About Us
Geo Ausden is a family business with a very proud history, having been one of the most long standing businesses based in Watford for over 100 years. Five generations of the Ausden family have owned and operated the company since it was founded at the start of the 20th Century. While our services have updated over time, our focus on providing high-quality steelwork services with a smile has always remained the same.
Over the last 100 years, we’ve provided both ferrous and non-ferrous metal recycling and accepted certain items as salvage. In recent years the steel fabrication side of our business has rapidly expanded, with our experienced team readily available for jobs, using up-to-date, enterprise-grade technology. Providing high-quality UKCA marked steel stock is a growing part of the trade, which Geo Ausden has also embraced.
Whatever steel fabrication or metal recycling services you need, Geo Ausden can help. We offer free, no-obligation quotes for our steel services and always provide realistic completion dates and competitive prices.
If you’re interested in how we can help you, click the button below to contact us, and a member of our team will respond as quickly as possible.
Our Story (So Far)
Our family business started with the birth of George Ausden Jr in May 1884, who lived with his family in Watford and was one of seven children. His father, George Snr, was from the Great Missenden area of Buckinghamshire and had previously moved to Watford to work with the railway.
An entrepreneur from an early age, George left school at 13 and soon had his own barrow selling greengroceries. He later saw an opportunity to make some money from scrap metals, founding Geo Ausden around the beginning of the 20th Century. As well as dealing in metals, the company also handled rags, bottles, rabbit skins, and much more.
After being based in several different premises in and around Watford, including a location in Market Street and another in Hemel Hempstead, the company moved to its current location on Lower High Street, Watford, in 1925.
After George Jr died in 1938, two of his sons, Stanley and William, took over the business. They decided to venture into working with steel stock for the building trade and began operating from two sites on Lower High Street. The business flourished during the war years, as Geo Ausden was busy providing metals for the war effort. Geo Ausden also became steel stockholders for the building industry and related trades during this period.
The third-generation children of the Ausden family joined the company in the late 1940s when Stanley’s twin sons, John and Peter, along with Bill’s son, Roy, came into the fold. The three took over the company's running in 1964 when their fathers both died within six months of each other and helped the family business continue to grow and evolve.
Geo Ausden has continued to flourish in recent years, even whilst operational changes have occurred. Roy was bought out in 1989, whilst John and Pete retired in 1995. Pete sadly died only a few months later, and John passed away in 2009. Following these changes, the company evolved into its current form.
Geo Ausden is now run by John’s sons, Grant and Steve Ausden and their sons Bradley and Jack. Over 100 years since the business started, the Ausden family are proud to continue to offer the same high level of steelwork and recycling services that we have been valued for since our beginnings. We look forward to offering the same excellent level of service for many years to come.
Buy A Beam
If you’re looking to order steel products such as beams, channels and columns, the easiest way is via our Buy A Beam profile. This online service makes it incredibly simple to order steel items from us, indicating the price of your order and allowing you to include any necessary specifications before you place an order for either delivery or collection.
