Dowlais Group

Dowlais Group Ltd. is a British company operating in the automotive and powder metallurgy industries. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index[2] until it was acquired by Dauch in February 2026.[3]

History

In April 2023, Melrose Industries completed the demerger of GKN Automotive and GKN Powder Metallurgy from GKN as Dowlais Group.[4][5] This name was chosen with the intention of evoking the Dowlais Ironworks where GKN licensed the Bessemer process, using it to produce steel, in 1865.[6]

GKN Automotive originated from J. W. Garrington, a company specializing in forgings initially produced at the Garrington Darlaston plant and later supplemented by the Bromsgrove plant. This made GKN a major supplier of crankshafts, connecting rods, half-shafts and numerous smaller forged components to the UK auto-industry, which underwent a period of significant expansion over time.[7]

Later, a new factory dedicated to the production of wheels was established near Wellington, Shropshire. By the 1960s, the company had become a manufacturer of constant-velocity joints, which are used to transfer the engine's power to the wheels.[7]

In turn, GKN Powder Metallurgy has its origins in Hoeganaes Corporation in North America, which GKN acquired in 1998.[8]

In July 2025, six months after it was announced that American Axle had made a $1.4 billion offer to acquire Dowlais,[9][10][11] the transaction was approved by the shareholders of both companies.[12][13] The deal was completed after the court also approved the transaction on 30 January 2026.[14] By March 2026, visitors to the Dowlais website were being redirected to Dauch, the recently renamed American Axle.[15]

External links