Hyde Tool established.

Our company was first formed as Hyde Tool; a five-man tool room located in a small mill in Hyde. Initially, the company specialised in manufacturing press tools for mains gas, electric and gas fires.

Hyde rapidly expands and diversifies.

Hyde Group began developing numerous autonomous limited companies. These companies retained their independence but were supported by an overarching management system. Throughout the decade the companies began to expand their portfolio. For example, early in the 1970s Hyde grew into the aero products market when working on the design and build of fuselage assembly jigs for the Panavia Tornado. Furthermore, in 1976 Hyde began working in the mining industry, winning a significant manufacturing contract from Caterpillar.

Hyde continues to build a global reputation.

During this period, Hyde began to work more internationally. For example, our first manufacturing satellite company, formed in 1981, worked on master gauges for Indian licensed builds of the SEPECAT Jaguar. This was followed by the formation of the Hyde Group in 1984. The first major project undertaken by the Group was the holistic management and detail manufacture of the Fokker F100 wing. Hyde continued to expand its capabilities and develop into new markets including space and nuclear, undertaking work packages that supported the construction of satellites and assisting in the decommissioning of Sellafield nuclear power station. During this period Hyde also became involved in the automotive and rail industry, working on diesel engine components for Perkins and machined wheels for ABB.

During the 1990s, Hyde became the largest tooling company in Europe.

Hyde began work in the scientific industry, for example, supporting the manufacture of a range of mass spectrometry equipment. Hyde continued to expand its presence in the automotive sector and began delivering tooling and special-purpose equipment for companies including Jaguar Land Rover. Additionally, following a significant contract won on the BAE Hawk programme, the Hyde Aero Products division was formed in 1991. Later that year, Hyde won a number of high-profile US defence contracts from Lockheed Martin. Then in 1992 the Hyde Group added airframe design and analysis to its services and undertook work packages from companies such as Bombardier, BAE Systems, Aircelle and Airbus. A discrete engineering division was formed in 1993 to maximise these new capabilities. Throughout the rest of the decade, Hyde performed significant assembly tooling work for Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Airbus. During this period Hyde Group also delivered a number of test and development solutions to companies including Rolls Royce’s engines division.

The company continues to grow, diversify and expand its customer base.

The new millennium saw significant expansion and investment as Airbus offloaded a major non-conformance management contract to Hyde. Early in the decade, Hyde developed its aerospace structures and systems design offering, delivering significant support to AgustaWestland and Airbus. Hyde also completed a number of assembly tooling solutions to the Airbus A380 programme; including the support of the wing assembly jig, which remains the largest of its type ever built. By 2004 Hyde Group had become a design and manufacture partner on the Airbus A400M for the design and build of leading-edge details. Other major projects included engineering support to the Lockheed Martin F35 rear fuselage and Eurofighter Typhoon cockpit structures and systems. Selection as an EADS E2S supplier led to significant engineering support on the Airbus A350, aiding the development of Hyde Group’s composite capabilities. Hyde also moved into marine systems, including significant support to nuclear submarines, and energy, making use predominantly of its large scale manufacture, testing and development capabilities. During this time, Hyde Group enhanced its manufacturing support capabilities through the creation of a manufacturing engineering division and greater integration of automation into its tooling and manufacturing solutions.

Hyde Group becomes a major player in the nuclear sector.

Hyde began promoting technical publications as a service, creating many for AgustaWestland. Diversifying further into nuclear technology, Hyde Group established a dedicated nuclear division in 2012 to enhance our capability in that sector. During this period the company also began offering automotive design engineering, pharmaceutical engineering, software development and R&D services. We continue to serve a wide range of markets, delivering a range of aerospace solutions to OEMs and Tier 1s throughout the world. Hyde Group also began undertaking a wider variety of projects, as diverse as the support of the Northern and Central Line upgrades to the London Underground and the fabrication of elevators for aircraft carriers. The present-day marks greater synergies and integration across Hyde Group as our focus drives toward offering a truly complete engineering service.