Newship Group

What Newship Group does

Newship Group is a privately held, family-owned UK holding company founded in 1976, headquartered in Weybridge, Surrey, operating a portfolio of 12 manufacturing, distribution, and hire subsidiaries across Europe. The group generates annual revenues exceeding £280 million with more than 1,000 employees and over 1.3 million square feet of property assets. Its subsidiaries span four verticals: packaging (Beatson Clark for glass, Pont Europe for pan-European distribution across 12 offices and 10 warehouses, and Coda Plastics for plastic containers); construction and engineering (Rollalong for modular buildings, Jenks & Cattell for metal presswork and laser fabrication, and Burnt Common Business Park for industrial property); premium hire and mobility (Qdos Event Hire, GowringsVersa Mobility, Jubilee Automotive Group, and Adapted Vehicle Hire for wheelchair accessible vehicles); and architectural ironmongery (James Gibbons Format and Bennetts).

The group's commercial model is sales-led B2B across all major subsidiaries, with each operating company running its own direct sales force and dedicated account managers serving enterprise customers in food, beverage, pharmaceutical, automotive, defence, construction, and healthcare end-markets. Revenue streams are diversified across one-time product sales (glass, plastic, metalwork, vehicles), distribution margins (Pont Europe), and recurring hire/rental income (Qdos, AVH, Burnt Common leases). The portfolio includes several heritage brands with centuries of operating history (James Gibbons Format est. 1670, Beatson Clark 270+ years, Pont Packaging 120 years in 2026, Jenks & Cattell 1886).

The group operates with decentralized operational autonomy under centralized financial control, has pursued serial bolt-on acquisitions to expand packaging and mobility capability (Campbell & Tate, Coda Plastics, Bristol Street Versa, O&H Mobility, Johnson & Jorgenson, AVH), and holds multiple industry certifications across subsidiaries including BRCGS AA, FSSC 22000, IATF 16949, ISO 9001/14001, and JOSCAR defence supply approval.

Name

Newship Group

Legal name

Newship Group

Website

https://newship.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Newship Group is a private UK family-owned holding company operating 12 manufacturing, distribution, and hire subsidiaries across packaging (glass, plastic, pan-European distribution), construction (modular buildings, metalwork), mobility (wheelchair accessible vehicles), and architectural ironmongery, generating over £280 million in annual revenue across Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Weybridge

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Manufacturing Revenue: Subsidiaries including Beatson Clark (glass packaging), Coda Plastics (plastic packaging), Jenks & Cattell (metal presswork/engineering), and James Gibbons Format (architectural ironmongery) generate revenue through the sale of manufactured products. These operate on a direct B2B sales model with dedicated account management.
2. Distribution Revenue: Pont Packaging Group operates as a pan-European packaging distributor, generating revenue through the sale and distribution of plastic and glass containers, bottles, closures, and accessories. Pont Europe celebrated 120 years in 2026.
3. Vehicle Sales and Hire: Jubilee Automotive Group sells new and used wheelchair accessible vehicles directly to consumers. Adapted Vehicle Hire (AVH) provides short-term, long-term and replacement hire of adapted vehicles. GowringsVersa Mobility manufactures and sells WAVs.
4. Event and Building Hire: Qdos Event Hire provides temporary accommodation, welfare facilities, and toilet facilities on a hire basis for events. Rollalong provides modular building solutions for residential, education, and defence sectors.
5. Property Rental: Burnt Common Business Park generates rental income from industrial units on a freehold site developed by Newship Property.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Newship Group is a privately-owned family conglomerate operating 12 manufacturing, distribution, and hire businesses across Europe, generating annual revenues exceeding £280 million. Core offerings include glass and plastic packaging manufacturing and pan-European distribution (Beatson Clark, Coda Plastics, Pont Packaging Group), modular building design and construction (Rollalong), metal presswork and laser fabrication (Jenks & Cattell), architectural ironmongery (James Gibbons Format, Bennetts), wheelchair accessible vehicle manufacturing, sales and hire (GowringsVersa, Jubilee Automotive, AVH), and event facilities hire (Qdos Event Hire).

Product overview

Newship Group is a privately owned group of manufacturing, distribution, and hire businesses operating across Europe, with a portfolio of 12 subsidiary companies generating annual revenues exceeding £280 million. The group's offerings span four core sectors: packaging (Beatson Clark, Pont Packaging Group, Coda Plastics), construction (Rollalong, Burnt Common Business Park), engineering (Jenks & Cattell), and premium hire/mobility (Qdos Event Hire, GowringsVersa Mobility, Jubilee Automotive Group, Adapted Vehicle Hire, James Gibbons Format, Bennetts Ironmongery). The portfolio includes glass and plastic packaging manufacturers and distributors, modular building contractors, event infrastructure providers, wheelchair accessible vehicle manufacturers and dealers, architectural ironmongery specialists, and industrial property developers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Beatson Clark Glass Packaging
• Pont Packaging Group Distribution
• Coda Plastics Plastic Packaging
• Rollalong Modular Buildings
• Qdos Event Hire
• GowringsVersa Mobility Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles
• Jubilee Automotive Group WAV Retail
• Adapted Vehicle Hire
• Jenks & Cattell Engineering Services
• James Gibbons Format Architectural Ironmongery
• Bennetts Ironmongery
• Burnt Common Business Park Industrial Units

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 50% faster construction time with modular buildings compared to traditional methods
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles9 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Pont PackagingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBeatson Clark offers closures through sister company Pont Packaging as part of a complete end-to-end packaging solution. This internal partnership provides customers with a seamless supply of glass containers and closures from a single trusted source.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves16 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Diploma PLC: UK-listed specialty distribution and value-added services conglomerate operating across multiple industrial niches with decentralized subsidiary management. Highly comparable to Newship's holding structure with Pont Europe distribution plus manufacturing subsidiaries across diverse verticals.
• Allied Mobility: UK specialist in wheelchair accessible vehicle sales, hire, and adaptation. Direct competitor to Jubilee Automotive Group, Adapted Vehicle Hire, and GowringsVersa Mobility across the full WAV value chain.
• Wernick Group: UK family-owned modular building manufacturer and hirer, comparable to Rollalong in serving construction, education, and accommodation sectors with modular solutions.
• Verallia: European glass packaging manufacturer producing bottles and jars for food and beverage markets. Direct competitor to Beatson Clark with similar heritage and customer base in European food and beverage packaging.
• Sirus Automotive: UK specialist in wheelchair accessible vehicle conversions and sales. Direct competitor to GowringsVersa Mobility and Jubilee Automotive Group, focusing on bespoke adapted vehicles for Motability and private customers.
• Hill & Smith Holdings: UK-listed group of infrastructure products businesses serving construction, utilities, and engineering markets. Comparable to Newship's UK industrial holding structure with a focus on engineered products and long-cycle infrastructure customers.
• Portakabin (Shepherd Group): UK modular building specialist providing permanent and portable buildings for education, healthcare, and commercial sectors. Direct peer to Rollalong in modular construction with overlapping customer segments and similar heritage.

Broad incumbents

• Bunzl PLC: UK-listed global distribution and outsourcing services conglomerate. Comparable to Pont Europe's distribution model and to Newship's overall conglomerate holding structure, though significantly larger and more globally diversified.
• ASSA ABLOY: Global leader in door opening solutions and architectural hardware. Broad incumbent comparable to James Gibbons Format and Bennetts Ironmongery in architectural ironmongery, though at vastly greater scale and global reach.
• Algeco (Modulaire Group): European leader in modular space and portable buildings. Comparable to Rollalong and Qdos Event Hire in modular accommodation and event infrastructure, with broader geographic reach and larger scale.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/newship-group/posts/?feedView=all
• Xx.com/newshipgroup

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Newship Group