Engineering firm named after Wirral road celebrates 40th anniversary

Studley Engineering was created by partners Martin Hyland and Tony Brierton back in 1983. The duo were good friends and working for the same company at the time.

After both being made redundant, they decided to start their own mechanical engineering business together which has gone on to flourish for four decades.

Martin Hyland and Tony Brierton (Image: Studley Engineering)

Named Studley Engineering after the road where Tony lived in Wallasey, the business started at a 5,000 sqft old foundry workshop on Paisley Street, close to Liverpool’s Docks, with just five members of staff; a much smaller team than the one that operates the company today.

When Martin, from Dingle, retired in 1992, and Tony stepped down in 1993, Studley Engineering was taken over by Martin’s son John Hyland, 63, who became Managing Director and Tony’s sons, Neil Brierton, 57, and Karl Brierton, 55, who are both Directors, along with Martin’s three other children Fran, Paula and Jimmy who have worked for the company since its inception.

Still in the hands of the Hyland and Brierton families today, three of John’s children, Karl’s son and Neil’s daughter all work for the company and Studley Engineering now employs over 200 members of staff.

Starting as a traditional Pipe Fabricator and Plant Installer working out of a small storage shed that allowed only a limited scope of work to be undertaken, Studley Engineering’s growth to date can’t be underestimated. 

As the company’s workload and team grew in the early days, Studley’s reputation also developed as a reliable contractor, and in 1986, this saw the business relocate to a more sizable location within the Liverpool City Region; a 20,000 sqft workshop on Vulcan Street.

Studley Engineering's base on Vulcan Street in Liverpool (Image: Studley Engineering)

The Vulcan Street workshop remained the home of Studley Engineering for the next 28 years and supported the company through mass growth and expansion across nearly three decades.

In 2012, it became clear that the business needed to relocate in order to increase capacity and support demand. After a lengthy search and renovation, in 2015, Studley moved into its current home, a 60,000 sqft space in Knowsley Industrial Park.

Back in 1983, Studley’s first order was to install tanks for an edible oil processing facility at the Liverpool Docks and for many years after that, the company’s clientele was based in the North West, particularly Liverpool and Manchester.

Over time, Studley Engineering has grown to supply a range of clients across the UK with major multi-million-pound projects completed in Southampton, Hertfordshire, Staffordshire, Cardiff and Glasgow, as well as others in Blackpool and The Midlands.

Over the four decades of growth, Studley Engineering’s services have also accelerated with the formation of its sister company, Studley Electrical, allowing the team to offer a joint Mechanical Engineering installation approach for all of their clients and projects.

Relocating to the Knowsley Industrial Park site has allowed for further diversification with a substantial increase in workshop capacity, making it possible for Studley Engineering to offer Modular Unit Builds on a much bigger scale which has proven to be an incredibly successful arm of the business.

Some of the work that goes on at Studley Engineering today (Image: Studley Engineering)

Throughout the last four decades, Studley Engineering is proud to have achieved multiple award wins including Engineering Firm of the Year for three years running at Chemicals North West Awards as well as multiple Health and Safety and Supplier to the Chemical Industry awards.

However, the most notable achievement for the senior management team is Studley Engineering’s Apprenticeship programme and their investment in the next generation. The company’s commitment to apprenticeships, even during times of economic challenges, Studley has continued to recruit every year. Over the past 40 years, the company is incredibly proud to have trained over 200 apprentices, supporting young people in getting them into work, creating jobs and trades, and helping them to gain valuable life skills to take them through their careers.

As Studley Engineering looks towards the future, the team hopes to seek new investment opportunities to expand on the company’s current services whilst also planning to further diversify into more areas within the Engineering industry. This will be supported through the continuation of building on the 200-strong workforce through recruitment, training and development.

Managing Director, John Hyland, explained: “As we celebrate 40 years of Studley, we reflect on the journey that has brought us to this milestone. A journey of dedication, adaptation, and commitment - our success is owed to the incredible teams that form our organisation, the invaluable partnerships we’ve built and the trust that our customers have placed in us. 

“Over the past four decades, we have not only adapted to many changes in the industry and the wider world; but we have embraced them, ensuring that we are always up to speed and progressive. As we look back on our achievements, we are proud of our past and driven by the opportunities that lie ahead.”