The Stourbridge-based manufacturing specialist STAHT, known for its innovative testing equipment, has announced a milestone deal: the company has signed its biggest distribution agreement yet, significantly boosting its market reach.
STAHT, headquartered at the Hayes Lane Trading Estate in Lye, has partnered with Leach’s to access new routes into the scaffolding sector. This agreement comes on the back of the firm being awarded the Product of the Year 2025 prize at the NASC Scaffolding Excellence Awards for its t25 Digital Pull Tester. The award recognised the product’s impact on site safety and its role in modernising test procedures.
The t25 Digital Pull Tester offers a compact, cloud-connected solution designed specifically for rigorous verification of anchors and safety eyebolts up to 25 kN. Traditionally, this kind of work relied on analogue gauges and manual paper documentation. STAHT’s innovation replaces that with an integrated digital workflow: each test is instantly captured, logged securely and fully traceable, offering faster documentation and increased compliance on site.
According to STAHT’s Managing Director Rob Hirst, the award was more than a recognition—it marked a turning point for the team and their customer base. The distribution deal with Leach’s is poised to accelerate the adoption of STAHT’s technology by providing the infrastructure and logistics to scale the deployment across the UK scaffolding industry.
Why this matters
- Market positioning: By securing a major partner like Leach’s, STAHT is strengthening its presence in the scaffolding market – a sector traditionally focused on hardware and less on digital solutions.
- Innovation leadership: The award-winning t25 places STAHT at the forefront of safety-testing innovation, highlighting how even mature industrial sectors are ripe for digital disruption.
- Streamlined operations: Moving from paper to cloud-based verification supports faster site workflows, less administrative overhead and better audit trails—key benefits when safety and compliance are critical.
- Growth trajectory: With this distribution agreement, STAHT is not just selling equipment—it is building the network and infrastructure to support broader adoption, which could unlock significant growth beyond the immediate deal.
Considerations and next steps
While the deal is a significant signal of momentum, several factors will influence how far STAHT’s growth can accelerate:
- Implementation scale: Success will depend on how effectively the new distribution channels support training, customer onboarding and product support—especially as digital workflows replace manual ones.
- Market adoption: The scaffolding industry may face resistance to change, so STAHT will need to demonstrate clear ROI, reliability and ease-of-use to drive uptake.
- Competition: As digital safety-testing tools gain traction, STAHT may face new entrants or established equipment suppliers seeking to enter the space. Maintaining its innovation edge will be crucial.
Final thought
STAHT’s largest-ever distribution deal marks a compelling moment for the company—it signifies both recognition of its technology and the opening of a new phase of scale. From its Stourbridge base, STAHT is aiming to reshape how scaffolding safety testing is carried out across the UK. If the rollout matches the ambition, the firm could set a new benchmark in industrial safety and digital workflow adoption within its sector.