FineCal
FineCal supplies a range of adhesives, abrasives, technical tapes, and packaging materials to industries in the UK.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1967
- HeadquartersBristol, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What FineCal does
FineCal is a UK-based industrial distributor founded in 1967 in Bristol, specializing in technical tapes, adhesives, abrasives, and packaging materials. The company operates three UK locations (Bristol headquarters established at the current site in 1972, Livingston regional office in Scotland, and Wellingborough in the Midlands established in 2006) and serves multiple industrial sectors including aerospace & defence, automotive, construction, electronics, food & drink, marine, composites, metalworking, print & sign, vehicle conversions, rail, and textiles. Named enterprise customers include Airbus UK, BAE Systems, Boeing Defence, GKN Aerospace, Leonardo, Meggitt, Safran, and Aim Aviation.
The company holds ISO 9001:2015 certification and AS9120:B certification (achieved September 2020) specifically for aerospace distribution. FineCal is a 3M Premier Distributor — the highest tier of partnership — and holds Gold Distribution Partner status with Tesa, plus an exclusive UK and Irish partnership for Buehnen hot melt adhesive systems. The portfolio spans 20+ distributed brands (3M, Bostik, Jiffy, Mirka, Loctite, Permabond, Forgeway, Globus, Moldex, Sekisui, Storopack, Tensor, Tuskbond, Bondloc, Bondline, Tremco CPG, Advance Tapes, Tesa) and includes two in-house manufacturing sub-brands: FineCal Labels (digital label printing) and Gibbon FineCal (screen printing support services).
FineCal operates a sales-led go-to-market model with a technical support team offering free site visits, product samples, and lab testing to help customers select appropriate products. The company generates revenue through product distribution sales on a unit-pricing basis with pay-as-you-go billing, free delivery on UK mainland orders over £100, and quote-based pricing for larger or custom-converted orders. Value-added services include bespoke tape conversion (slitting and die cutting), VMI/kansban inventory management, consignment options, and worldwide shipping with hazardous goods handling. FineCal is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Jeaton Group, a diversified conglomerate, following a 2020 amalgamation that consolidated the group under the FineCal brand.
FineCal firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- FineCal
- Legal name
- FineCal Group Limited
- Website
- https://finecal.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1967
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- FineCal supplies a range of adhesives, abrasives, technical tapes, and packaging materials to industries in the UK.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where FineCal is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bristol
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
FineCal business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Product Distribution Sales: FineCal generates revenue through the distribution and sale of industrial products including technical tapes, adhesives, abrasives, and packaging materials. They act as a distributor for major manufacturers such as 3M, Bostik, Jiffy, Advance Tapes, and many others. Revenue comes from product sales with pricing based on quantities and product types.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard retail pricing for individual items |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Bulk/special order pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
FineCal product offering
Product offeringCore offering
FineCal is a UK-based industrial distributor (founded 1967) supplying technical tapes, adhesives, abrasives, packaging materials, and safety products to manufacturers in aerospace, automotive, electronics, print, construction, and marine sectors. It complements distribution with value-added services including tape conversion (slitting and die cutting), vendor-managed inventory/kanban supply, plus in-house industrial label manufacturing through FineCal Labels and screen printing via Gibbon FineCal.
Product overview
FineCal is a UK-based industrial distributor offering a comprehensive portfolio of technical tapes, adhesives, abrasives, packaging products, and safety equipment. The company operates as both a manufacturer (FineCal Labels, Gibbon FineCal) and authorized distributor for major brands including 3M, Tesa, Mirka, Permabond, Forgeway, Loctite, TensorGrip, Buehnen, Storopack, and Globus. The product portfolio is organized into five core categories: Abrasives (tools, discs, sheets, wheels for surface finishing), Adhesives (structural, spray, hot melt, sealants), Packaging (bags, tapes, machinery, eco-friendly solutions), Safety & Maintenance (PPE, janitorial), and Tapes (double-sided, single-sided, specialist). FineCal serves diverse industry sectors including aerospace & defence, automotive, construction, electronics, food & drink, marine, metalworking, and vehicle conversions, supported by multiple UK locations and quality certifications including ISO 9001:2015 and AS9120 for aerospace supplies.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- FineCal Labels: Manufacturing division producing plain and printed digital labels for various businesses and industries with ISO 9001:2008 accreditation
- Gibbon FineCal
Products and services
- Industrial Tapes, Adhesives, Abrasives, Packaging, and Safety/Maintenance Products Distribution Distribution of industrial consumables — technical tapes, adhesives, abrasives, packaging materials, and safety/maintenance products — to UK manufacturers in aerospace, automotive, electronics, print, construction, and marine sectors. Customers include Airbus, BAE Systems, Boeing, GKN, Leonardo, Meggitt, and Safran.
- FineCal Labels Industrial label manufacturing using rotary letterpress technology, producing durable labels for industrial and manufacturing customers.
- Gibbon FineCal Industrial screen printing services producing printed components for industrial customers.
- Tape Conversion Services Value-added slitting and die-cutting of industrial tapes to customer-specified widths and shapes, reducing waste and handling for manufacturing customers.
- Vendor-Managed Inventory (VMI) / Kanban Supply Managed inventory and kanban replenishment services that maintain agreed stock levels of industrial consumables at customer sites, supporting just-in-time production.
Quantifiable outcome
- 55+ years of business experience since 1967
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use FineCal
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments15 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
FineCal technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
FineCal partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
18 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- 3McoreFineCal is a 3M Premier Distributor, representing the highest level of partnership with 3M. They supply the full range of 3M products including structural adhesives, tapes, abrasives, and safety products across all their market sectors.
- BuehnencoreExclusive UK and Irish market partnership signed between FineCal Jeaton Group and Buehnen. FineCal is the sole UK supplier of Buehnen's hot melt adhesive systems, dispensing equipment, and over 3000 hot melt glue variations. This is an exclusive arrangement making FineCal the only source for Buehnen products in the UK.
- ForgewaycoreFineCal stocks Forgeway's range of structural adhesives and sealants including Formoa color-matched sealants, Aerok structural epoxies, and Purok high-strength adhesives. Forgeway has over 25 years experience solving complex bonding challenges.
- Advance TapesmajorIndependent British manufacturer of adhesive tapes since 1964. FineCal stocks their range of cloth tapes, duct tapes, masking tapes, gaffer tapes, PVC tapes, polythene tapes, foil tapes, and double sided tapes.
- BostikmajorFineCal supplies Bostik's comprehensive adhesive range for the construction industry including PU sealants and structural adhesives.
- JiffymajorFineCal stocks Jiffy's protective packaging including bubble wrap, mailing bags, and their Ocean Green recycled foam initiative products.
- TesacoreFineCal is a Gold Distribution Partner for Tesa industrial tapes, providing access to the largest range of Tesa products including double sided, single sided, adhesive transfer, and specialized masking tapes.
- LoctitemajorFineCal supplies the Loctite range of industrial adhesives, sealants, and surface treatments including epoxies, acrylics, polyurethanes, and associated accessories.
- PermabondmajorFineCal stocks Permabond industrial adhesives including their innovative TA46XX range for bonding low surface energy plastics without surface pretreatment.
- MirkamajorFineCal supplies Mirka's Abranet net abrasive range and sanding tools, known for dust-free sanding and 99.97% effective particle removal.
- GlobusmajorFineCal supplies Globus personal protective equipment including hand protection, safety eyewear, hearing protection, respiratory protection, and Sentinel PAPR kits.
- MoldexmajorFineCal stocks Moldex respiratory protection including FFP masks and Versaflo Powered Air Respirators, along with eyewear and hearing protection.
- BondlocminorFineCal supplies Bondloc structural adhesives including epoxies, acrylics, polyurethanes, and instant/super glues for various industrial applications.
- BondlineminorFineCal stocks Bondline static control products for creating ESD-safe environments including anti-static bags, gloves, and packaging.
- Tremco CPGminorFineCal supplies Tremco CPG construction products including sealants, aerosol adhesives, and expanding foam for construction applications.
- Tensor (Tensorgrip)majorFineCal stocks TensorGrip spray adhesives available in canisters and aerosols, known for DCM-free formulations that eliminate hazards associated with dichloromethane-containing adhesives.
- TuskbondmajorFineCal supplies Tuskbond spray adhesives including their XPR0 range featuring innovative low-toxicity solvent technology.
- StoropackcoreFineCal has partnered with Storopack to bring their protective packaging solutions to the UK market, including air cushions, paper pads, foam systems, and integration solutions for packaging processes.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
FineCal competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Cromwell Tools: Cromwell is one of the UK's largest industrial distributors, supplying tools, PPE, adhesives, tapes and consumables to manufacturing, aerospace and MRO customers. Overlapping product categories and similar UK-centric distribution model make it the closest direct peer to FineCal, though at considerably larger scale.
- RUBIX (formerly Brammer / Buck & Hickman): RUBIX is the UK's largest industrial MRO distributor, serving aerospace, automotive and general manufacturing with technical consumables including adhesives, tapes and abrasives. Its scale, aerospace sector focus and product range overlap make it a highly comparable direct peer to FineCal.
- Würth UK: Würth is a global industrial supplier with a significant UK operation distributing adhesives, tapes, abrasives, fasteners, tools and PPE to trades and industry. Direct overlap with FineCal's product categories and aerospace/automotive customer base makes it a strong direct peer, with greater scale and a direct-sales-led model.
Broad incumbents
- RS Components (RS): RS Components is the UK's largest distributor of industrial and electronic components, MRO supplies, adhesives and tools, serving engineers and procurement professionals. It is a broad incumbent in FineCal's space with a much wider catalog and stronger e-commerce platform, but does not specialise in FineCal's aerospace-grade consumables focus.
- Travis Perkins: Travis Perkins is a major UK distributor of building materials, tools and consumables serving construction, trade and some industrial accounts. It overlaps with FineCal's construction and adhesives segments at a much larger scale but lacks FineCal's aerospace and OEM industrial specialism.
- Toolstation: Toolstation is a UK trade and industrial supplies retailer distributing tools, adhesives, tapes, PPE and consumables to tradespeople and small businesses. Comparable in product range to FineCal but oriented to smaller trade customers via a branch-and-click model rather than aerospace/OEM accounts.
- Edmundson Electrical: Edmundson Electrical is a large UK electrical and industrial products distributor with national branch coverage. While focused on electrical rather than FineCal's tape/adhesive core, it shares the multi-branch UK industrial distribution model and overlapping aerospace/MRO customer accounts.
Regional players
- Fastenal: Fastenal is the largest US industrial distributor of fasteners, tools, safety supplies and consumables, with on-site vending and VMI programs. It is highly comparable to FineCal in business model and product breadth but operates primarily in North America rather than the UK.
- Grainger: Grainger is a leading US industrial MRO distributor serving manufacturing, aerospace and government with a broad consumables range including adhesives and tapes. Comparable model and customer base to FineCal but US-centric and at significantly larger scale.
- MSC Industrial: MSC Industrial is a major US distributor of metalworking, MRO and industrial consumables including abrasives, adhesives and safety products. It mirrors FineCal's industrial-consumables focus but serves a North American customer base with a much larger catalog and scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
FineCal social profiles
Digital presenceFineCal compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
FineCal financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
FineCal leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
FineCal subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
FineCal funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
FineCal 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 FineCal
What does FineCal do?
FineCal is a UK-based industrial distributor (founded 1967) supplying technical tapes, adhesives, abrasives, packaging materials, and safety products to manufacturers in aerospace, automotive, electronics, print, construction, and marine sectors. It complements distribution with value-added services including tape conversion (slitting and die cutting), vendor-managed inventory/kanban supply, plus in-house industrial label manufacturing through FineCal Labels and screen printing via Gibbon FineCal.
Is FineCal a public or private company?
FineCal is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was FineCal founded?
FineCal was founded in 1967. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is FineCal based?
FineCal is headquartered in Bristol, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does FineCal make money?
One revenue line is on record: product Distribution Sales.
Who are FineCal's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Cromwell Tools, RUBIX (formerly Brammer / Buck & Hickman) and Würth UK. Broad incumbents are RS Components (RS), Travis Perkins, Toolstation and Edmundson Electrical. Regional players are Fastenal, Grainger and MSC Industrial.
Does FineCal have an API?
No public API is recorded for FineCal.