About Gill
Forty years in Lymington. Still solving measurements nobody else has.
Independent since 1985. Still questioning, still engineering, still making things better.
Gill began in Lymington with a new approach to wind measurement. More than 40 years later, we still design, build, test and calibrate here, for measurements that have to work in the real world.
Made in Lymington
We make things here
When design, engineering, production, testing, calibration and quality work in the same place, the distance between an idea and the thing you actually build gets much shorter.
A prototype can be tested. A production issue can get back to engineering. A design can be challenged before it reaches the field. And the people who make something can see exactly how it performs.
Build it. Test it. Learn from it. Make it better. That is manufacturing to us.
Under one roof
From first idea to proven solution
Six capabilities working together to reduce handovers, speed up development and solve problems earlier. The result? Shorter routes from design to production, greater control over quality and performance, and a more efficient path from concept to market.
01
CNC prototyping
Rapid machining and prototyping to turn an engineering idea into working hardware without unnecessary distance between design and manufacture.
02
Electronics manufacturing
In-house surface-mount PCB manufacturing and precision electronic assembly across dedicated production lines.
03
Environmental and EMC testing
Environmental chambers and EMC pre-compliance testing help us assess products before they reach the field.
04
Precision assembly
Controlled processes built around the tolerances demanded by precision measurement equipment.
05
UKAS-accredited wind tunnel
An on-site high-speed wind tunnel provides accredited calibration and performance validation for anemometers.
06
Bespoke calibration systems
Calibration capability spanning liquid level, liquid flow, gas flow, pressure, temperature, humidity and air velocity.
The lab is not the real world
So we test for the real world
A measurement system can look perfect on a bench.
Then you put it on a vessel. Expose it to saltwater. Put it somewhere nobody can easily reach. Add vibration, temperature extremes, rain, dust or a hazardous environment. That is when engineering gets interesting.
The aim is not simply to make a measurement once. It is to make it dependable in the conditions where it actually has to work.
- Extreme temperatures
- Saltwater and marine exposure
- High vibration
- Heavy rain
- Dust and water ingress
- Hazardous areas
- Remote and unattended installations
- Limited maintenance access
We have been at this for a while
40+ years of engineering firsts
The history matters, but not because old automatically means good.
It matters because every generation of technology leaves something behind.
A better understanding of ultrasonics. A new manufacturing technique. A difficult customer application. A product that stayed in service for years longer than expected. A measurement that turned out to be harder than it first appeared.
That accumulated knowledge is part of what Gill is today.
1985
Gill is founded in Lymington
Mike and Lesley Gill establish the company that would become the foundation of today’s Gill Group.
1985
First ultrasonic wind sensor
Gill’s early work in ultrasonic wind measurement establishes a technology platform that continues to shape the business.
1991
Ultrasonic gas flow measurement
Gill works with British Gas on ultrasonic domestic gas measurement, applying the same fundamental principle to a new measurement challenge.
1996
WindObserver
The two-axis ultrasonic anemometer is launched, beginning a product platform that remains in active service.
2001
WindSonic
A compact ultrasonic anemometer brings solid-state wind measurement to a much wider range of applications.
2010
Defence
Gill wins a major Ministry of Defence contract for specialist detector products.
2011
MaxiMet
Integrated multi-parameter weather measurement brings multiple environmental measurements into a single deployable platform.
2013
Motorsport
Gill ultrasonic fuel flow measurement is adopted for Formula 1 and the World Endurance Championship.
2014
Gill Sensors & Controls
The sensors and controls business is established, extending Gill’s engineering capability into level, position, condition monitoring and engine control.
2015
Labcal
Labcal joins Gill Group, bringing specialist UKAS-accredited calibration capability into the wider organisation.
2016
WearDetect
Real-time oil debris monitoring extends Gill’s sensing capability into condition monitoring and predictive maintenance.
2018
LevelSlick
A non-stick conductive level sensor is developed for difficult and aggressive liquids.
2022
MetConnect
A modular approach to environmental measurement provides configurable multi-parameter sensing for connected applications.
2023
WindUltra
A new generation of compact ultrasonic wind measurement extends Gill’s portfolio into smaller, lighter applications.
2025
King’s Award for Enterprise
Gill Instruments receives the King’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade.
2026
TruMet
Optical precipitation measurement joins the Gill environmental monitoring portfolio.
The Gill Group
Four capabilities.
One connected advantage.
Gill brings together four specialist capabilities spanning sensing and measurement, sensors and controls, engineering and R&D, and calibration. Each has its own expertise. Together, they give customers access to a broader range of technical knowledge, joined-up problem-solving and support from development through to proven performance.
Sensing & measurement
We turn environmental conditions into reliable data, with precision sensing technology for demanding applications across weather, wind and wider environmental monitoring.
Sensors & controls
We help customers measure, monitor and control critical variables, with specialist technologies for level, position, condition monitoring and engine control.
Engineering & R&D
We take ideas from concept to application, combining product development, technical expertise and bespoke engineering to solve complex challenges.
Calibration
We help customers trust their measurements. Through Labcal, we provide independent, UKAS-accredited calibration to support accuracy, confidence and performance.
Four decades of engineering experience
Reliability is not a marketing claim.
It is a relationship.
The real test of a measurement technology business isn't just how well a product performs when it leaves the factory. It's how reliably it performs over time, and the confidence customers have in the measurements they depend on.
At Gill, that thinking runs through the product lifecycle, from design, engineering and manufacturing to technical support, service and calibration. We build our products to perform in demanding environments, and we understand that maintaining confidence in their performance matters long after the initial purchase.
Through Gill, customers can access calibration and support for our own sensing and measurement products. Through Labcal, part of the Gill Group, we also provide independent, UKAS-accredited calibration across a wider range of measurement equipment. That means Labcal's expertise extends beyond Gill-manufactured products, helping organisations maintain confidence in the accuracy and reliability of the instruments they use.
Different requirements, complementary expertise, one Group committed to measurement confidence.
Because the product lifecycle is longer than the sales cycle. We build our relationships around that.
Talk to us about service and calibration
The questions we design around
- Can someone get the information they need?
- Can the instrument be calibrated?
- Can it be repaired?
- Can an engineer answer the question when the manual stops short?
- Can the product still be supported years after the original purchase?
Questions
Frequently asked questions
When was Gill founded?
Gill was founded in Lymington, Hampshire, in 1985 by Mike and Lesley Gill. The company began with a new approach to wind measurement, and its first ultrasonic wind sensor established a technology platform that still shapes Gill’s sensing and measurement products more than 40 years later.
Is Gill still independent?
Yes. Gill remains an independent British engineering group, as it has been since 1985. That independence gives the business the freedom to take a long-term view of engineering, product development and customer support, including supporting instruments for years after the original purchase.
Where are Gill products manufactured?
Gill products are engineered and manufactured in Lymington, Hampshire, at a 4,500m² UK facility. Design, CNC prototyping, surface-mount electronics, precision assembly, environmental and EMC testing and calibration all happen on the same site, which keeps engineering close to production every day.
Does Gill manufacture its own electronics?
Yes. Gill has in-house surface-mount PCB manufacturing and precision electronic assembly on dedicated production lines in Lymington. Making its own boards means a production issue can go straight back to the engineers who designed the circuit, and changes can be proved quickly.
Does Gill test products in-house?
Yes. Gill has environmental chambers and EMC pre-compliance testing on site, along with specialist calibration systems. Its high-speed wind tunnel is UKAS-accredited and provides accredited calibration and performance validation for anemometers. Testing in-house means a design can be challenged and improved before it ever reaches the field.
Can Gill develop bespoke sensors?
Yes. Gill R&D works on sensing requirements that do not fit an existing catalogue product. The team takes ideas through feasibility, prototyping, testing and validation, drawing on the same in-house manufacturing, testing and calibration capability used for Gill’s standard ranges.
Does Gill offer calibration?
Yes. Gill calibrates its own anemometers in a UKAS-accredited wind tunnel, and Labcal, part of Gill Group, provides independent UKAS-accredited calibration across gas and air flow, liquid flow, pressure, temperature, humidity and air velocity. Labcal is UKAS-accredited laboratory 0625, working to ISO/IEC 17025:2017.
Have an application to discuss?
Speak to our team
Tell us what you need to measure, where and under what conditions. We'll help you work out the appropriate approach.