Samuel Heath: Brassware Manufacturer Still Innovating After 200 Years

11 months ago

Samuel Heath is a Great British Brand 2024

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Samuel Heath: Brassware Manufacturer Still Innovating After 200 Years

Samuel Heath is an entry in our Great British Brands 2024 book.

Samuel Heath: Great British Brand 2024

‘Samuel Heath designs and manufactures premium bathroom fittings and architectural hardware from solid brass. We stand alone in having kept all our brass foundry production processes under one roof at our site in Birmingham.

Founded in 1820, our brand is built on our people, not only the hands which craft our products, but the entire team. In the ever-increasing digital world, maintaining that personal touch is paramount to growing those authentic connections on which our brand is built.

While we are an evolving traditional business, we embrace new technologies and innovation has always been ingrained in the ethos of the business. We have started incorporating AI and automation in our design and engineering processes. We’ve invested in new robotics to free up skilled labour to focus on the more complicated aspects of milling brass. We’re very aware of the efficiencies that AI and automation can bring us, but we’re moving carefully so we can maintain a balance between automation efficiencies while retaining the human touch.

We believe in communicating the story of the brand and all the handcrafting skills which we’ve honed over two centuries. Many of our people have been with us most of their working lives and we’re proud to have generations of families that pass down their skills. Bringing interior designers to the factory to experience first-hand how products are made from start to finish sets us apart. They can discover every process with our team of skilled design engineers and artisans. It gives them the insight to specify our fittings confidently to their clients.

We are discovering how we can embrace a hybrid way of communicating with our customers through unveiling the product journey and creating emotional connections. Our brand seeks to become an integral part of the stories that interior designers tell through their creative projects.’

Martyn Whieldon, Managing Director

Five Proudest Moments

1. The Samuel Heath brand was established in 1820 by Alfred William Heath, the son of designer and maker Samuel Heath.

2. Samuel Heath designed and manufactured an exclusive brass mantel clock for the Great Exhibition in 1851.

3. Fifth Avenue in New York City became the first Samuel Heath showroom overseas in 1981.

4. In 2017 Samuel Heath creates brassware for the new residences of Chelsea Barracks, a luxury development in London, followed in 2021 with fittings for The Whiteley in Bayswater.

5. The Samuel Heath factory frontage is named a Grade II-listed building by English Heritage in 2022, on the site that we have occupied since 1850.

What I’ve Learnt…

Recent global events have highlighted how important it is to focus on energy usage and sustainability.
Your supply partners are crucial to the effectiveness of your own business.
It’s vital to look after your colleagues and strike a balance between introducing new production methods while nurturing skills that have been passed down over generations.