For the first time in 14 years, we have made a film about who we are and how we work, taking a closer look than ever before. It takes you inside the factories, the machines and the people behind the hardware, racking and speaker components that support professionals across the world.
From a single press to a global operation
Penn Elcom began in 1974 as Penn Fabrication, a small hardware supplier working from a single manual press machine in Penn, Buckinghamshire. The flight case market was growing, and there was a clear demand for well-made, hard-wearing components that could survive life on the road.
Fifty years on, the ambition has not changed, only the scale. What started with one press machine is now a global manufacturing and distribution business, with design rooted in the UK and depots reaching customers in 18 countries. Our new film traces that growth and the thinking behind it, from early innovations such as the MOL® range of flight case latches through to the software tools our customers rely on today.
Where our products are made
Design, research and development sit in the UK, close to the engineers and product teams who shape each range. Manufacturing runs across near-identical, modern facilities in the UK and China, a setup we have built and refined over more than two decades of working in China. Having matched capability in both regions gives us flexibility on lead times, resilience in our supply, and consistent quality wherever an order is produced.
Across our ever-expanding manufacturing sites, we run more than 400 machines. That capacity is what allows us to hold a standard catalogue of over 7,000 products while still taking on custom and OEM work for specific projects. The new video gives you a genuine sense of that scale, and of the quality control that runs throughout.
Off-the-shelf strength, bespoke capability
Most customers come to us for reliable, off-the-shelf ranges: flight case hardware, 19-inch racking, speaker components, crating components, LED lighting, cables and connectors. The same factories and engineering teams also produce bespoke items when a project needs something the catalogue does not cover. It is a combination that suits the industries we serve, from touring and live events to broadcast, AV, IT and data centres.
That practical focus extends to our design tools. Industry-leading software such as Case Designer and Panel Designer lets customers plan and specify exactly what they need before they order, which is part of Penn Elcom’s wider investment in people and technology.
Watch the full film
Our new global film is available in two versions. The three-minute highlights reel above and the complete tour of our global manufacturing, people and capabilities in the full 5-minute film below.
Over fifty years of work has gone into the hardware behind the world's stages, studios and server rooms. This is a look at how it is made, and at the people who make it.
