HD Sports, the historic producer of John Wilson and MK Blades, has significantly increased its production capacity by 30% and achieved a 135% growth following a comprehensive digital transformation program. This initiative was supported by Plating Solutions, an internationally renowned plating consultancy, recently acquired by Radcliffe-based BEP Surface Technology.
Operating out of Sheffield, with roots tracing back to a 17th-century Royal toolmaker, HD Sports manufactures figure skating blades from 1075 carbon steel, which are then coated in nickel for shine and chromium for corrosion protection. The company’s blades are favored by Olympic and world champions.
The six-year electroplating production transformation program, in partnership with Plating Solutions, optimized plant design, introduced automation and data-led decision-making, and enhanced the chemistry of metal plating. The improvements have resulted in modern safety standards, increased efficiency, better product quality and consistency, reduced operational costs, and increased profitability.
Production capacity has increased by 30%, with a potential for an additional 13% scale-up. Upgrades to power supplies, heating systems, and water processes have further enhanced resource efficiency, leading to substantial cost savings and advancing HD Sports’ net-zero goals.
Since the project’s inception, HD Sports has grown by 135%, including a 33% increase in China, its second-largest market after the USA. UK sales have also risen, partly due to the popularity of the ITV show “Dancing On Ice.”
Tom Cantwell, Managing Director of HD Sports, stated, “As a business, we live and die by the quality of our plating. For hundreds of years, in this tiny corner of the UK, we have led the world with our manufacturing of skate blades. To ensure our efforts to keep doing that, we needed to invest in our plating process to improve productivity, efficiency, quality and sustainability.
“What we have achieved in partnership with Plating Solutions has far exceeded our customers’ expectations. The quality of our blades now truly reflects our commitment to excellence. It is a product used all over the world at the highest level of the sport, and it is made in Sheffield.”
Plating Solutions, founded 20 years ago by industry expert John Torr, continues to support HD Sports in maintaining and upgrading its plating processes. Torr emphasized the importance of quality and consistency in their work, noting the pride in producing such high-quality products in the UK.
With the 2025 ISU World Figure Skating Championships and the 2026 Winter Olympics on the horizon, HD Sports is determined to continue enhancing its processes and maintaining its competitive edge.
Torr remarked, “HD Sports allowed Plating Solutions to implement best practices, using the highest-quality plating chemicals along with a regime of continuous testing and refinement. Working with a client who understands the value of quality and the consistency of approach is a genuine joy. The fact that the manufacturing is undertaken in the UK simply adds to the pride we all have in HD Sports’ success.”