What Bence does

Bence (legal entity W.H. Bence (Coachworks) Limited) is a UK-based specialist vehicle manufacturer founded in 1983 and headquartered at Great Western Business Park, Armstrong Way, Yate, near Bristol. The company designs, fabricates, and integrates bespoke mobile units across three primary verticals: healthcare (mobile CT, MRI, mammography, DXA, and breast screening units for NHS trusts and private providers), emergency services (fire appliances, incident command units, water tankers, and pumping vehicles for UK Fire & Rescue Services and police), and bespoke hospitality and broadcast (motorsport trailers, outside broadcast stations, exhibition units). Operations are vertically integrated in-house across design, fabrication, vehicle body build, electrical systems, carpentry, commercial paint spraying, branding, transport, and long-term service and maintenance.

The underlying technology centers on integrating major OEM medical imaging platforms (Canon Aquilion Prime SP, Siemens MES, Philips MRI, GE Healthcare) into Bence-manufactured, lead-lined, environmentally controlled mobile enclosures, as well as mounting proprietary electronic pump control systems (WH Bence branded interface) and Godiva pump packages onto Volvo chassis for emergency fleets. Core proprietary features include the in-house electronic pump control screen with pre-set pressure options, emergency stop, and tracking of pump hours and water usage; anti-corrosive co-polymer fabrication; and modular pod/trailer configurations (e.g., two-trailer mobile lung screening with reception and clinic areas plus remote monitoring).

Commercially, Bence runs a project-based manufacturing model with bespoke builds typically awarded through NHS and government tenders or direct enterprise engagement. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is determined per project specification. Recurring revenue is generated through seven-year service and maintenance contracts with comprehensive warranty and remote monitoring of deployed medical equipment, plus transport and deployment services for relocatable units under partnerships with TIC. The go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales supported by a website portfolio and selective industry event presence; there are no third-party distribution intermediaries. The customer base includes major UK public-sector anchors (at least six NHS trusts and multiple Fire & Rescue Services) plus commercial clients such as BBC and P1 Motorsport, with selective international delivery (SBA Police Cyprus).

Name

Bence

Legal name

W.H. Bence (Coachworks) Limited

Website

https://whbence.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Bence (W.H. Bence Coachworks) is a UK specialist vehicle manufacturer founded in 1983, designing and building bespoke mobile medical imaging units, fire appliances, command vehicles, and custom hospitality/broadcast trailers for NHS trusts, Fire & Rescue Services, and enterprise clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialist Vehicle Manufacturing

NAICS

Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing (3391)

SIC

Miscellaneous Transportation Equipment (3790)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Vehicle Body Manufacturing (Emergency/Military/Mobile Clinics) (IMACAGAD)

Keywords

• Specialist vehicle manufacturing
• Mobile medical units
• Fire appliances
• Command vehicles
• Bespoke mobile builds

Headquarters

HQ city

Bristol

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, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Specialist Vehicle Manufacturing: Bespoke manufacturing of mobile medical units, emergency vehicles, and custom mobile spaces. Projects are typically one-off or small-batch custom builds awarded through tender processes or direct client engagement. Revenue is project-based with long development and manufacturing cycles.
2. Service and Maintenance Contracts: Long-term service and maintenance contracts for manufactured vehicles, including seven-year contracts for medical units. Includes remote monitoring services and comprehensive warranty provisions.
3. Transport and Deployment Services: Transportation and deployment of relocatable medical units across the UK as short or long-term contracts.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Bence designs and manufactures bespoke specialist vehicles and mobile spaces for regulated, safety-critical applications. Core products include mobile medical units (CT, MRI, mammography) with radiation-shielded environments, fire appliances and emergency vehicles, command and broadcast units, and custom hospitality/exhibition builds. The company delivers an end-to-end in-house service from initial design and fabrication to commissioning, transport, and ongoing maintenance.

Product overview

Bence (W.H. Bence) is a UK-based manufacturer of bespoke mobile spaces and specialist vehicles. The company operates as a single unified offering centered on custom vehicle design, fabrication, and build services. Their core product portfolio consists of mobile medical units (including CT scanners, MRI units, mammography and breast screening trailers), fire appliances and emergency vehicles, command units, and custom hospitality/exhibition units for motorsport and broadcast applications. These products are supported by integrated capabilities including design, fabrication, vehicle body build, electrical, carpentry, commercial paint spraying, branding, transport, and service & maintenance. The company serves healthcare providers, emergency services, motorsport organizations, and broadcast companies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Medical Mobile Units Custom-built mobile medical facilities including mobile CT, MRI, and mammography units. These units incorporate lead-lined environments for radiation protection, environmental control systems (air-conditioning and heating) for sensitive medical equipment, and are built for healthcare providers such as NHS trusts.
• Fire Appliances Fire engines and emergency vehicles manufactured for the UK fire and rescue services. Features include a novel proprietary Electronic Pump Control Screen and vehicular bodywork fabrication using anti-corrosive co-polymer materials.
• Command Units Custom-built command and control units including broadcast vehicles for major UK broadcasters and motorsport events such as Silverstone, the home of British motorsport.
• Bespoke Mobile Builds End-to-end custom mobile spaces for hospitality, exhibition, and commercial applications, delivered from initial design and fabrication through to commissioning and transport, with ongoing service and maintenance support.

Quantifiable outcome

• Seven-year service and maintenance contracts with comprehensive warranty provisions
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• CanoncoreTechnology or IntegrationCanon has partnered with Bence to provide mobile CT scanning units, including the 3-Pod mobile CT unit for Royal Free Hospital. Canon imaging equipment (Aquilion Prime SP) is housed within Bence-manufactured mobile units with lead lining for radiation protection.
• SiemenscoreTechnology or IntegrationSiemens is partnered with Bence for NHS MES (Managed Equipment Service) contracts. Bence designed and manufactured mobile CT and clinical support units for Siemens in Southampton as part of UK Government Lung Screening pilot. Bence has supported Siemens since their MES success in 2014.
• PhilipscoreTechnology or IntegrationPhilips medical imaging equipment is integrated into Bence-manufactured mobile MRI units, including units for Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust.
• GE HealthcarecoreTechnology or IntegrationGE Healthcare medical imaging technology integrated into Bence mobile medical units.
• TIC (Transportable Imaging Contracts)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBence provides TIC with full transport and service provision for moving relocatables across the UK for short or long-term contracts. Long-term service and maintenance contracts with comprehensive warranty. TIC operates in Southampton and Caerphilly for lung screening services.
• Agito MedicalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgito Medical partners with Bence for new generation mobile cath labs and relocatable MRI units.
• InHealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInHealth partnered with Bence for decontamination units for medical facilities.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Angloco: UK specialist manufacturer of fire and rescue vehicles including pumps and aerial appliances. Direct competitor in the same UK Fire and Rescue Service tender market as Bence.
• EMS Healthcare: UK provider of mobile medical and healthcare units including relocatable imaging facilities. Directly comparable to Bence's mobile medical unit business serving NHS and private healthcare clients.
• Emergency One: UK-based specialist fire appliance and emergency vehicle manufacturer. Direct competitor to Bence in the UK Fire and Rescue Services vehicle build market with overlapping customer base across multiple UK fire authorities.

Broad incumbents

• Magirus (Iveco Group): Global fire and emergency vehicle manufacturer within the Iveco/Stellantis group. Comparable to Bence's emergency-vehicle line but operating at significantly larger scale across multiple continents and product categories.
• Rosenbauer International: Austrian-headquartered global leader in fire and emergency vehicles with UK operations. Larger incumbent that overlaps with Bence in fire-appliance tenders but serves a much broader geographic and product portfolio.

Regional players

• AMICO: US manufacturer of mobile medical imaging vehicles and specialty healthcare equipment. Overlaps with Bence's mobile medical unit line on product scope but operates predominantly in the US market rather than the UK.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/whbence
• Facebookfacebook.com/WHBence
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wh-bence-coachworks-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Bence