Balmoral Tanks was delighted to welcome members of Made in Yorkshire to our Thurnscoe facility this week for an engaging Made in Yorkshire factory tour event. Bringing together manufacturers from across the region, the day provided a fantastic opportunity to open our doors to fellow manufacturers, share best practice and showcase the people and processes behind Balmoral’s continued growth.
The morning began with breakfast, informal networking and a warm welcome from our Managing Director, Allan Joyce, who introduced visitors to the Balmoral story, our growth journey and the strategic thinking that continues to shape the business.
The event also marked an important milestone for Balmoral Tanks. Allan shared that after just under three decades with the business, he will be stepping down from his role as Managing Director later this year. Welcoming the Made in Yorkshire community to Thurnscoe at this point in the company’s journey therefore felt particularly fitting.
During his tenure, Allan has played a central role in shaping Balmoral Tanks into the organisation it is today — overseeing periods of significant growth, expanding the company’s global reach and helping build the strong culture that continues to underpin the business. His long-standing support for the Made in Yorkshire network made it especially meaningful to host members at the site just weeks before his transition from the role.
Guests were also introduced to Paul Edwards, who has recently joined the business and will succeed Allan as Managing Director. Speaking to the group, Paul shared his enthusiasm for joining Balmoral and building on the strong foundations already in place across the organisation.
Strategy, Growth and Global Markets
The opening presentation gave visitors an overview of Balmoral’s strategy and growth over recent years. The business has experienced strong expansion, with revenue more than doubling between 2021 and 2025 and export sales increasing from £7 million to £24 million during the same period.
Allan outlined the strategic framework guiding Balmoral’s direction, built around four key priorities: service excellence, engaged people, ESG responsibility and productivity through technology.
As Allan explained, service is not viewed as a department within Balmoral but rather “an attitude that permeates the entire business.”
Members of the leadership team then expanded on different areas of the business. Operations Manager Jim Mann provided an overview of Balmoral’s two core coating technologies — glass-fused-to-steel and fusion bonded epoxy — helping attendees understand the manufacturing processes they would later see during the factory tour.
Sales Director Jonathan Smith also shared insights into the global markets Balmoral continues to serve and expand into, highlighting opportunities across sectors including aquaculture, fertiliser storage and other infrastructure markets aligned with sustainability and environmental regulation.
Inside the Thurnscoe Facility
Following the presentations, attendees were split into smaller groups and taken on a guided tour of the Thurnscoe manufacturing facility, giving visitors the opportunity to see Balmoral’s operations first-hand and speak directly with the teams responsible for each stage of the process.
The tour moved through several key areas of the business — from sales and estimating through to design, manufacturing and finishing operations — offering a detailed look at how Balmoral transforms complex customer requirements into engineered storage solutions.
One area that generated particular interest was the company’s automated estimating system, developed internally and now capable of generating more than 500 quotations each month. The system produces detailed outputs including 3D models and is currently being trialled with a major customer to allow them to generate estimates independently when required.
Members also saw how Balmoral continues to invest in productivity through technology, one of the organisation’s core strategic pillars. Across the factory floor, digital tools and automation are being introduced to improve safety, enhance efficiency and reduce the potential for human error.
Another key focus was Balmoral’s ongoing journey toward creating a paperless factory environment. Tablets are now used for inspections, production output recording and maintenance reporting, with further developments underway to digitise production records, warehouse picking and inventory tracking.
Keeping the tour groups small ensured each station could be explained clearly and openly, allowing visitors to ask questions and gain a deeper understanding of Balmoral’s continuous improvement journey.
A Collective Effort
The event concluded with an open panel discussion and Q&A session, where Balmoral’s leadership team shared further insight into the company’s operations, growth strategy and sustainability initiatives.
Delivering an event like this is very much a team effort. From the colleagues on reception and within HR who coordinated registrations and hospitality, to the station guides and tour facilitators across the factory floor, and the leadership team who shared their insights during the presentations and panel session, the success of the day reflected the commitment and pride of the wider Balmoral team.
We would also like to thank the Made in Yorkshire team for bringing together such a strong group of manufacturers and creating the opportunity for meaningful conversation, collaboration and shared learning across the sector.
With plenty of insightful discussion, a good few laughs and genuine openness throughout the day, it was a pleasure to welcome the Made in Yorkshire community to Thurnscoe.