Polyco Healthline

What Polyco Healthline does

Polyco Healthline is a UK-based B2B supplier of personal protective equipment (PPE) and hygiene products, self-described as one of the largest suppliers of disposable and reusable gloves in the UK. The company operates a broad multi-category portfolio covering disposable gloves (nitrile, vinyl, latex, polythene, sterile), industrial/reusable gloves (cut-, chemical-, needle-, electrical-, hot/cold-resistant variants), PPE workwear (aprons, masks, respirators, coveralls, headwear, eyewear), paper products (hand towels, toilet rolls, facial tissues, bamboo alternatives), bags (refuse sacks, bin liners, clinical waste bags, laundry bags), infection control wipes, pulp and cotton products. The portfolio is sold under multiple sub-brands including Bodyguards, Polyco, Shield, Finite, HandSafe, SafeDon, Fine Touch, Caretex, Simply Soft, and Piercan, and is certified to standards including EN455, EN21420, EN1186 and AQL 1.5. The proprietary SafeDon cuff-first intelligent glove dispensing system addresses cross-contamination in food and healthcare applications.

The business is operated as a B2B e-commerce storefront running on Magento 2, with dotdigital for marketing automation and Tawk.to for live chat, supplemented by a direct enterprise sales team reachable by phone and email. Customer segmentation is vertical-led across food manufacturing and preparation, medical/vet/dental, janitorial, hair & beauty, engineering & manufacturing, construction & utility, automotive, oil/gas & renewables, warehousing/transport/logistics, and waste management & local authority. Distribution is domestic UK plus a Netherlands-anchored Polyco Healthline BV handling Irish and continental European deliveries, with the storefront localised into 13 European languages. Value-added services include a free glove audit for organisations with 50+ glove users, technical excellence (standards, legislation, compliance), operational excellence, training and management systems services.

Revenue mechanics are unit-pricing based on bulk case sales with quote-based pricing not publicly disclosed; monetisation is one-time product sale rather than subscription or licensing. The company was founded in 1979, is privately held with no disclosed parent, investors, or funding rounds, and employs 101-250 people across UK and Netherlands operations. No financial figures, ownership structure, or M&A history are publicly disclosed.

Name

Polyco Healthline

Legal name

Polyco Healthline

Website

https://polycohealthline.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Polyco Healthline is a UK-based B2B supplier of PPE and hygiene products, including disposable and industrial gloves, workwear, paper, bags, and infection control items, serving food, medical, industrial, and public-sector buyers across the UK and Europe via multi-brand portfolio and e-commerce plus direct sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Personal Protective Equipment

NAICS

Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing (3391), Surgical Appliance and Supplies Manufacturing (339113), Sanitary Paper Product Manufacturing (322291), Plastics Bag and Pouch Manufacturing (326111)

SIC

Wholesale-Medical, Dental & Hospital Equipment & Supplies (5047), Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300)

akta.pro primary industry

Protective Disposable Wear (Masks, Gloves, Shoe Covers, Hairnets) (CRADALAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Disposable Protective Apparel (Coveralls, Gowns, Shoe Covers) (CRAAALAM)

Keywords

• Disposable gloves
• Personal protective equipment
• Industrial workwear
• Infection control
• Hygiene products

Headquarters

HQ city

Bourne

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Disposable Gloves Sales: Sale of single-use gloves including nitrile, vinyl, latex, polythene, and sterile options. Sold primarily in bulk cases to businesses.
2. Industrial/Reusable Gloves Sales: Sale of heavy-duty reusable gloves including cut-resistant, chemical-resistant, and general handling options.
3. PPE and Workwear Sales: Disposable workwear including aprons, masks, respirators, coveralls, overshoes, oversleeves, headwear and eyewear.
4. Paper Products Sales: Hygiene paper products including hand towels, paper rolls, toilet rolls, facial tissues, and bamboo alternatives.
5. Bags and Waste Management Products: Refuse sacks, compactor sacks, bin liners, clinical waste bags, and laundry bags.
6. Infection Control Products: Disinfectant wipes and infection control solutions for healthcare and hygiene applications.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Polyco Healthline supplies disposable and reusable protective gloves, PPE workwear, hygiene paper products, waste bags, infection control wipes, and pulp and cotton products to UK and European business customers through its own e-commerce storefront and a direct enterprise sales team. The company also offers compliance-focused services including a free glove audit for organisations with 50+ glove users, technical excellence, operational excellence, training and audits, and management systems support. Its proprietary SafeDon cuff-first intelligent glove dispensing system differentiates its glove offering in healthcare and food settings.

Product overview

Polyco Healthline is a B2B e-commerce platform and supplier of personal protective equipment (PPE) and hygiene products. The offering is a broad multi-category portfolio rather than a unified software platform — it encompasses disposable gloves (nitrile, vinyl, latex, polythene, sterile), industrial/reusable gloves (cut-resistant, chemical-resistant, needle-resistant, electrical handling, hot/cold handling, general handling), PPE workwear (aprons, masks, coveralls, headwear, eyewear), paper products (hand towels, toilet rolls, facial tissues, bamboo), bags (refuse sacks, bin liners, clinical waste), infection control wipes, pulp products, and cotton. The portfolio includes sub-brands Bodyguards, Polyco, Shield, Finite, HandSafe, Fine Touch, SafeDon, Caretex, Simply Soft, and Piercan. Key product lines include the SafeDon intelligent glove dispensing system (cuff-first individual dispensing to reduce cross-contamination), the Polyflex Eco range of recycled-nylon industrial gloves (Eco Air, Eco Cut, Eco N), and the Dyflex industrial glove range. Services include a free glove audit for large organisations, technical excellence support, operational excellence, training and audits, and management systems services. Products conform to standards including EN455, AQL 1.5, EN21420, and EN1186.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bodyguards: Brand of disposable gloves and protective equipment
• Polyco
• Shield
• Finite
• HandSafe
• Fine Touch
• SafeDon
• Caretex
• Simply Soft

Products and services

• Disposable Gloves Single-use gloves for hygiene and protection, available in nitrile, vinyl, latex, polythene and sterile options, with variants for food safety, medical-grade and allergy-free (powder-free, accelerator-free) use, sold in bulk cases primarily to businesses.
• Industrial / Reusable Gloves Durable, multi-use protective gloves for industrial and workplace applications, including cut-resistant, chemical-resistant, needle-resistant, electrical handling, hot handling, cold handling and general handling variants.
• PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) Workplace PPE including disposable aprons, masks and respirators, coveralls and coats, overshoes and oversleeves, headwear and eyewear.
• Paper Products Hygiene paper products including hand towels, paper rolls, toilet rolls, facial tissues, and bamboo paper alternatives.
• Bags Disposable bags and sacks including refuse sacks, compactor sacks, bin liners (pedal, square, swing, wheelie), clinical waste bags, and laundry bags.
• Infection Control Wipes Infection control products including disinfectant wipes such as PHMB and alcohol-free wipes.
• Pulp Products Pulp-based products including waxed paper medicine pots and other medical pulp items.
• Cotton Products Cotton-based hygiene and healthcare products.
• SafeDon Intelligent Glove Dispensing System Cuff-first glove dispensing system that dispenses gloves individually by the cuff to reduce cross-contamination risk compared to traditional glove box dispensing; includes compact storage format and eliminates glove wastage.
• Glove Audit Service Free audit service offered to organisations with 50 or more glove users, provided by Polyco Healthline's glove industry specialists.
• Technical Excellence Services Dedicated technical team with expertise in standards, legislation, and compliance to support product selection and regulatory adherence.
• Operational Excellence Services Services focused on operational efficiency for customers using Polyco Healthline's products.
• Training and Audits Training services and audit support for customers on product usage, compliance, and best practices.
• Management Systems Services Support services for management system implementation and compliance.

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Globus Group: UK-based manufacturer and supplier of hand protection and PPE, including the Showa brand. Most directly comparable to Polyco given overlapping glove/PPE categories, UK & European distribution footprint, and multi-vertical customer base.
• Bunzl: UK-headquartered distribution and supply-chain specialist serving cleaning, hygiene, and PPE categories across foodservice, healthcare, and industrial verticals. Comparable multi-category B2B distribution model with own-label product sourcing.
• SHOWA Group: Specialist manufacturer of both disposable and reusable industrial gloves (nitrile, latex, cut-resistant). Direct comparable in product depth and a key competitor in the European industrial glove market.
• Uvex Safety Group: European-based PPE specialist offering gloves, eye protection, headwear, and workwear. Direct overlap with Polyco's reusable gloves, oversleeves, headwear, and eyewear categories in industrial markets.
• Top Glove Corporation: World's largest manufacturer of disposable gloves. Competitor in the commoditized disposable glove space where Polyco competes through own-brand sourcing; serves the same medical, food, and industrial end markets.

Broad incumbents

• Ansell: Global leader in hand and body protection, manufacturing both disposable exam gloves and industrial/reusable gloves. Competes with Polyco across medical, industrial, and food-contact glove categories, but at much larger scale and with manufacturing depth.
• Medline: Major manufacturer and distributor of medical supplies including exam gloves, surgical gloves, and PPE. Overlaps with Polyco's medical, vet, and dental segment and shares B2B distribution-led business model.
• Honeywell: Diversified industrial conglomerate with a substantial personal protective equipment portfolio including hand protection. Competes with Polyco in industrial, oil & gas, construction, and automotive verticals.
• Kimberly-Clark Professional: Manufacturer of hygiene and wipers products (Kleenex, Scott, WypAll) serving workplace and industrial markets. Comparable to Polyco's paper products and wipes categories, including overlap in healthcare and food-service channels.
• 3M: Diversified manufacturer with substantial PPE/respirator business and a long-standing presence in workplace safety. Overlaps with Polyco in respiratory protection (masks/respirators), workwear, and industrial hand protection.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PH_SafeAndClean

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Polyco Healthline