What Forbes Professional does

Forbes Professional is a UK-based, family-owned provider of commercial laundry, catering, TV & AV, and digital signage solutions, operating under the legal entity F Donald Forbes & Co Ltd (England, registered 1926) and celebrating its centenary in 2026. The company serves enterprise customers across healthcare (NHS, private hospitals, care homes), hospitality (hotel chains such as Holiday Inn Express and Best Western), housing associations, universities and PBSA providers, and facilities management operators. Its core offering is an all-inclusive rental model bundling equipment, delivery, installation, commissioning, and lifetime maintenance into fixed monthly fees that eliminate customer capex and repair/replacement risk.

The portfolio spans commercial washers, dryers, stacked units, dryer cabinets, ironers and finishing equipment from Miele Professional (where Forbes holds National Partner status) alongside Primus, Huebsch, IPSO, Girbau, and Speed Queen, plus commercial dishwashers, cooking, refrigeration, hotel TV systems in three tiers (Prestige, Premium, Platinum), and digital signage/wayfinding. The proprietary Forbes Connect platform — launched in January 2024 — provides 24/7 remote monitoring, fault detection, proactive maintenance routing, and sustainability tracking (temperature and water usage) for connected Miele machines, with documented benefits including up to 70% energy savings on heat pump dryers and validated thermal disinfection cycles at 71°C/3 minutes and 83°C/15 minutes for infection-control compliance.

The go-to-market is consultative enterprise field sales supported by a national network of in-house field engineers with depots including Redhill/Merstham (HQ) and Wigan (northern). Revenue is predominantly recurring — monthly subscription rentals and managed services — supplemented by detergent/auto-dosing hardware sales. Forbes Professional operates alongside sister brands Forbes Rentals (consumer appliance rental) and the broader Forbes Group, remains privately held under family ownership with Kevin Herring as CEO, and has earned sustained industry recognition through IER and ERT awards and Feefo Platinum Trusted Service status.

Name

Forbes Professional

Legal name

F Donald Forbes & Co Ltd

Website

https://forbespro.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1926

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Forbes Professional is a UK-based, family-owned enterprise provider (founded 1926) of commercial laundry, catering, TV & AV, and digital signage equipment, delivered through all-inclusive rental and managed-service contracts to healthcare, hospitality, housing association, and education customers nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Laundry Equipment Rental and Managed Services

NAICS

Linen and Uniform Supply (81233), Industrial Launderers (812332)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Equipment Rental & Leasing (7350)

akta.pro primary industry

Uniform & Linen Cleaning, Sanitization & Processing (Service-Included) (HSAJAMAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Bed & Bath Linen Service (Sheets, Pillowcases, Bath Mats) (HSAJAMAH), Residential & Small Business Uniform Rental Service (HSAJAMAA)

Keywords

• Commercial laundry equipment
• Commercial dishwashing equipment
• Hotel TV systems
• Digital signage solutions
• Managed laundry services

Headquarters

HQ city

Redhill

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Commercial Laundry Equipment Rental: Monthly rental payments for commercial laundry equipment including washers, dryers, stacked units, dryer cabinets, ironers, and finishing equipment. All-inclusive packages covering delivery, installation, commissioning, and maintenance.
2. Catering Equipment Rental: Rental of commercial dishwashers, cooking, and refrigeration equipment for hospitality sector.
3. TV & AV Solutions: Hotel TV solutions including hardware, software (Prestige, Premium, Platinum packages), and ongoing support services.
4. Digital Signage: Signage screens, software, and wayfinding solutions for commercial environments.
5. Maintenance Services: Preventative and reactive maintenance support included in rental agreements. Covers servicing, safety checks, and system optimisation. No repair or replacement bills for life of contract.
6. Managed Laundry Services: Full-service laundry management solutions for housing associations, residential developments, and communal facilities.
7. Detergents & Auto Dosing: Supply of detergents and automatic dosing systems for commercial laundry operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Forbes Professional rents and services commercial laundry equipment (washers, dryers, stacked units, dryer cabinets, ironers, finishing equipment), catering equipment (commercial dishwashers, cooking, refrigeration), hotel TV and AV systems, and digital signage to UK businesses across healthcare, hospitality, housing associations, universities, and facilities management. All-inclusive rental packages cover delivery, installation, commissioning, and ongoing preventative/reactive maintenance, with its Forbes Connect platform providing 24/7 remote monitoring of Miele machines for proactive maintenance and sustainability tracking.

Product overview

Forbes Professional is a national enterprise solutions provider offering commercial laundry, catering, TV & AV, and digital signage equipment primarily through rental and managed service models. The core product portfolio includes commercial washers, dryers, stacked units, ironers (from Miele, Primus, Huebsch, IPSO, Girbau, Speed Queen), commercial dishwashers, cooking and refrigeration equipment, hotel TV systems, and digital signage. Forbes Connect serves as the technology platform enabling remote monitoring and pro-active maintenance of connected Miele machines. The offering is delivered through a complete care rental model with inclusive delivery, installation, commissioning, and ongoing maintenance support, targeting sectors including healthcare, hospitality, education, housing associations, and facilities management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Forbes Connect: Intelligent remote monitoring system for commercial laundry machines featuring 24/7 real-time insights, proactive maintenance notifications, and sustainability monitoring for Miele commercial equipment.
• Complete Care

Products and services

• Commercial Laundry Equipment Rental Full range of commercial washing machines, dryers, stacked washers/dryers, dryer cabinets, ironers, and finishing equipment from manufacturers including Miele, Primus, Huebsch, IPSO, Girbau, and Speed Queen, supplied on all-inclusive rental with delivery, installation, commissioning, and ongoing maintenance. Includes sluice and thermal disinfection capabilities for healthcare compliance. Targeted at UK healthcare, hospitality, housing, education, and FM operators.
• Commercial Catering Equipment Rental Commercial dishwashers, cooking equipment, and refrigeration solutions for hospitality and care sector kitchens, supplied via all-inclusive rental with maintenance included.
• Hotel TV & AV Solutions Hotel television systems with customisable information channels, audio charging solutions, and integration with hospitality operations, delivered across three tiers: Prestige (basic connectivity), Premium (messaging and Smart apps), and Platinum (PMS integration with on-screen payments and checkout).
• Digital Signage and Wayfinding Signage screens, signage software, and wayfinding solutions for hotels and commercial environments to enable paperless communication and guest navigation.
• Managed Laundry Services Full-service laundry management solutions for housing associations, residential developments, and communal facilities, including equipment supply, installation, and ongoing maintenance across multiple sites.
• Forbes Connect Remote Monitoring Platform Intelligent remote monitoring system providing 24/7 real-time insights into Miele commercial laundry machine operations, enabling proactive maintenance, fault detection, and sustainability monitoring for temperature and water resource usage.
• Forbes Guest TV Information Channel Cloud-based guest TV information channel that can be updated remotely in real-time or pre-scheduled, enabling hotels to communicate with guests via customisable on-screen messaging.
• Detergents and Auto Dosing Systems Commercial laundry detergents and automatic dosing systems for optimised laundry operations, supplied as part of the rental and managed laundry offering.
• Laundry Payment Solutions Cashless and coin-operated payment systems for commercial laundry equipment in communal and residential settings.
• Domestic Laundry Solutions (Forbes Rentals) Domestic appliance rental solutions for individual consumers and small operators, offered through the associated consumer brand Forbes Rentals.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 70% energy savings with heat pump dryers vs standard condenser dryers
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Miele ProfessionalcoreTechnology or IntegrationNational Partner to Miele Professional. Miele Approved Partner status. Supplies Miele commercial laundry equipment including washers, dryers, and dishwashers with sluice and thermal disinfection capabilities. Miele heat pump dryers reduce energy consumption by up to 65%. Commercial washers hold validated temperatures of 71°C for 3 minutes and 83°C for 15 minutes.
• CHAS (Contractors Health and Safety Assessment Scheme)coreOthersOfficially accredited by CHAS, the trusted health and safety accreditors. Operates in full accordance with industry guidelines.
• Gas Safe RegistercoreOthersGas Safe Member Number 648310. Registered gas safety engineers for commercial installations.
• RETRA (Radio, Electrical and Televisions Retailers Association)minorOthersFeatured in RETRA's Alert magazine. Industry analysis, opinions and expert contributions source.
• FeefocoreOthersIndependent third-party platform for collating and verifying customer reviews. Awards include Platinum Trusted Award and Exceptional Service badge.
• Ashbrook Commercial Laundry EquipmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcquired rental and maintenance accounts from commercial laundry equipment specialists in January 2021.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Electrolux Professional: Electrolux Professional is a global incumbent manufacturer of commercial laundry and food service equipment with broad UK distribution and service capability—offering overlapping capabilities to Forbes Professional as part of a much wider portfolio rather than a niche specialist.

Direct peers

• Washco: Washco is a UK commercial laundry equipment specialist serving hospitality, healthcare, and facilities management customers with rental and service contracts—a direct peer in the same category and delivery model as Forbes Professional.
• Laundry Equipment Services (LES): LES supplies, installs, and maintains commercial laundry equipment for UK hospitality, healthcare, and housing clients—a comparable equipment rental and service provider competing for the same end markets as Forbes Professional.
• JLA Group: JLA is the UK's largest specialist supplier of commercial laundry, catering, and dishwashing equipment, with a comparable rental, service, and maintenance model targeting care homes, hospitality, and NHS customers—directly overlapping Forbes Professional's core offering and verticals.
• Total Laundry Solutions: Total Laundry Solutions provides commercial laundry equipment sales, rental, and managed services across the UK to care homes, hotels, and housing associations—a directly comparable model in the same customer verticals as Forbes Professional.
• Renzacci UK: Renzacci UK distributes and services commercial laundry equipment including washers, dryers, and ironers with installation and maintenance offerings—operating a similar B2B rental/service model in the same UK commercial laundry category.

Others

• Girbau UK: Girbau manufactures and supplies commercial laundry equipment serviced by Forbes Professional; it also competes indirectly via its own UK distribution and service network—an adjacent equipment manufacturer and ecosystem participant rather than a head-to-head rental competitor.
• Speed Queen (Alliance Laundry Systems): Speed Queen is a commercial laundry equipment brand also serviced by Forbes Professional; its global parent Alliance Laundry Systems operates a broader equipment and service network—an ecosystem partner and indirect competitor in the same equipment category.
• Christeyns UK: Christeyns is a commercial laundry chemicals and dosing specialist supplying detergents, dosing systems, and process expertise to UK laundries—an adjacent enabling supplier that competes for detergent and consumables revenue within Forbes Professional's installed base.
• Miele Professional: Miele Professional is Forbes Professional's primary equipment supplier and National Partner, but Miele also sells direct and through other channel partners in the UK—a comparable commercial laundry equipment provider and a critical ecosystem relationship rather than a direct substitute.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ForbesProf
• Facebookfacebook.com/ForbesProf
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/forbes-professional
• Instagraminstagram.com/forbes_pro

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Forbes Professional