Design and manufacture of mechanical and electronic locking systems for industrial and OEM applications.

Lowe & Fletcher Ltd

Wednesbury · Bloxwich · Bastogne · Folschviller · Sulzbach · Ruda · Norton Shores, MichiganNew on Amplifa

1889Founded in Willenhall

approx. 1,000Employees (Group)

6Production sites (Locking Systems Division)

> 80 Mio.Products per year (Group)

About Lowe & Fletcher

Lowe & Fletcher (Wednesbury) Ltd is a manufacturer specialising in locking systems, producing mechanical locks, digital and electronic locking systems as well as custom solutions for industrial and OEM applications. The company was founded in 1889 by John Lowe and Thomas Fletcher in Willenhall and is a sixth-generation family business with around 1,000 employees in the Lowe & Fletcher Group. The Group supplies more than 80 million products annually from six production sites, including mechanical precision locks, furniture locks, camlocks, radial pin tumbler locks, RFID and combination locks. Lowe & Fletcher operates its main UK production in Wednesbury with its own electronics manufacturing, as well as a metal finishing plant in Bloxwich for surface treatment and coating, also for external customers. Materials include brass, bronze, polished gunmetal and steel; in-house CAD design, rapid prototyping with a 3D model within 24 hours and in-house toolmaking complete the value chain. Customer industries include locker systems, office and healthcare furniture, automotive aftermarket, enclosure manufacturing, post box systems, gaming machines and e-bikes.

Site: WS10 7DE Wednesbury, West Midlands
Processes: Lock manufacturing (design and manufacture of locking systems, mechanical and electronic), Metal finishing and coating (surface treatment and coating), Precision manufacturing (primary and secondary manufacturing processes for locking systems), CAD design and rapid prototyping (3D solid model within 24 hours), Toolmaking (dedicated tools based on own in-house designs), Assembly of electronic assemblies for electronic locking systems (dedicated, Key replacement service (key cutting in own plant), Bespoke Locking Solutions (custom designs)
Materials: Brass, Bronze, Polished Gunmetal, Hardenable steel (hardened steel inserts in key cylinders), Steel (steel override key, metal furniture), Wood (as substrate for furniture applications), Steel (hardened)
Certificates: IP65 Ingress Protection, ICO Data Protection Registration, IP65 Ingress Protection (3781/3787/3961)
Founded: 1889
Employees: approx. 1,000 (Lowe
Industries: Locker systems, Office and furniture industry, Medical/hospital furniture, Automotive aftermarket, Bicycles (e-bike batteries), Enclosure manufacturing

01
CAD design (3D solid model within 24 h)
02
Rapid prototyping
03
Toolmaking (in-house)
04
Precision manufacturing (primary and secondary processes)
05
Metal finishing / coating (Bloxwich)
06
Assembly including electronic assemblies
07
Sales and support (including Shop Keys, RAS 2.0)

Materials & Processes

Brass

Classic material for traditionally manufactured locks and key cutting.

Bronze

Traditionally used for high-quality lock manufacture since the founding era.

Gunmetal

Polished Gunmetal

For handcrafted lock versions with a polished surface.

Steel (hardened)

Hardened steel inserts in key cylinders against drilling and break-in attempts; steel override keys.

Sites

Wednesbury

Main UK production site (since 1998) and administration, including electronics manufacturing

Materials: Brass, Bronze, Steel

CAD design
Rapid prototyping
Toolmaking
Electronics production floor

Bloxwich

Metal finishing / coating (since 1968), also for external customers

Materials: Metal

Bastogne

Euro-Locks Belgium, largest production site of the Group

Folschviller

Euro-Locks France, production

Sulzbach

Euro-Locks Germany, production for German markets

Ruda

Euro-Locks Poland, extended production facility

Norton Shores, Michigan

Lowe & Fletcher America, US production and sales

Locking Systems

**Electronic Locks**Electronics assembly · Locker systems

**Nimbus RFID Lock**RFID technology · Workplace & Education

**Rod Guide W147**Manufacturing · Accessories

Inside the production

Industries

Locker systemsOffice and furniture industryMedical/hospital furnitureAutomotive aftermarketBicycles (e-bike batteries)Enclosure manufacturingCommercial vehicles/rail vehiclesPost/parcel lockersWindow and door constructionGaming/slot machinesCash boxes/safese-charging infrastructure

Processes & technical limits

Processes	Tolerance	Max. part	Weight	Lot size	Materials
Lock manufacturing (design and manufacture of locking systems, mechanical and electronic)Assembly	–	–	–	–	Brass, Bronze, Steel
Metal finishing and coating (surface treatment and coating)Surface	–	–	–	–	Metal
Precision manufacturing (primary and secondary manufacturing processes for locking systems)Assembly	–	–	–	–	–
CAD design and rapid prototyping (3D solid model within 24 hours)Engineering	–	–	–	–	–
Toolmaking (dedicated tools based on own in-house designs)Engineering	–	–	–	–	Steel
Assembly of electronic assemblies for electronic locking systems (dedicatedAssembly	–	–	–	–	–
Key replacement service (key cutting in own plant)Assembly	–	–	–	–	Brass

Additional services

Bespoke Locking Solutions (custom designs)CAD design with 3D solid model possible within 24hRapid prototypingToolmaking (in-house)Precision manufacturingMetal finishing / coating (Bloxwich)Key replacement service (Shop Keys)RAS 2.0 Remote Allocation System (web-based code management)

Reference customers

DHL (Manchester Airport, ECHO Retrofit)Coventry UniversityLondon South Bank UniversityCoventry University Football Club Locker (Zenith Digital Locks)Best Western Hotel (Poland)Allianz Shop, E.Leclerc (France)Galeria Warmińska Shopping Centre (Poland)

Quality

Manufacturing standards are tested and certified; selected wet-area locks (e.g. 3781, 3787, 3961) are tested and certified with IP65 protection rating.

Evidence	Wednesbury
IP65 Ingress Protection (3781/3787/3961)

History

1889
Founded by John Lowe and Thomas Fletcher in Willenhall as a lock manufactory for brass, bronze and polished gunmetal
Officially recognised contractor of the Admiralty and War Office; leading supplier of ship locks
1968
Opening of the Bloxwich metal finishing plant; new factory in Bilston; fire and rebuilding in Willenhall
Foundation of Euro-Locks Bastogne, Belgium (today the largest production site)
Foundation of Euro-Locks France in Folschviller
Foundation of Euro-Locks Germany in Sulzbach
1989
100 years of Lowe & Fletcher; visit by HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Foundation of Euro-Locks Poland in Ruda
1998
Opening of the new Lowe & Fletcher Wednesbury building as main UK production site
Foundation of Lowe & Fletcher America in Holland, Michigan
Acquisition of the BLE Group (lighting, security systems, smoke and fire curtains)
New Euro-Locks Poland plant, opened by former Prime Minister Jerzy Buzek
Launch of digital locking solutions in Wednesbury
2014
125 years of Lowe & Fletcher; acquisition of Coopers Fire
New Group branding: Locking Systems Division and Fire Safety Division
Relocation of Lowe & Fletcher America to Norton Shores, Michigan; expansion of Euro-Locks Poland; new Coopers Fire building; founding of Vanguard (California)
New BLE Smoke and Fire Curtains building; 50 years of Euro-Locks Belgium