Where did our journey in the UK begin?
Atlas Copco Group was founded in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1873, with a mission to support the rapidly expanding railway networks as a manufacturer of products for railways. Over the following decades, starting with the UK, the group has grown into a global benchmark in compressors, tools, vacuum technology, and construction equipment, always driven by our close collaboration with our customers and constant commitment to always look for a better way to do things.
Our local story began in 1919, when the Atlas Copco Group established its first operation outside Scandinavia, right here in the UK. What started as a single sales office selling diesel engines out of London, quickly evolved into a large organisation in the UK spanning the whole region. Eventually, the expansion led us to Hemel Hempstead in 1956, where we grew and deepened our expertise and built a reputation for excellence in both innovation and customer service.
Today, Atlas Copco Group in the UK is home to over 3,000 passionate people working across 17 sales centres and 6 production sites. Our regional head office is situated in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire. To get to this point, we’ve celebrated many milestones along the way: from the introduction of pneumatic tools in the 1920s to the launch of the first rotary screw compressor decades later, to the sustainable innovations empowering our customers to transform the future, we are more diverse than ever!
We’ve now celebrated over 100 years of innovation in the UK and each chapter in our history reflects on a deeper purpose: to empower our customers to grow and contribute to a more efficient, sustainable future. As we look ahead, we remain committed to that mission, ready to meet the challenges of the next century with the same curiosity, innovation, and care – to continue developing technologies that transforms the future.
We'll meet the challenges of the next century with curiosity, innovation, and care.