What Behrens Group does

Behrens Group (legal entity: Sir Jacob Behrens & Sons Ltd) is a 190-year-old, Manchester-headquartered multi-brand textile manufacturer and trade distributor operating a B2B, trade-only model. The company produces and distributes apparel, home textiles, healthcare furnishings, beautywear, sportswear, and fabrics through a portfolio of sub-brands including Behrens Healthcare, La Beeby, Simki Originals, William Hunt, Wallis Young, Pickford Gilbert, and Corporate Trends. Its healthcare division is one of the UK's largest contract furnishings suppliers to the NHS, offering flame-retardant disposable and fabric curtains (BS 5867 Part 2 type B/C compliant), anti-ligature products (KESTREL range, LRS), antimicrobial treatments (CLINIWEAVE), and quick-installation systems (EASYCLICK), with national CSCS-registered installation service. Distribution occurs through the company's own trade-only e-commerce platform requiring account registration, NHS Supply Chain framework agreements, and a national fitting service targeting healthcare, hospitality, sports, beauty, and corporate workwear verticals. The company employs 101-250 staff and in June 2024 acquired a majority stake in Manchester-based digital agency One Day Agency (£3.2M turnover in 2023), extending its capabilities into digital services and Continental European markets via Warsaw, Poland. Pricing follows a standard unit-pricing model with VAT-exclusive trade pricing, free UK delivery above £250 ex VAT, and credit terms available via application. Revenue is generated primarily through one-time product sales with some bespoke manufacturing services.

Name

Behrens Group

Legal name

Sir Jacob Behrens & Sons Ltd

Website

https://behrens.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1834

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Behrens Group is a 190-year-old Manchester-based multi-brand textile manufacturer operating a trade-only B2B model, supplying healthcare furnishings, apparel, sportswear, beautywear, and home textiles to resellers and businesses — including one of the UK's largest contract furnishings offerings to the NHS.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Contract Textiles and Healthcare Furnishings

NAICS

Apparel Manufacturing (315), Textile and Fabric Finishing and Fabric Coating Mills (3133), Curtain and Linen Mills (31412), Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing (31599)

SIC

Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300), Wholesale-Apparel, Piece Goods & Notions (5130), Men's & Boys' Furnishgs, Work Clothg, & Allied Garments (2320), Women's, Misses', And Juniors Outerwear (2330)

akta.pro primary industry

Coating & Finishing Chemicals Application (Resins/Softening/Water-Repellent/FR/Antimicrobial) (IMAOACAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Medical & Hygiene Technical Textiles (Gauze/Drapes/Wipes/Barrier Fabrics) (IMAOADAD), Mattress & Pillow Components Manufacturing (Ticking/Pillow Shells/Protectors) (IMAOAKAE)

Keywords

• Contract textiles manufacturing
• Healthcare furnishings supply
• Flame retardant cubicle curtains
• Workwear and uniform supply
• Teamwear and sportswear

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Textile Product Sales: Manufactures and distributes apparel, home textiles, healthcare products, and fabrics to reseller and retail markets. Products include sportswear, healthcare uniforms, beautywear, home furnishings, and contract furnishings. Primarily one-time product sales with some bespoke manufacturing services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Behrens Group manufactures and distributes contract textiles across healthcare, sports & leisurewear, beautywear, home textiles, and corporate workwear. Products include flame-retardant disposable cubicle curtains, anti-ligature blinds, medical scrubs, teamwear, beauty uniforms, and premium bedding sold exclusively to registered trade customers via a B2B e-commerce platform, supplemented by a national installation service.

Product overview

Behrens Group is a multi-brand textile company manufacturing and distributing quality textile products including apparel, home textiles, healthcare furnishings, and fabrics to reseller and retail markets. The company operates as a trade-only B2B platform with multiple distinct divisions and sub-brands. The Sports & Leisurewear division includes Nexus and Optimum (teamwear ranges celebrating 20 years), Eco Tech (sustainable sportswear), Heritage, Core Sportswear, Grindle Sportswear, Cricket, Team Sportswear, and Lifestyle ranges. Healthcare offerings include Simki Originals scrubs, Scrubs Essentials, Uniform Essentials, and a comprehensive curtain and blind portfolio under the Bridgewater and Mineral Collections, featuring innovations like EasyClick disposable curtains (AHCP Award Winner), KESTREL anti-ligature products, CLINIWEAVE antimicrobial technology, and digital/embroidered bespoke curtains. Beautywear is served through the La Beeby brand with Classic, Contemporary, Mix & Match, and Adjustable collections. Home Textiles encompasses Wallis Young, William Hunt, Pickford Gilbert, Hotel Living Collection, Private Collection, and Heritage Collection sub-brands offering premium bedding from 200-1000 thread count in cotton, silk, and linen. The company also offers bespoke manufacturing and national fitting services through CSCS-registered teams.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Behrens Home Textiles: Home textiles division offering bedding, curtains, and furnishing fabrics
• Behrens Healthcare
• Behrens Corporate & Workwear
• Behrens Sports & Casualwear
• Behrens Fabrics
• i-Tex
• Corporate Trends
• La Beeby
• Dip & Doze Bedding
• Simki Originals
• Scrubs Essentials
• Wallis Young
• William Hunt
• Pickford Gilbert

Products and services

• Sports & Leisurewear Teamwear Ranges (Nexus, Optimum, Eco Tech, Heritage, Core Sportswear, Cricket) Multi-range sportswear and teamwear collection including Nexus, Optimum, Eco Tech (recycled fabrics), Heritage, Core Sportswear, Grindle, Cricket, Team Sportswear, and Lifestyle ranges. Sold to sports clubs, schools, and teams through the trade platform.
• Healthcare Contract Furnishings (Disposable Curtains, Fabric Curtains, Wipeable Curtains, Disposable Blinds, Shower Curtains)

Quantifiable outcome

• Half of One Day Agency's profits from international markets
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• One Day AgencycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 June 2024Behrens Group acquired a majority stake in One Day Agency, a digital-focused agency founded in 2019. The deal involves further investment to support growth, expansion into Poland (Warsaw), and development of digital capabilities for international client relationships. One Day Agency reported £3.2 million turnover in 2023 with half profits from international markets.
• NHS Supply ChaincoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBehrens Healthcare products are available via NHS Supply Chain framework agreements, enabling NHS trusts and healthcare facilities to procure healthcare textiles, disposable curtains, and furnishings through established procurement channels.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Panaz: UK-based manufacturer of decorative and technical contract fabrics for healthcare, hospitality, and transport. Directly comparable as a UK contract-furnishings textile manufacturer supplying flame-retardant and antimicrobial fabrics to NHS, hotels, and public-sector buyers, mirroring Behrens' most differentiated segment.
• Skopos Fabrics: UK-based contract fabric supplier specialising in healthcare, hospitality, and cruise interior textiles with FR-treated and antimicrobial ranges. Directly comparable as a British contract-textile manufacturer competing for the same NHS, private hospital, and hotel furnishing contracts as Behrens.
• Camira Fabrics: UK-based manufacturer of contract and technical textiles for commercial interiors, transport, and healthcare. Directly comparable vertical — UK contract textile mill with FR-certified ranges, healthcare/hospitality customer overlap, and trade/B2B distribution. Larger than Behrens but the same go-to-market model.
• Sunbury Design: UK-based manufacturer of flame-retardant upholstery and curtaining fabrics for transport, healthcare, and contract interiors. Direct peer in the certified FR contract textile segment, supplying the same buyer profiles (NHS trusts, public-sector, transport operators) as Behrens Healthcare.
• Alsico: Belgium-headquartered uniform and workwear manufacturer with UK operations serving healthcare, hospitality, and corporate sectors. Directly comparable for Behrens' corporate workwear, scrubs, and beautywear divisions, with overlapping NHS and private healthcare customers.
• Grahame Gardner: UK-based uniform and workwear manufacturer supplying healthcare, hospitality, beauty, and corporate customers. Direct peer for Behrens' scrubs (Simki Originals), beautywear (La Beeby), chefswear, and corporate uniform ranges.
• Brook Taverner: UK corporate clothing and uniform brand supplying workwear, hospitality, and corporate dress programmes to B2B buyers. Directly comparable for Behrens' Corporate & Workwear division and the bespoke corporate uniform service offering.
• Ralawise: UK-based wholesaler and distributor of branded apparel, teamwear, workwear, and accessories to printwear, promotion, and sports resellers. Direct peer for Behrens' sports/leisurewear division — same B2B trade-only wholesale model, same reseller customers, same Printwear & Promotion trade-show ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• Mölnlycke Health Care: Sweden-headquartered global medical solutions company with FR/microbial-resistant textiles, surgical drapes, and wound-management products used by NHS and private hospitals. Adjacent comparable as a larger, global incumbent supplying FR/barrier fabric solutions to the same healthcare customers as Behrens Healthcare.
• John Cotton Group: UK-based manufacturer of bedding, mattress components, insulation, and technical textiles including FR and nonwoven ranges. Comparable incumbent in the UK home textiles/bedding space and adjacent to Behrens' Home Textiles and healthcare bedding product lines.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/behrens1834
• Facebookfacebook.com/behrens1834
• Instagraminstagram.com/behrensgroup1834
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-behrens-group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Behrens Group