What PHS Group does

PHS Group (Personnel Hygiene Services Limited) is a UK-based hygiene services provider founded in 1963 and headquartered in Caerphilly, Wales. Operating as a subsidiary of South African conglomerate Bidvest, the company delivers managed washroom hygiene, healthcare and clinical waste, floorcare, electrical compliance testing, workwear laundry, plant displays, and related consumable services to more than 120,000 customers across 300,000+ locations in the UK, Ireland, and Spain. Its operating model is built around route-based field servicing: more than 3,000 personnel execute pre-planned daily routes that log 3.6 million+ service visits per year, replenishing consumables, collecting waste, and producing compliance documentation through PDA-equipped field systems and a customer portal.

The company's portfolio is organised across multiple specialist brands: phs Washrooms, phs Healthcare (clinical waste), phs Floorcare, phs Compliance (UKAS 17020-accredited fixed wire and PAT testing, 400+ engineers), phs Besafe (workwear laundry for 3,000+ UK sites weekly), phs Greenleaf (~8,000 plant display customers), phs Wastekit (balers and compactors), phs Teacrate (crate hire), phs Interclean (deep cleaning), JPen Medical (medical equipment calibration, serving NHS and GPs), Countrywide Healthcare (care home supplies, acquired October 2024), and Warner Howard (hand dryers). Its proprietary ReVive Range offers washroom essentials manufactured from up to 100% recycled materials — including what the company describes as the world's only recycled hand dryer with fire-retardant and antimicrobial accreditations — while the phs LifeCycle Strategy routes hygiene waste to energy-from-waste facilities, achieving a 92.5% landfill diversion rate in 2025 (over 55,000 tons per year).

PHS monetises primarily through recurring managed-service contracts (subscription/route-based pricing) supplemented by product and consumable sales through the shop.phs.co.uk e-commerce platform with next-day delivery. Its go-to-market combines direct field sales (Local Account Managers and Internal Account Executives), inside sales/telemarketing, and route-based service delivery, supported by a depot network spanning Caerphilly, Haverhill, Tamworth, Glasgow, Birmingham, Woolwich, Swindon, Hayes, Ballymena, and Taffs Well. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Recent corporate activity includes the acquisitions of Countrywide Healthcare Supplies (October 2024) and Citron (June 2025), with leadership under CEO David Taylor-Smith, CFO Colin Thomas, and COO Colin Woodland.

Name

PHS Group

Legal name

Personnel Hygiene Services Limited

Website

https://phs.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

PHS Group, founded in 1963 and headquartered in Caerphilly, Wales, is a Bidvest-owned provider of managed hygiene, healthcare waste, floorcare, compliance testing, and workwear services to over 120,000 customers across 300,000+ locations in the UK, Ireland, and Spain, delivered via 3,000+ field personnel on pre-planned daily service routes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Hygiene Services

NAICS

Janitorial Services (56172), Waste Treatment and Disposal (5622), Soap and Cleaning Compound Manufacturing (32561)

SIC

Sanitary Services (4950), Specialty Cleaning, Polishing And Sanitation Preparations (2842), Wholesale-Professional & Commercial Equipment & Supplies (5040), Refuse Systems (4953)

akta.pro primary industry

Restroom Hygiene & Consumables Services (Supplies, Dispensers, Matting) (BPABABAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Restroom & Hygiene Dispensing Systems (Commercial/Industrial) (IMAHALAH), Occupational Health & Industrial Hygiene (BPAHAJAD), Waste & Hazardous Materials Management (incl. HazMat) (BPAHAJAK), Healthcare & Medical Facility Cleaning (Terminal/OR/Isolation) (IMAIADAC)

Keywords

• Commercial hygiene services
• Washroom hygiene solutions
• Clinical waste management
• Floorcare mat rental
• Compliance testing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Caerphilly

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Hygiene Services (Washroom, Healthcare, Floorcare): Recurring managed hygiene service contracts where PHS provides regular on-site servicing of washroom, clinical waste, floorcare and other hygiene products. Service drivers follow scheduled routes to collect waste, replenish consumables, and perform compliance documentation. This is the core recurring revenue stream.
2. Product and Consumables Sales: Sale of hygiene consumables (soap, paper towels, toilet tissue, sanitary products, cleaning chemicals), workwear and laundry services (phs Besafe), plant displays (phs Greenleaf), waste equipment (phs Wastekit), and crate hire (phs Teacrate). Products sold via e-commerce shop.phs.co.uk and through direct sales.
3. Compliance Testing and Asset Management: PHS Compliance provides electrical fixed wire testing, PAT testing, M&E installation and maintenance, and asset verification services. Revenue generated through service contracts and per-asset testing fees across 2,000+ UK and Irish business customers with 400+ engineers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

PHS Group provides managed hygiene, healthcare waste, floorcare, compliance testing, workwear laundry, and related workplace services to over 120,000 business customers across 300,000 locations in the UK, Ireland, and Spain. Field service technicians deliver recurring on-site servicing of washroom, clinical waste, floor mats, and other hygiene products on pre-planned daily routes, supported by an e-commerce shop for consumables.

Product overview

PHS Group operates as a diversified hygiene and workplace services provider offering a multi-brand portfolio of products and services. The core offerings include washroom hygiene services (sanitary bins, hand care, air fresheners), healthcare/clinical waste disposal, and floorcare mat services. The company manages several specialized brands: phs Compliance (electrical safety testing), phs Besafe (workwear laundry), phs Greenleaf (plant displays), phs Interclean (deep cleaning), phs Teacrate (crate hire), phs Wastekit (balers/compactors), and Direct365/phs Direct (consumables). Recent acquisitions include Countrywide Healthcare (care sector supplies) and JPen Medical (medical equipment calibration). The ReVive Range represents their sustainable product line made from recycled materials. Services are delivered to over 120,000 customers across 300,000 locations in the UK, Ireland, and Spain.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• phs Besafe: Managed workwear and laundry services for teams.
• phs Compliance
• phs Greenleaf
• phs Interclean
• phs Teacrate
• phs Wastekit
• Countrywide Healthcare
• Mayflower
• Warner Howard
• ReVive Range

Products and services

• phs Washrooms Comprehensive managed washroom hygiene services including sanitary bins, nappy disposal, air fresheners, hand care, hand dryers, water control, urinal solutions, and vending for commercial facilities. Serviced on regular pre-planned routes.
• phs Healthcare / Clinical Waste Safe collection, transport, and disposal of clinical, offensive, dental, medical, and pharmaceutical waste plus sharps disposal for healthcare facilities.
• phs Floorcare Floor mat rental and maintenance including anti-fatigue mats, commercial entrance mats, logo mats, wet area matting, urinal floor mats, and pendulum slip testing services.
• phs Interclean Deep cleaning and kitchen hygiene services for commercial kitchens and facilities, including blind cleaning, pressure washing, upholstery cleaning, and clinical cleaning.
• phs Compliance Electrical fixed wire testing, PAT testing, M&E installation and maintenance, and asset verification services backed by UKAS 17020 inspection body accreditation with over 400 engineers nationwide.
• phs Besafe Managed workwear supply, laundering, repair, and locker services for industrial and commercial sectors serving over 3,000 UK sites weekly across construction, manufacturing, mining, transport, utilities, and petro-chemical industries.
• phs Greenleaf Indoor and outdoor plant displays, living walls, grounds maintenance, and Christmas decoration services for commercial properties, serving approximately 8,000 UK customers.
• phs Teacrate Moving crate hire and handling equipment rental services for offices and businesses across the UK, supporting removals, storage, food processing, and retail industries.
• phs Wastekit Waste balers and compactors supply and servicing across the UK to help businesses reduce waste costs and enhance operations.
• phs Commercial Cleaning Commercial cleaning services including floor cleaning, high window cleaning, kitchen deep clean, pest hygiene, washroom deep clean, and computer cleaning.
• Countrywide Healthcare Hygiene supplies and consumables with specialist support for the UK care home sector. Acquired by PHS Group in October 2024.
• JPen Medical On-site testing and calibration services for medical and healthcare equipment, serving NHS, GPs, private healthcare centres, and care homes nationally.
• Direct365 / phs Direct Workplace consumables e-commerce including toilet tissue, paper towels, sanitary products, hand washing dispensers, air sanitisers, janitorial supplies, cleaning chemicals, and safety equipment.
• Warner Howard High-quality hand dryers and washroom products supplied to trade customers as an acquired brand within the PHS Group portfolio.
• Mayflower Washroom hygiene and consumables brand serving as part of the PHS Group portfolio with dedicated service depot in Swindon.
• phs Online Shop Platform E-commerce storefront at shop.phs.co.uk for ordering workplace consumables including hand towels, soap, and cleaning products with next day delivery.

Quantifiable outcome

• 92.5% of hygiene waste diverted from landfill (2025), targeting up to 95%
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Countrywide Healthcare SuppliescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2024PHS Group acquired Countrywide Healthcare Supplies, a Yorkshire-based care home supplier operating for 28 years. The acquisition includes care home supply operations and marks an exit for founders Alastair Kitching and Jeremy Gilson, as well as backing from Octopus Ventures since 2014. Deal advised by Vertex, a Manchester-based corporate finance firm.
• Irise InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPHS Group partnered with menstrual justice charity Irise International to conduct a UK-wide survey on school toilet policies and period access. Findings: 65% of students unable to access toilets freely during school day, 16% of teachers prevented a menstruating student from using the bathroom during class.
• Prostate Cancer UKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPHS Group is partnered with Prostate Cancer UK, raising funds for the TRANSFORM trial to improve prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment. As of September 2024, PHS had raised £143,000. The Dispose with Dignity campaign creates safe spaces for men to dispose of incontinence waste. PHS also match funds up to £500 for employees fundraising for any registered charity.
• Energy-from-Waste (EfW) Facilities NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPHS Group partners with a network of energy-from-waste facilities across the UK to divert hygiene waste from landfill. The waste is converted into renewable energy for the National Grid. This partnership enables PHS to divert 92.5%+ of waste from landfill.
• Panda (Ireland)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPHS Group partnered with Panda in Ireland to ensure all customer hygiene waste in Ireland is diverted away from landfill and turned into alternative fuel source used to power cement kilns.
• Bidvest (Parent Company)coreOthersBidvest is the parent company of PHS Group. PHS and Bidvest have partnered with Vodafone to offer all PHS colleagues access to the Vodafone Advantage discount (25% off selected Xtra plans, 15% off SIM only and tablet plans).

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Elis: Elis is a global linen and workwear rental services provider operating in the UK. Directly comparable to PHS's Besafe workwear and laundry business, with similar route-based subscription service model serving industrial, hospitality, and healthcare customers; competing for the same contract RFPs in workwear.
• Jangro: Jangro is a UK and Ireland janitorial and hygiene supplies distribution network. Comparable to PHS Direct and the consumables/chemicals distribution arm of PHS; both serve cleaning contractors and end customers with chemicals, paper, and dispensers, though Jangro operates through a dealer network model rather than direct service.
• Initial Group (Washroom Hygiene): Initial Washroom (part of Rentokil Initial) is PHS's closest direct competitor in UK washroom hygiene, sanitary disposal, air care, and mat rental. Operates a similar route-based subscription model with comparable service offering, making it the primary head-to-head competitor for PHS's flagship washroom business.
• Berendsen (now part of Elis): Berendsen was a UK-focused workwear and linen rental business acquired by Elis in 2017. Historically a direct competitor to PHS Besafe across UK industrial workwear and hospitality linen markets; the merged entity remains a primary direct competitor in PHS's workwear vertical.

Broad incumbents

• Rentokil Initial: Rentokil Initial is a global hygiene and pest control services group with a large UK washroom hygiene business through its Initial brand. Directly comparable to PHS in washroom services, mats, air care, and workwear; significantly larger and publicly listed, offering broader geographic reach but less focused on integrated compliance and healthcare waste.
• Compass Group: Compass Group is a global contract foodservice and support services provider including washroom hygiene and workplace services in the UK. While primarily foodservice-focused, its support services arm overlaps with PHS for enterprise and education sector hygiene contracts; far larger scale but less specialist depth.
• Mitie: Mitie is a leading UK facilities management company offering bundled hygiene, cleaning, waste, and compliance services. Competes with PHS for enterprise FM contracts where washroom and hygiene services are bundled with broader facilities work; Mitie's scale and public listing give it capital advantages but PHS typically leads on specialist hygiene depth.
• Sodexo: Sodexo is a global FM and food services provider with UK hygiene and facilities offerings. Comparable to PHS in enterprise washroom hygiene and FM bundling, though Sodexo's hygiene services are part of a much broader portfolio rather than a specialist focus; competes primarily for large multi-site corporate and public sector contracts.
• Veolia (UK): Veolia is a global environmental services group with major UK operations in clinical and hazardous waste collection. Comparable to PHS Healthcare/Clinical Waste division; competes for NHS and private healthcare waste contracts, and operates energy-from-waste infrastructure that PHS also utilizes as a partner for its LifeCycle Strategy.

Regional players

• Cleanology: Cleanology is a UK-based commercial cleaning and washroom services provider focused on London corporate clients. Comparable to PHS for premium washroom hygiene contracts in the London commercial office market; significantly smaller scale than PHS but competes on service quality for mid-market and corporate accounts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/phs-group
• Xx.com/phsgroup

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about PHS Group