Cooneen Group

What Cooneen Group does

Cooneen Group is a privately-held garment manufacturer established in 1966 and headquartered in Fivemiletown, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, operating as a group of five wholly-owned sub-brands: Cooneen Protection (body armour and Bluelight uniforms), Cooneen Defence (military uniforms and layering systems), Cooneen Aviation (military pilot flight equipment and survival/ballistic solutions), Cooneen at Work (public/private sector workwear and managed uniform services), and Cooneen by Design (licensed character apparel). The company serves law enforcement, military, emergency services, aviation, healthcare, and corporate clients, with named anchor customers including the UK Ministry of Defence, UK Police, French Police and Gendarmerie, NHS, Transport for London, and multiple European and Asian air forces; consumer apparel is distributed through UK retailers including John Lewis, Matalan, Next, Asda, and Debenhams, plus the Brand Threads D2C site and online marketplaces.

The group's technology footprint centres on technical textiles, heat management and layering systems, body armour and ballistic protection design, and the Nova C50 Flight Jacket (in active service with multiple air forces). It operates state-of-the-art managed service centres in Wrexham and a design office in Manchester, supported by a bespoke online portal for stockholding, forecasting, pick-and-pack, and returns. Certifications include ISO9001 (continuously since 2005), ISO14001 (continuously since 2008), AS9100 (aviation), SEDEX membership, Zero Waste to Landfill status for Cooneen by Design, and UK Modern Slavery Act compliance.

Revenue is generated through one-time contract manufacturing for government and defence clients via procurement frameworks, recurring managed service contracts with public-sector organisations (notably NHS Lot 1 and Transport for London), and wholesale plus direct-to-consumer distribution of licensed character apparel. The group has offices in Fivemiletown, Manchester, and Wrexham, plus an India presence, and serves customers globally including the UK, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Singapore, New Zealand, and Jamaica.

Name

Cooneen Group

Legal name

Cooneen Group

Website

https://cooneengroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Cooneen Group is a privately-held Northern Ireland garment manufacturer established in 1966, producing protective uniforms, body armour, and managed workwear services for police, military, emergency, and aviation clients, alongside licensed consumer apparel sold through UK retailers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Protective Uniforms and Apparel Manufacturing

NAICS

Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing (31599)

SIC

Ordnance & Accessories, (No Vehicles/Guided Missiles) (3480)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYCRAAALAC

Public Safety & Law Enforcement Uniforms

Consumer Products & Retail/Apparel, Footwear & Accessories/Workwear, Uniforms & Safety Apparel

SECONDARYCRAAALAB

Corporate Uniforms (Office, Hospitality, Retail Staff)

Consumer Products & Retail/Apparel, Footwear & Accessories/Workwear, Uniforms & Safety Apparel

SECONDARYCRAAALAF

Medical & Healthcare Uniforms (Scrubs, Lab Coats)

Consumer Products & Retail/Apparel, Footwear & Accessories/Workwear, Uniforms & Safety Apparel

SECONDARYIMABAJAJ

Armor Systems (Passive/Reactive/Active Protection) & Survivability Kits

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Aerospace & Defense Manufacturing/Ground Defense Vehicles & Armored Systems

SECONDARYIMAOAFAH

Protective & Work Accessories Manufacturing (Safety Gloves/Hi-Vis Accessories)

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Textiles, Apparel & Leather Manufacturing/Apparel Accessories Manufacturing (Hats/Gloves/Belts/Scarves)

Keywords

• Protective uniforms manufacturing
• Body armour systems
• Military combat clothing
• Managed uniform services
• Licensed apparel manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Fivemiletown

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Uniform and Protective Equipment Manufacturing: Design and manufacture of mission-critical uniforms, body armour, and protective equipment for police, military, and bluelight services sold through government procurement frameworks and direct contracts.
2. Licensed Apparel: Premium licensed clothing featuring over 100 of the world's most loved characters sold through major UK retailers and own e-commerce platform.
3. Managed Services: Full managed service including stockholding, forecasting, storage, distribution, and online portal provision for public and private sector customers.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Cooneen Group designs and manufactures mission-critical uniforms, body armour, and protective equipment for police, military, aviation, and emergency services through five specialised divisions. The group also produces licensed character apparel for retail distribution, operating managed service centres that provide stockholding, forecasting, and bespoke online portal services to public and private sector customers.

Product overview

Cooneen Group is a diversified garment manufacturer operating five distinct sub-brands across specialist uniform and protective apparel markets: Cooneen Protection (body armour and Bluelight uniforms), Cooneen Defence (military uniforms and layering systems), Cooneen Aviation (military pilot flight equipment), Cooneen at Work (public/private sector workwear and managed services including NHS ambulance uniform provision), and Cooneen by Design/Brand Threads (licensed character apparel). The portfolio spans mission-critical uniforms for police, military, and emergency services alongside consumer licensed apparel, unified by in-house design, manufacturing, and supply chain capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cooneen Protection: Design and manufacture of Bluelight uniform items and general-purpose body armour for Police and emergency services.
• Cooneen Defence
• Cooneen Aviation
• Cooneen at Work
• Cooneen by Design

Products and services

• Cooneen Protection Design and manufacture of bluelight uniform items and general-purpose body armour for police, ambulance, and fire sectors. Main supplier of general-purpose body armour to the UK Police and largest supplier to the French Police and Gendarmerie.
• Cooneen Defence Design and manufacture of uniform solutions for global military and police authorities using technical textiles and heat management systems. Largest supplier of uniform to the UK Ministry of Defence. Delivers comprehensive layering systems including base layers, mid layers, and outer layers with taped seam garments.
• Cooneen Aviation Military aviation-focused division providing pilot flight equipment including the Nova C50 Flight Jacket now in active service with European and Asia Air Forces. AS9100 certified with full after-service support.
• Cooneen at Work Provision of garment design, manufacture, storage and distribution for public and private sector customers including police, prison, and NHS. Services include stockholding, forecasting, regular deliveries and returns, individual pick-and-pack, and a bespoke online portal. Supplies core NHS National Ambulance Uniform nationally across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
• Cooneen by Design (Brand Threads) Design and manufacturing of licensed garments featuring over 100 of the world's most loved characters. Available through UK retailers including John Lewis, Matalan, Next, and Asda, plus own Brand Threads direct-to-consumer website and online marketplaces.
• Nova C50 Flight Jacket Military aviation flight jacket certified for active service with European and Asia Air Forces, part of the Cooneen Aviation product portfolio.

Quantifiable outcome

• Cooneen India office provided mosquito nets to local school children - community impact initiative
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• SlimstockcoreTechnology or Integration · 29 January 2026Strategic partnership where Cooneen Group will implement Slimstock's Slim4 supply chain planning platform to replace legacy systems and spreadsheet-based processes. The goal is to improve forecast accuracy, automate procurement, enhance operational visibility, and future-proof operations as the company continues to expand.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Seyntex: Belgian textile manufacturer producing technical uniforms, ballistic protection and layering systems for NATO militaries and police forces. Direct competitor to Cooneen Defence and Cooneen Protection across European defence tenders.
• Survitec Group: UK-based supplier of survival and ballistic solutions for defence, marine and aviation markets. Overlaps directly with Cooneen Aviation's survival and ballistic flight-equipment portfolio and competes for similar MoD and aviation contracts.
• Point Blank Enterprises: US-headquartered body armour and ballistic protection manufacturer supplying police and military globally. Direct competitor in the body-armour segment where Cooneen Protection leads UK and French police supply.
• Ballyclare: UK-based protective workwear and uniform manufacturer serving emergency services, defence and industrial customers. Closest UK direct peer to Cooneen at Work and Cooneen Defence in tendered uniform workwear.
• Alsico: Belgian workwear and uniform manufacturer with strong presence in healthcare, industry and public-sector tenders across Europe. Direct competitor to Cooneen at Work for NHS and corporate uniform contracts.
• Mehler Vario System: German manufacturer of modular ballistic protection, load-carrying equipment and tactical vests for police and military. Direct competitor in the body-armour and protective-equipment segment.
• ArmorSource / Central Lake Armor Express: US-based body armour and ballistic helmet manufacturer supplying US DoD, federal agencies and allied militaries. Direct competitor to Cooneen Protection in the global body-armour market.

Emerging players

• BCB International: UK-based military and survival equipment manufacturer producing combat clothing, fire-resistant garments and survival kits. Comparable to Cooneen Defence and Aviation, with overlap in MoD and NATO tenders.
• Helikon-Tex: Polish tactical and military apparel manufacturer with growing European footprint in combat clothing and uniforms. Comparable product line to Cooneen Defence in the tactical-apparel category.

Broad incumbents

• Fristads Kansas Group: Large Scandinavian workwear and protective-clothing group serving industrial, healthcare and public-sector customers across Europe. Broader incumbent competing with Cooneen at Work on corporate and healthcare uniform tenders.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cooneen-group

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries5 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 Cooneen Group