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Forging a legac
Brown McFarlane has evolved from scrap trading to a global leader in processed steel
Building on over 135 years of history, Brown McFarlane is today a leading carbon and stainless-steel plate processor and stockholder. It delivers high-quality processed components to a global customer base across a wide range of industries. Managing Director Tony O’ Reilly shares a more detailed overview, as with over a century of history, the company has evolved extensively:“ Originally established in 1889, the business has its roots in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded by a merchant seaman called Albert Richard Brown, it began trading scrap on the docks of the Clyde. The founder was one of the very few non- Japanese people to be awarded the Order of the Rising Sun for services to the Japanese government for supporting them with shipbuilding. Following that collaboration, he founded Brown McFarlane, originally trading scrap and then trading plate material.
“ The business developed from just trading plate and started offering a processing service. In the 1980s, the company expanded its facilities beyond Glasgow, establishing a site in Stoke-on-Trent. In the early 1990s, the company decided to concentrate on the main processing site in Stoke-on-Trent, mainly because of the logistics benefits, due to its central location. To
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