Our Story
Founded in 1918 by John Boneham and Mr. Turner, Boneham and Turner Ltd. focused on the making of Jigs, Fixtures, and Press Tools. At the time, it was difficult to source equipment capable of meeting Boneham and Turners engineering needs. So, we built our own. This helped develop skills that have been passed down the generations and implemented into our contemporary tooling solutions. It was around this time motor work was becoming a rapidly growing source of work for Boneham and Turner, igniting the company’s thriving relationship with automotive and motorsport industries. From 1921 to 1939, Boneham and Turner produced thousands of reconditioned engines as well as most of the components used in the E.R.A racing engine.
Unfortunately, while the company was making progress in the manufacture of race engine components, global affairs forced a transition from motorsport to defence. We were now receiving substantial orders from Rolls Royce, Bristol Aircraft, and De Havilland. Wartime demand was so high that it required two extensions to the Nottingham Road Works. The efforts we made during these difficult times saw John Boneham awarded an OBE by King George VI and machine lathe operator, Mrs. Mary Lee, recognised with a British Empire Medal. In 1945, as wartime contracts began to end, our focus shifted to Die Sets, Drill Bushes, and Fixturing Parts. We also rekindled our collaborative works with E.R.A and Raymond Mays.
From then until the 1980s’s we continued growing rapidly. Both our sites were extended, investments made in machinery, and we had 16 agents operating globally on our behalf. Despite the manufacturing industry on the UK hitting an all time low, we remained invested in manufacturing Fine Boring Machines on a tool room basis. In more recent times, the company survived yet another difficult time in the UK economy. In the 2008/09 recession, our automotive-focused product lines fell by 40%. However, we got through this recession without losing any staff members by implementing 3-day work weeks and pay cuts. Ever since the 2010’s we’ve been continuously growing and investing heavily in our machining capability. This helps us ensure we meet customer needs with fast lead times, extreme accuracy, and competitive prices.
For over 100 years, Boneham & Turner‘s reputation for quality and excellence has long been established, it‘s the core of the companies very existence, enabling it to provide engineering solutions to a wide variety of customers, both large and small across aerospace, automotive, auto-sport, power generation, MOD and machine building.
Overseas, Boneham & Turner‘s reputation has become well known and the Company‘s products are being used in most, if not all Continents of the world. A subsidiary company in the USA, Boneham Metal Products has distributors across all states, operating out of New Jersey. The Company‘s commitment to provide quality solutions, backed by a service which is second to none, has been a philosophy which has contributed to the Company‘s success and continues to be the policy of the current generation of the Boneham family who still own and manage the Company.
Our People
We are firm believers that people make a business. We have always believed in nurturing a passion for manufacturing and for the brand. We actively educate and coach our teams ensuring we have the efficient and skilled engineers of the future whilst harnessing the knowledge of our past and present. Our teams wear the BONEHAM logo with pride and passion which stems from a culture of family ownership for over 100 years.