3 min read - 2 Feb, 2026
Work starts on new £20m Lawton Tubes headquarters
A fourth-generation family business supplying copper to some of the UK’s biggest projects is set to more than double its capacity, after work officially begins on its new state-of-the-art headquarters in Coventry.
Lawton Tubes, a supplier and manufacturer of 100% recyclable copper tube and fittings, is gearing up to open a new £20m facility next year to meet growing domestic demand for its plumbing, heating and air conditioning products.
The new building is situated across the road from its current headquarters, which was only built back in 2019. The facility will equal the size of approximately 40 tennis courts – double the size of its existing headquarters, which will also remain operational.
It will include a 107,768 sq ft warehouse along with 17,220 sq ft of office space and welfare areas, and a 40-metre service yard. The new solar-powered premises will contain Lawton’s manufacturing and storage operations, which will feature automated technology, as well as modern office and collaborative spaces to nurture the next generation of engineering professionals.
Work has officially begun on a new £20m headquarters for Lawton Tubes in Coventry / Picture: Lawton Tubes
This latest milestone comes 107 years after the business was initially co-founded in Coventry by Albert Lawton, whose family still operate the business to this day. It currently employs 140 staff across its bases in Coventry, Redditch and Poole, with that number expected to increase in the coming years.
Since the First World War, the business’s copper tube products have continued to play an instrumental role in carrying heat, water, and energy into homes, hospitals, and cities across the country. Lawton Tubes has also played its part in supplying the ongoing maintenance of iconic British landmarks – from Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, to The Shard and Wembley Stadium.
Of the £230m turnover generated annually by the business, £204m comes from projects supporting British infrastructure, from the NHS through to the Ministry of Defence.
The business is also growing its customer base beyond its traditional markets of plumbing, HVAC, and medical gas into fast-growing industries, including data centres and renewable energy.
Giles Lawton, managing director of operations at Lawton Tubes, said: “Our new headquarters is about doubling down on what has defined our business’s success over the past 107 years: backing UK plc.
“Our copper tube and fittings are one of the hidden foundations which keep Britain moving – whether it is carrying oxygen to people’s NHS hospital beds, helping National Grid in keeping millions of homes warm, or supporting Network Rail in keeping engines train-ready.”
The new site is set to open next year as the firm meets growing domestic demand for its plumbing, heating and air conditioning products / Picture: Lawton Tubes
Giles continued: “The sectors that we supply into are endless, and with that comes ongoing rising demand, which this new headquarters will enable us to meet as we strive to continue innovating and become the number one supplier of fittings in the UK by 2030.”
To mark the first dig on site, the Lawton board were joined by principal contractor Interclass; Corin Crane, chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce; Andy Williams, director of regeneration and economy at Coventry City Council; and Councillor Jim O’Boyle, cabinet member for jobs, regeneration and climate change at Coventry City Council.
Cllr Jim O’Boyle added: “It’s great to see a business born in Coventry, growing and thriving in Coventry. Their investment in a new HQ in the city is testament to their commitment and ambition to grow and expand into new sectors, which, of course, will mean more new jobs for local people. The ambition to be solar-powered is important too, and it demonstrates a real commitment to supporting a greener future.”
