Bretford
Bretford Manufacturing, Inc. designs and builds USA-made mobile device charging carts, stations, lockers, mobile workstations, and AV display carts, serving K-12 education, healthcare, retail, logistics, manufacturing, higher education, and athletics customers through direct sales, resellers, and a cloud management platform.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1948
- HeadquartersFranklin Park, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Bretford does
Bretford Manufacturing, Inc. is a privately held US manufacturer founded in 1948 and headquartered at 11000 Seymour Avenue, Franklin Park, Illinois, where it designs and builds its full product line from USA-sourced steel. The company operates five core solution categories: (1) Charging Carts (CUBE Cart, CUBE Cart Mini, CUBE Cart Slim, CUBE Cart Slim Pro, CUBE Cart Max, CUBE Toploader, CUBE Transport, CORE M, CORE X, Link Cart) for simultaneous charging of Chromebooks, laptops, and tablets; (2) Charging Stations and Smart Hubs (CUBE Micro Station/Tray, CUBE Battery Station, PureCharge Station/Tray, PureCharge Pro Station/Tray, PowerSync Station, PowerSync Pro Gen. 2) including USB-C 65W power delivery and Apple Configurator/APU provisioning; (3) TechGuard Connect Charging Lockers in 5- and 10-bay configurations, cloud-managed via the Bretford Connect platform; (4) MobilePro Mobile Workstations powered by the swappable BPS 1024 Lithium Iron Phosphate battery (IP65-rated, 1,024 Wh, 2,000-cycle warranty); and (5) AV Carts and Stands including the Explorer and Cordless Explorer Display Carts, ProVision Projector Cart, MIC Cart, and Adjustable Height Cart. Proprietary technologies include Opti-Sense smart charging, Cable Boss cable management, Bretford Connect cloud management, PowerSync Pro Gen. 2 with Imprivata integration, and a LiFePO4 battery chemistry selection for safety and thermal stability. Every product line carries UL 60950-1 certification and a 7-year warranty, both positioned as industry firsts.
Bretford's commercial motion is consultative and quote-based, combining a direct enterprise sales team (1-800-521-9614, Request Quote, Book a Demo), regional sales representatives accessed through "Find Your Rep," a Deal Registration channel for resellers, and a Virtual Warehouse e-commerce storefront offering previous-generation SKUs at 35% off MSRP. The company serves more than 8,000 K-12 schools across the United States and a diversified set of enterprise customers including Apple, Tesla, Honeywell, Mouser Electronics, Zebra, Nestl\u00e9, T-Mobile, REI, Vans, VF Corporation, HCA Healthcare, CommonSpirit Health, Avera Health, VCU Medical Center, Brunswick, Siemens, Los Angeles Unified School District, Duval County Public Schools, Pittsburgh Public Schools, DeKalb County School District, and multiple NFL and collegiate athletics programs. Core partnerships include Imprivata (healthcare provisioning), Apple (Made-for-Apple, 25+ year relationship, APU integration), Zebra Technologies (TC52-optimized smart docks), and mophie (CUBE Battery Station power banks).
Revenue is generated predominantly through one-time hardware sales of carts, stations, lockers, towers, AV carts, mobile workstations, and accessories, supplemented by the Bretford Connect cloud management subscription tied to TechGuard Connect locker deployments. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is delivered via quote; the company is privately held with no disclosed funding rounds, parent company, subsidiaries, or M&A activity, operating across the United States and North America.
Bretford firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Bretford
- Legal name
- Bretford Manufacturing, Inc.
- Website
- https://bretford.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1948
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Bretford Manufacturing, Inc. designs and builds USA-made mobile device charging carts, stations, lockers, mobile workstations, and AV display carts, serving K-12 education, healthcare, retail, logistics, manufacturing, higher education, and athletics customers through direct sales, resellers, and a cloud management platform.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Bretford industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Mobile Device Charging Infrastructure
- NAICS
- Electrical Equipment Manufacturing (33531)
- SIC
- Electronic & Other Electrical Equipment (No Computer Equip) (3600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Wiring Devices & Receptacles (switches, sockets, plugs, industrial outlets, pin & sleeve) (IMAGAEAF)
Keywords
Where Bretford is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Franklin Park
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Bretford business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Hardware Product Sales: Bretford generates revenue through the sale of physical charging solutions including charging carts, charging stations, charging lockers, charging towers, AV carts, mobile workstations, and accessories. Products are sold as one-time purchases with no recurring subscription required for hardware use. All products are designed and built in the USA.
- Cloud Management Platform (Bretford Connect): Cloud-based software platform (Bretford Connect) for managing TechGuard Connect lockers. Requires license key activation; described as a paid subscription/service tied to locker purchase.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Quote-based pricing for all products |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels11 records
Bretford product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Bretford designs and manufactures mobile device charging carts, charging stations, charging lockers, mobile workstations, AV display carts, and the Bretford Connect cloud management platform — all built in the USA from full-welded steel for K-12 schools, higher education, healthcare, retail, logistics, manufacturing, and athletics organizations. The product ecosystem enables organizations to simultaneously charge, secure, manage, and provision large fleets of laptops, Chromebooks, tablets, mobile scanners, and POS devices.
Product overview
Bretford is a US-based manufacturer (Franklin Park, IL) offering a comprehensive portfolio of charging solutions, mobile workstations, and device management products designed to power, manage, and secure mobile devices across education, healthcare, retail, logistics, manufacturing, athletics, and higher education industries. The product lineup centers on five core solution categories: (1) Charging Carts including the CUBE Cart, CUBE Cart Mini, CUBE Cart Slim, CUBE Cart Slim Pro, CUBE Cart Max, CUBE Toploader, CUBE Transport, CORE M, CORE X, and Link Cart families; (2) Charging Stations and Smart Hubs including CUBE Micro Station, CUBE Micro Tray, CUBE Battery Station, PureCharge Station, PureCharge Pro Station, PureCharge Pro Tray, PowerSync Station, and PowerSync Pro Gen. 2; (3) Charging Lockers under the TechGuard Connect brand in 5-bay and 10-bay configurations with cloud-based Bretford Connect management; (4) MobilePro Mobile Workstations with swappable battery power for professional environments; and (5) AV Carts and Stands including Explorer Display Cart, Cordless Explorer Display Cart, ProVision Projector Cart, MIC Mobile Instructor Cart, and Adjustable Height Carts. Supporting accessories include USB-C power adapters, cables, padlocks, and Caddy storage solutions. The company pioneered the first mobile device charging cart in the late 1990s and maintains a 7-year warranty on most products.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- TechGuard Connect: Cloud-managed charging lockers with keyless access control for secure device storage and distribution.
- Bretford Connect
- Bretford Power System
- CUBE
- MobilePro
- PureCharge
- PowerSync
- Cordless Explorer
- Explorer
- Core
- Link
- Opti-Sense
- Cable Boss
Products and services
- CUBE Cart Slim Pro Smart charging cart with Opti-Sense technology that delivers faster, more efficient USB-C charging for 30, 36, or 42 devices including Chromebooks, laptops, and tablets. Built for K-12 schools, healthcare, and enterprise customers needing simultaneous charging.
- CUBE Cart Slim Pre-Wired Value-focused pre-wired charging cart with pre-installed USB-C adapters and smart charging options for efficient device charging across 30, 36, or 42 device bays.
- CUBE Cart Mini Pre-Wired Compact charging cart with small footprint supporting 20 or 24 devices, designed for minimal space requirements in classrooms, offices, and small facilities.
- CUBE Cart Pre-Wired Affordable USA-made charging cart with pre-wired design supporting 16, 32, or 36 devices for schools, healthcare, and enterprise deployments.
- CORE X Cart Pre-Wired High-capacity charging cart with upgraded features for premium experience, supporting up to 36 or 45 devices for large-scale enterprise deployments.
- CUBE Toploader Cart with Caddies Pre-Wired Charging cart with EVA foam caddies providing best device protection, supporting 6 caddies with gas struts for safe open/close lid operation.
- CUBE Cart Max High-power charging cart supporting laptops up to 18 inches and 240W devices for higher education and enterprise power-hungry device fleets.
- CORE M Cart Compact high-capacity charging cart with small footprint, supporting 24, 36, or 42 devices for space-constrained environments.
- CORE X Cart High-capacity charging cart supporting up to 45 devices with comfort fit design for large device fleets.
Quantifiable outcome
- Schools save significant IT deployment time — 642 carts delivered in manageable shipments to one Eastern US school district for 23,000+ Chromebooks across 341 schools.
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Bretford
Customer profileNamed customers30 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles7 records
Bretford technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature8 records
Bretford partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and notable.
- ImprivatacoreBretford integrates its PowerSync Pro smart hubs and TechGuard Connect lockers with Imprivata Mobile Access Management (formerly GroundControl) for healthcare organizations. This enables zero-touch IT provisioning, identity-based device access, automatic sign-on to apps upon device checkout, and deep workflow automation. Healthcare organizations save an average of $1.1M annually through shared mobile device programs using this integrated solution. The partnership enables different device provisioning for different job roles (nurses vs. doctors) automatically upon checkout.
- ApplecoreBretford has a 25+ year relationship with Apple, having built the first ever mobile charging cart for Apple devices. Bretford's Made for Apple devices line includes PureCharge Cart, PureCharge Station, PowerSync Cart, PowerSync Station, and PowerSync Pro — all optimized for iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch. Bretford holds deep Apple Configurator integration and Apple Provisioning Utility (APU) integration for zero-touch device deployment. Bretford has helped deploy millions of Apple devices across thousands of organizations.
- Apple Provisioning Utility (APU)corePowerSync Pro and TechGuard Connect lockers integrate with Apple's APU for automated device provisioning workflows. Enables zero-touch IT configuration of iOS and iPadOS devices at scale.
- Zebra TechnologiesnotableBretford PowerSync Pro Gen. 2 Smart Dock is specifically optimized for Zebra TC52 mobile scanners. Enables automated provisioning and management of Zebra devices in logistics, retail, and healthcare environments.
- mophienotableCUBE Battery Station is powered by mophie PowerStation Pro power banks, integrating portable power bank charging into Bretford's compact charging station ecosystem.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Bretford competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Datamation Systems: Manufacturer of charging carts, storage cabinets, and security enclosures for Chromebooks, tablets, and laptops in education. Comparable product overlap with CUBE Cart and TechGuard locker families.
- PC Locs: Specialist competitor in charging solutions and device storage for education, with strong presence in 1:1 Chromebook deployments. Closely comparable on K-12 segment and pre-wired cart configurations.
- Ergotron: Direct competitor in charging carts, mobile workstations, and AV carts for education and healthcare; also owns Anthro Corporation technology furniture line. Closest like-for-like competitor on product breadth and vertical coverage.
- Jar Systems: Charging solutions provider focused on education and healthcare with pre-wired carts and stations. Direct competitor on CUBE Cart Pre-Wired and PureCharge Pro lines.
- LocknCharge: Specialist competitor in charging carts and charging lockers for K-12 and healthcare, including a cloud-managed FLO and Carts product family. Highly comparable on charging-locker category overlap with TechGuard Connect.
- Spectrum Industries: US manufacturer of charging carts, AV furniture, and presentation products serving education and corporate markets. Direct competitor on CUBE Cart and CORE Cart categories.
- Anthro Corporation: Technology furniture and charging cart manufacturer, now part of Ergotron but historically operated as a standalone competitor. Highly comparable product line on charging carts and device enclosures.
Broad incumbents
- Tripp Lite (Eaton): Broad incumbent in power distribution, surge protection, and charging/connectivity products. Overlaps on the power management and USB-C charging infrastructure categories but does not specialize in cart/locker hardware.
- Apple: Strategic customer and ecosystem partner with a 25+ year commercial relationship. Apple Configurator and Apple Provisioning Utility integrations differentiate Bretford, but Apple could in theory build or acquire competing charging infrastructure.
Others
- Imprivata: Identity and access management partner powering Bretford's healthcare integrations. Adjacent ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor; co-sells integrated mobile device management solutions.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Bretford social profiles
Digital presenceBretford compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Bretford financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Bretford leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Bretford funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Bretford M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Bretford
What does Bretford do?
Bretford designs and manufactures mobile device charging carts, charging stations, charging lockers, mobile workstations, AV display carts, and the Bretford Connect cloud management platform — all built in the USA from full-welded steel for K-12 schools, higher education, healthcare, retail, logistics, manufacturing, and athletics organizations. The product ecosystem enables organizations to simultaneously charge, secure, manage, and provision large fleets of laptops, Chromebooks, tablets, mobile scanners, and POS devices.
Is Bretford a public or private company?
Bretford is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Bretford founded?
Bretford was founded in 1948. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Bretford based?
Bretford is headquartered in Franklin Park, United States, in the North America region.
How does Bretford make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Hardware Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are cloud Management Platform (Bretford Connect).
Who are Bretford's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Datamation Systems, PC Locs, Ergotron, Jar Systems, LocknCharge, Spectrum Industries and Anthro Corporation. Broad incumbents are Tripp Lite (Eaton) and Apple. Imprivata is listed as an others.
Does Bretford have an API?
No public API is recorded for Bretford.
What industry is Bretford in?
Bretford's product category is Mobile Device Charging Infrastructure. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAGAEAF, Wiring Devices & Receptacles (switches, sockets, plugs, industrial outlets, pin & sleeve). Its NAICS code is 33531 and its SIC code is 3600.