A Liverpool city region business that has been a supplier to the welding sector for more than five decades breaks through the £3m turnover barrier for the first time. Tony McDonough reports

St Helens-based welding sector supplier Kay Welding has broken through the £3m turnover barrier for the first time following a major investment.

Entrepreneur Paul Oakes acquired the family-owned Kay Welding, and its sister company K Hire, in 2021. The business dates back to the 1970s. Paul invested £850,000 into the firm upgrading its fleet, modernising its systems and in a rebranding.

And his investment has been rewarded with significant growth in the business which has seen annual revenues rise from £1.4m in 2021 to £3m in 2025. It now employs 20 people across both divisions.

The firm moved to Sutton in St Helens, in the 1990s. It integrated a dedicated repair centre into its operation and allowed customers to hire key equipment, leading to the formation of sister company, K Hire.

Improvements funded by Paul’s investment saw the complete redevelopment of the Kay Welding and K Hire websites, including the addition of a customer login area and strengthening website security.

It has also focused on building relationships with specialist brands to secure distribution rights in key geographical areas. These include UK-wide distribution rights for Flairmig and Xcel, and distribution rights in the North West and North Wales, for brands including Esab, Mosa, Shindaiwa, Binzel and Wilkinson Star.

And the business has also become a collection point and delivery service for Energas offering a wide range of oxyfuel and inert welding gas to the North West, providing all welding requirements in a one stop shop.

This is supported by regular offers on key products for industry professionals, only available via their ecommerce platforms, offering hundreds of pounds off top welding equipment brands.

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“When I purchased Kay Welding and K Hire in 2021, it was a well-run family business with significant history, a loyal customer base and incredible potential for growth,” said Paul.

“Through investment into the modernisation of the business systems, its hire fleet, and the development of a much stronger ecommerce offer, which allows our customers to have their own tailor-made account which is accessible 24 hours a day.”