Established in 1894, the company has proudly represented Sheffield's manufacturing heritage, evolving from its modest origins into a prominent player in the automotive signage and number plate industry. This journey of growth and innovation has been prominently featured in the manufacturing sector, including industry awards and commendations from Make UK.
Jepson & Co's fusion of Sheffield's rich manufacturing legacy with cutting-edge technology is showcased at its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility. The facility seamlessly combines the essence of a living manufacturing museum with the efficiency of a modern 2024 factory, symbolising Sheffield's innovative spirit as a traditional manufacturing hub. This distinctive approach has recently earned the company recognition through the esteemed regional Innovation award for Yorkshire & Humber and the Made in Sheffield Manufacturer of the Year award, underscoring Jepson & Co's commitment to excellence and innovative practices within the manufacturing domain.
The company's achievements are deeply rooted in its dedicated workforce, affectionately known as the 'Craftsmen and Craftswomen of Steel.' This homage to Sheffield's manufacturing legacy reflects the expertise and resilience of a team, many of whose members have dedicated over four decades to upholding the highest manufacturing standards in number plate production.
Peter Jepson, Chairman and great-grandson of the founder, George Henry Jepson, shares his reflections on the company's extraordinary journey: "When I consider that our business has evolved from hand-painting numbers on colliery wagons to a £20 million turnover enterprise supplying over 4,500 customers in the UK and Europe, it's been an incredible voyage. Importantly, we've remained loyal to our Sheffield roots and retained our family-oriented ethos throughout. In true Sheffield-style, we aim to be the substance to others’ style."
Jepson & Co's narrative is not solely about business expansion but also about making substantial contributions to the manufacturing community, as evidenced by its prominent features in manufacturing-focused media outlets and its recent accreditation to ISO:14001 environmental management systems.
Peter Jepson continued, “the coming decades could be some of the most challenging for manufacturing with a unique combination of rapidly changing pressures from all macro areas. The costs, supply chain and environmental demands we’re facing are unique to this chapter in our company history. However, we like a challenge – we’ve lived through two pandemics and two world wars - because the whole business is geared to think with our customers at the centre so we stay on the right side of strategic challenges and plan to still be here in another 130 years! Testament to this is our recently being recognised as Make UK’s Regional Energy & Sustainability Award Runner Up for our work on making number plates sustainable for our customers”.
