership establishing their first Master Pattern Shop at the Laurels (Stable Annexe) Clarence Street, Upper Gornal, and by 1951 the company had grown to 6 people.
1951
A business move to Hydes Quarry, Rock Street Upper Gornal, permitted further expansion and in 1974 the workforce numbered 18 supporting the local foundry industry with the manufacture of high quality patterns and tooling.
1951
1974
The company built its own premises in Holloway Street, Lower Gornal employees at this time continued to grow with 56 staff on site by 1989.
1989
New premises were built to establish both the pattern shop and foundry under one roof and by 1994 there were a skilled workforce of 90 located at Heath Mill, Wombourne.
1989
1994
The company had outgrown the Wombourne site and set up the Stanmore foundry on the outskirts of Bridgnorth, Shropshire as an additional facility: In total Grainger & Worrall were employing more than 150 people.
2007
The expanding workforce had grown to 325 staff and during this year HRH Prince Edward visited presenting The Queen’s Award for Export to the company.
2007
2013
Grainger & Worrall employs some 400 members of staff, runs 6 foundries, precision machining facilities and an extensive engineering resource.
2016
Marked the 70th year of Grainger & Worrall, with more than 700 employees, a new state of the art machining facility in Bridgnorth, as well as the acquisition of the COSCAST foundry in Worcester.
2016
2017
Open state-of-the-art machine shop at Stanmore Industrial Estate alongside investment in new production and processes including:
- Robotic Fettling
- Core Blowers
- Sand reclamation
- Casting technology
- Digital sand printer
2021
Awarded third Queen's award for the development of "Next Generation Castings", supporting the transition from internal combustion engines to electrification.
2021
Present day
Now in 2023...
Grainger and Worrall continue to grow and serve the best in automotive, motorsport, aerospace, green energy and more...
People
INVESTING IN DEVELOPING PEOPLE
As a global leader in casting developments and innovation, our people are one of our biggest assets. We are privileged to have some of the most talented engineers in the UK working for Grainger & Worrall and now employ over 500 people. Every member of the team has a valuable role to play in the success of the business and we continue to recruit the brightest and most innovative individuals who are able to push traditional engineering boundaries.
Our strong community interest has led us to join forces with 3 other companies to form a consortium to develop the purpose built training facility known as Marches Centre of Manufacturing Technology (MCMT). It aims to train apprentices in advanced manufacturing and engineering, giving employers a strong pool of skills to tap into as they continue to compete globally. We have now privately invested £1.1m into the development of MCMT which aims to target 2020 learners by 2020.
We believe that investing in the training and development of our employees is part of a process of continuous improvement essential to the success of the business. We encourage personal development and create a positive, thriving work environment and we are proud of the fact that we are able to help our employees’ progress through the business to take on new challenges and access different roles.
We have a relentless desire, individually and collectively, to deliver high quality solutions as well as market leading products. As a business we continue to look for ways to improve our working environment and our team spirit. We remain true to our ambition to be best in class, but still have time to occasionally relax and enjoy ourselves together when the opportunity presents itself.