Craven

What Craven does

Craven & Co Limited (trading as Craven Solutions) is a UK-based designer and manufacturer of metal storage and handling solutions. Founded in 1958 and headquartered in a 50,000 sq ft purpose-built facility in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, the company produces shelving, racking, trolleys, mortuary equipment, and bespoke wirework for healthcare, catering, mortuary, retail, education, and industrial customers. Approximately 95% of products are designed and manufactured in-house using mainly UK-sourced materials.

The core technology and product platform centres on the Firmashelf modular shelving system — first developed in the early 1970s and refined over five decades — available in chrome, aluminium, stainless steel, nylon, zinc chromate, and epoxy finishes, with accessories such as the Firmatrack high-density track system. Around this platform the company has built specialised lines: the 2021 Mortuary Range (racking and bier trolleys rated to -30°C), a medical/NHS line (Medicare trolleys, drug-dispense trolleys, catheter racks, COSHH cabinets), catering and bakery trolleys, and a wirework/OEM bespoke service. In April 2022 the firm launched the EVOLVE self-assembly sub-brand targeting catering, food processing, and public-sector buyers.

Craven operates a sales-led, direct distribution model with UK field-rep coverage, site visits and surveys, tender support, and next-day delivery for stocked items. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Revenue is generated through one-time sales of standard catalogue products, bespoke OEM manufacturing, and installation services performed by an in-house UK team, with distribution into Europe and Scandinavia as well as the domestic market. Approved-supplier status with NHS Supply Chain, ISO 9001/UKAS, FIRA, Food Standards Agency, and Made in Britain certifications underpin access to regulated verticals. In April 2025, private equity firm AnaCap acquired the company.

Name

Craven

Legal name

Craven & Co Limited

Website

https://craven-solutions.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1958

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Craven & Co Limited is a UK designer and manufacturer of metal storage and handling solutions — shelving, racking, trolleys, mortuary equipment, and bespoke wirework — serving healthcare/NHS, catering, mortuary, education, and industrial customers from its Knaresborough facility.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Storage and Handling Equipment

NAICS

Cutlery and Handtool Manufacturing (33221), Metal Service Centers and Other Metal Merchant Wholesalers (423510)

SIC

Wholesale-Durable Goods, Nec (5099), Miscellaneous Furniture & Fixtures (2590), Wholesale-Professional & Commercial Equipment & Supplies (5040)

akta.pro primary industry

Drawer, Cabinet & Pantry Organization Retail (Dividers, Inserts, Lazy Susans) (CRAIAJAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Decorative Storage & Baskets Retail (CRAIACAF)

Keywords

• Wire shelving systems
• Storage racking solutions
• Commercial catering trolleys
• Mortuary storage equipment
• Bespoke metal fabrication

Headquarters

HQ city

Knaresborough

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Standard Product Sales: One-time sale of standard storage and handling products including shelving, trolleys, and wirework. Products are manufactured and sold with typical transaction-based pricing.
2. Bespoke/OEM Manufacturing: Custom design and manufacture of products tailored to specific customer requirements. From shelving with specific dimensions to wire products for refrigeration, ovenware, catering, retail, automotive, and commercial solutions.
3. Installation Services: Site installation and maintenance services offered alongside product sales. Craven's specialist in-house installation team works across the UK.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Craven & Co Ltd designs and manufactures storage and handling solutions from a 50,000 sq ft facility in Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, producing approximately 95% of its products in-house. The portfolio spans the Firmashelf modular shelving system, EVOLVE self-assembly range, medical and mortuary trolleys, COSHH cabinets, catheter racks, and OEM/bespoke wire products serving catering, healthcare, mortuary, retail and industrial customers.

Product overview

Craven & Co Ltd is the UK's leading designer and manufacturer of storage and handling solutions, offering high quality British-made products primarily from their Yorkshire premises. The product portfolio is organized around a unified core offering: the Firmashelf modular shelving system (available in multiple finishes including nylon, stainless steel, chrome, zinc chromate, aluminium, and epoxy), complemented by specialized product lines. The main product categories include: catering trolleys (platform, serving, bakery, gastronorm, dishwasher, cutlery trolleys), medical equipment (Medicare trolleys, drug dispense trolleys, medical records trolleys, catheter racks, COSHH cabinets), mortuary equipment (mortuary racking, bier trolleys), and general shelving. The EVOLVE sub-brand launched in 2022 offers 8 self-assembly items for catering, food processing and public sectors. Bespoke/OEM services allow custom configurations of any product. Products serve industries including catering, healthcare, manufacturing, mortuary, logistics, education, pharmaceutical, marine, bakery, retail, and electronics.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Evolve: Self-assembly product range launched in April 2022, providing robust storage solutions to the catering, food processing and public sector industries.
• Firmashelf

Products and services

• Firmashelf Modular Shelving System Modular shelving system available in multiple finishes (chrome, aluminium, stainless steel, nylon/plastic coated, zinc chromate, epoxy) for commercial kitchens, hospitals, retail displays, dry storage and cold rooms. Sold to commercial and institutional buyers.
• Nylon Wire Shelving Silver grey nylon powder-coated wire shelving on mild steel base, tolerating -40C to +110C, food contact certified, for cold/freezer rooms and wet food storage in commercial kitchens and food processors.
• Stainless Steel Wire Shelving 3 or 4 tier 304-grade stainless steel wire shelving for dry storage, refrigeration, freezers and retail displays in commercial and institutional settings.
• Stainless Steel Solid Shelving 3 or 4 tier solid stainless steel shelving with satin finish for general dry storage, refrigeration and freezers, with full accessory range including castors and shelf clamps.
• Aluminium Shelving Lightweight anodised aluminium frame shelving with modular construction for cold rooms, food areas and sterile storage, with infinite run configuration.
• Bright Chrome Wire Shelving 3 or 4 tier bright chrome wire shelving combining front-of-house display appearance with back-of-house dry storage durability for retail and hospitality environments.
• Zinc Chromate Wire Shelving 3 or 4 tier zinc chromate plated wire shelving for general dry storage, dry pan racks and retail display.
• Stainless Steel Perforated Shelving 4 tier perforated stainless steel shelving for medical, refrigeration and general storage with solid channel perimeter for easy cleaning and maximised airflow.
• Platform & Sack Trolley Stainless steel flat bed sack trolley with 250kg loading capacity and 4 swivel castors for transporting heavy goods through restricted pathways in commercial and industrial environments.
• Serving Trolley 2, 3, 4 or 5 tier serving trolley with trays featuring upstands on all sides, available in various sizes with 2 braked and 2 swivel castors for catering and hospitality use.
• Medicare Trolley Medical trolley available in three height configurations and three widths with stainless steel recessed top, nylon coated runner panels and epoxy coated blue finish, with customisable basket configurations for hospital and clinical use.
• Mortuary Racking Free-standing, mobile, fixed-height or adjustable-height mortuary racking in stainless steel or epoxy coated finishes, withstanding -30C with four evenly-spaced rollers for easy tray transfer, sold to funeral homes, mortuaries and hospital mortuary departments.
• Bier Trolley Fixed and collapsible bier trolley with steel frame, durable coating, 125mm braked castors and custom sizes available, manufactured in UK, for funeral homes and mortuary facilities.
• Drug & Medicine Dispense Trolley Hygienically designed medicine dispense trolley with epoxy coated Dark Grey finish, 3 compartment lockable storage cabinet, 2 tray shelf capacity and slam lock on hinged lid for clinical and hospital pharmacy use.
• Medical Records Trolley Storage and transportation solution for patient notes and X-rays with multi-section dividers, available in epoxy or 304-grade stainless steel with optional lockable lid, for hospitals and clinical environments.
• Catheter Racks 4 or 8 compartment catheter racks in epoxy coated mild steel, available wall mounted or free standing, attachable to Medicare trolleys, for hospital catheter storage.
• COSHH Cabinets Single and double door hazardous substance storage cabinets meeting COSHH Regulations 2002, welded 0.9mm steel construction with three-way chrome lever locking, for laboratories and clinical environments.
• OEM & Bespoke Manufacturing Service Custom design and manufacturing service for bespoke shelving, wire products, refrigeration components, ovenware, catering, retail, automotive and office furniture solutions, using in-house design team and 65+ years of fabrication expertise.
• EVOLVE Self-Assembly Range Self-assembly product range of 8 storage items including platform trolleys, serving trolleys, bakery trolleys and work tables, launched April 2022, for catering, food processing and public sector buyers.
• Firmatrack High Density Storage System Mobile and static track-mounted shelving system available as manual or mechanical, mounting shelving on tracks to nearly double storage capacity (60% improvement), with track-mounted mobile bases carrying up to 1,000kg.
• Site Installation Service Site installation service delivered by Craven's specialist in-house installation team across the UK alongside product sales and bespoke projects.

Quantifiable outcome

• 60% storage space improvement using Firmatrack high density system (32 sq m to 52+ sq m)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Polestar CoolingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWest Sussex-based specialist refrigeration manufacturer. Craven has worked directly with Polestar Cooling for over 15 years, supplying wire baskets for solar-powered vaccine refrigerators used in developing countries. This long-standing partnership has contributed to healthcare infrastructure in over 80 countries worldwide.
• DulascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWelsh company providing solar-powered refrigeration solutions to primary healthcare facilities in developing countries. Dulas has worked with Polestar for over twenty years, and Craven supplies vaccine storage baskets for Dulas refrigerators that exceed WHO PQS standards. The partnership enables vaccine storage capacity for 10,000+ children per refrigerator.
• Prostate Cancer UKminorOthersCharitable partnership indicated by Prostate Cancer UK logo displayed on website footer.
• Kirk Deighton Rangers Football ClubminorOthersFirst Team sponsor of local football team as part of community support initiatives.
• Resurrected Bites Food BankminorOthersLocal food bank receiving shelving donations from Craven. Company director Wez and MD Noel visited to install shelving for food bank working to reduce food waste and food poverty.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Link 51: UK-based designer and manufacturer of storage shelving, racking, and mezzanine flooring systems. Closest direct competitor to Craven with similar vertical markets (warehousing, retail, healthcare) and UK manufacturing footprint, competing head-to-head on storage solutions.
• Apex Storage Systems: UK-based supplier and installer of shelving, racking, and storage solutions. Direct competitor serving similar UK commercial and industrial customers, though primarily as a distributor/installer rather than manufacturer.
• Nedcon: Dutch manufacturer of storage systems, shelving, and racking for industrial and commercial customers. Direct competitor to Craven's industrial shelving range, with comparable product offerings and a similar European mid-market positioning.
• TEG (Taperloc Engineering Group): UK-based bespoke metalwork fabrication and engineering company. Comparable to Craven in offering custom metal fabrication services for industrial, retail, and commercial customers with similar scale and bespoke capabilities.
• BOLZ Edelmann: German manufacturer of stainless steel shelving, storage systems, and catering/medical trolleys. Direct competitor across Craven's stainless steel shelving, catering trolleys, and bespoke medical/catering product lines.

Broad incumbents

• Jungheinrich: German manufacturer of forklifts, warehouse equipment, and racking/shelving systems. Overlaps with Craven in pallet racking and storage solutions but operates at much larger scale with broader intralogistics offering.
• SSI Schaefer: German-headquartered global intralogistics company offering shelving, racking, automated storage, and warehouse solutions. Competes with Craven in industrial shelving and racking, though SSI Schaefer typically serves much larger warehouse and logistics customers.
• Constructor Group: European storage and racking manufacturer with operations across multiple countries. Competitor to Craven in industrial shelving, racking, and warehouse storage solutions, operating at larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
• Metro Storage (formerly InterMetro Industries): Global commercial shelving, storage, and material handling manufacturer. Directly competes with Craven's core shelving and trolley product lines, but at significantly greater scale, broader product range, and global distribution reach.

Regional players

• Polstor (Polski Stojak): Polish manufacturer of wire shelving, racking, and storage products. Competes with Craven on price-point wire shelving and racking across European markets, primarily serving Central/Eastern Europe with growing UK and Western Europe distribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cravensolutions
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCHaMq9vkEPbSr1zTGvK6u5w
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/craven-&-co.-ltd

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Craven