What BIL Group does

BIL Group is a UK-based manufacturer and distributor of castors, wheels, and materials handling equipment, headquartered in Calne, Wiltshire, with over 50 years of operating history (founded circa 1970). The company operates three primary divisions — BIL Castors & Wheels, BIL Materials Handling, and BIL Engineering — and sells an extensive catalog of approximately 10,900 stock-keeping units (8,928 castor variants and 1,982 wheel products) spanning light-duty institutional castors through to heavy industrial ISO container castors with load capacities up to 40,000kg per set. Proprietary sub-brands include Esense (electric drive wheels, 600kg capacity), Ezeelift (lifting castor system, 1,000kg capacity), AluTruk (aluminium sack trucks), and Evo Skates (wooden transport skates); the 2024 acquisition of Varley Castors added a 1938-established heritage brand to the portfolio. The company operates a purpose-built in-house testing facility certified to BS EN 12530:1999, 12532:1999, and BS EN 12527:1999, and holds ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001 certifications.

The business model combines B2B and B2C revenue streams. Standard catalog products carry publicly listed unit prices (entry-level polypropylene wheels from £0.45), while heavy industrial castors, Vulkollan/nylon specialist wheels, Esense electric drives, and bespoke manufactured products are priced on application or quote basis. Distribution occurs through a proprietary e-commerce platform (bilgroup.co.uk) with Klarna BNPL integration, B2B trade accounts with credit terms, and free warehouse collection, with UK Mainland delivery, Northern Ireland/Highlands coverage, and limited European delivery. The customer base spans major UK supermarket chains, motor manufacturing plants, airports, the MOD, supply chain logistics providers, and a long tail of SMEs across all sectors. BIL Group is privately held, backed by PHD Industrial Holdings, with a £4.5m asset-based lending facility from Arbuthnot Commercial supporting its stated growth and acquisition strategy; post-Varley, the company claims to be the largest UK-based distributor in the castors and wheels sector.

Name

BIL Group

Legal name

BIL Group Limited

Website

https://bilgroup.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

BIL Group is a UK-based manufacturer and distributor of castors, wheels, and materials handling equipment, supplying over 10,900 SKUs to supermarket chains, automotive plants, airports, the MOD, logistics firms, and SMEs across the UK.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Calne

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, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Castors and Wheels Product Sales: BIL Group generates revenue primarily through the sale of castors, wheels, and materials handling equipment. Products range from low-cost standard items (below £1 for small polyprop wheel units) to high-value specialist products (hydraulic lifting container castors up to £73,000+). The company offers an extensive catalog of over 8,900 castor variants and approximately 1,982 wheel products.
2. Bespoke/Custom Manufacturing: BIL Group manufactures bespoke products to customer specifications and measurements. Bespoke orders require written confirmation of drawings and specifications before manufacturing commences. Bespoke goods cannot be cancelled once delivered, and amendments after manufacturing begins are at the customer's cost.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

BIL Group manufactures and distributes castors, wheels, and materials handling equipment, offering an extensive catalog of over 8,900 castor variants and approximately 1,982 wheel products ranging from low-cost standard items to high-value specialist products. The company provides proprietary product lines including Esense electric drive wheels, Ezeelift lifting systems, AluTruk aluminium sack trucks, and Evo Skates, alongside bespoke custom manufacturing services. Products are sold via the company's own e-commerce storefront, B2B trade accounts, and the recently acquired Varley Castors brand, serving supermarkets, motor manufacturing plants, airports, MOD, supply chain logistics businesses, and SMEs across the UK.

Product overview

BIL Group is a UK-based manufacturer and distributor offering an extensive portfolio of castors, wheels, and materials handling equipment. The product range spans over 8,900 castor products and 1,900 wheel products, including industrial castors with brakes, stainless steel castors, pneumatic rubber wheels, pallet rollers, and specialized wheels. The portfolio includes proprietary sub-brands: BIL Castors & Wheels (core castor and wheel manufacturing), BIL Materials Handling (trolleys, sack trucks, skates, cranes, and moving equipment), BIL Engineering (engineering solutions), Varley Castors and Wheels (acquired legacy brand established 1938), and Evo Skates (wooden transport skates). The company operates as a single unified platform with multiple product divisions offering complementary materials handling solutions, serving major UK supermarket chains, motor manufacturing plants, airports, MOD, supply chain logistics, and SME businesses across all sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Varley Castors and Wheels: Acquired brand; a family business established in 1938 specialising in castors and wheels.
• Evo Skates
• Esense
• AluTruk

Products and services

• BIL Castors & Wheels UK's leading manufacturer and supplier of industrial castors with brakes, stainless steel castors, pneumatic rubber wheels, pallet rollers, and related wheel components, with one of the largest inventories available across 8,900+ castor variants.
• BIL Materials Handling Complete range of materials handling equipment including trolleys, sack trucks, pallet trucks, skates, jacks, mobile steps, workshop cranes, and dray equipment for moving heavy loads.
• BIL Engineering Engineering division providing specialized engineering solutions, with its own website at bilengineering.co.uk.
• Varley Castors and Wheels Heritage brand acquired in 2024, originally a family business established in 1938, now part of BIL Group's expanded portfolio serving as the largest UK-based distributor in the sector.
• Evo Skates Wooden transport skates for heavy duty moves and machinery handling, available through the BIL Group.
• AluTruk Aluminium Sack Trucks Aluminium sack trucks featuring lightweight durable construction for material handling applications, sold as a registered trademark brand.
• Esense Electric Drive Wheels Electric drive wheels for powered movement of equipment, including plate-mount configurations with 142-145mm diameter and 600kg load capacity, available in Esense Fixed, Esense Up, and Esense 360 models.
• Ezeelift Lifting System Proprietary lifting castor system allowing incremental height adjustment of equipment, available with polyurethane, elastic rubber, and nylon wheel options with load capacities up to 1,000kg.
• Vulkollan Polyurethane Wheels High-performance Vulkollan polyurethane wheels on cast iron rims, available in 90 Shore A hardness, suitable for heavy industrial applications.

Quantifiable outcome

• BIL Group became the largest UK-based distributor in the castors and wheels sector following the Varley Castors acquisition.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Varley CastorscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 May 2024Varley Castors, a family business established in 1938, was acquired by BIL Group. This acquisition marks BIL Group's first acquisition, expanding its product portfolio and making it the largest UK-based distributor in its sector.
• KlarnaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBIL Group offers Klarna payment options on its website, enabling customers to use Buy Now Pay Later services at checkout. This partnership supports customer acquisition by reducing friction at point of purchase.
• Move AssuredminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBIL Group's Evo Skates subsidiary operates under the Move Assured affiliate programme, supporting distribution and marketing reach for moving equipment products.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Caster Concepts: Caster Concepts is a US-based manufacturer of heavy-duty industrial casters and wheels serving manufacturing, automotive, and logistics end markets. Comparable to BIL Group as a specialist castor manufacturer with engineering-focused positioning and custom/bespoke capabilities, though operating in a different geography.
• Industrial Wheels & Castors (IWC): IWC is a UK distributor of industrial castors, wheels, and materials handling equipment. Comparable to BIL Group as a directly competing UK castor and wheel supplier serving similar industrial and commercial customers, operating at similar SME scale within the same geographic market.
• Stanley Handling: Stanley Handling is a UK supplier of materials handling equipment including pallet trucks, trolleys, sack trucks, and castors. Comparable to BIL Group as a directly competing UK-based materials handling distributor serving similar B2B customers in logistics, retail, and manufacturing sectors.
• P Fallon & Sons: P Fallon & Sons is a UK-based manufacturer and supplier of industrial wheels, castors, and materials handling equipment. Comparable to BIL Group as a directly competing UK castor/wheel manufacturer serving similar B2B industrial and retail customers, though with a more regional concentration.
• Revvo Caster: Revvo Caster is a UK-based manufacturer and supplier of industrial castors and wheels serving logistics, manufacturing, and retail sectors. Directly comparable to BIL Group as a UK-focused castor manufacturer with similar customer profiles, though smaller in scale than BIL's combined platform post-Varley acquisition.
• Hamilton Casters: Hamilton Casters is a US manufacturer of industrial casters, wheels, and material handling products. Comparable to BIL Group as a specialist castor and wheel manufacturer with custom engineering capabilities serving industrial end markets, though operating primarily in North America.

Broad incumbents

• Blickle Räder+Rollen: Blickle is a leading German manufacturer of castors, wheels, and tyres for industrial applications with a comprehensive product range. It is comparable to BIL Group as a direct competitor in the European castors and wheels market, with overlapping customer segments including logistics, manufacturing, and retail, though Blickle is substantially larger and serves a broader geographic footprint.
• Colson Group: Colson Group is one of the world's largest manufacturers of mobility solutions including casters, wheels, and materials handling products. It is comparable to BIL Group as a competitor in industrial castors and materials handling, though Colson operates at global scale through multiple brands serving similar end markets.
• Tente Casters: Tente is a globally established European manufacturer of industrial castors and wheels with a broad portfolio spanning light-duty to heavy-duty applications. It is directly comparable to BIL Group as a competing castor and wheel manufacturer serving industrial, healthcare, and logistics end markets, though Tente operates at significantly larger scale with a global footprint.

Regional players

• Wheels India (under various brands): Wheels India is a major manufacturer of wheels and castors with operations in India and international distribution. Comparable to BIL Group as a castor and wheel manufacturer serving industrial and automotive applications, though primarily operating in different geographies and at larger production scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BILGroupLtd
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/BazRoll
• Facebookfacebook.com/BILGroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/baz-roll-international-ltd
• Instagraminstagram.com/bilgroupltd
• TikToktiktok.com/@bilgroupltd

Compliance3 records

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 BIL Group