What Furnitubes International does

Furnitubes International Ltd is a UK-based, privately held manufacturer of modular street furniture, headquartered in Sittingbourne, Kent and operating from a factory powered by renewable wind energy. Its catalogue spans modular seating systems (Hive, RailRoad, Uniun, Elements, Zenith, Fordham, Ribbon, Veeva, Hollo), wall-top seating, steel retaining-wall planters (AKRI), freestanding planters, an extensive bollard range led by the Bell Bollard (in production since 1985 and protected by a Registered Community Design), litter bins, cycle parking, and picnic tables, all built around a shared standard-component, modular philosophy using recycled steel, FSC-certified Iroko or UK-grown Endura thermally modified ash, and the company's own Triple Process powder coating developed with sister company Custom Wytelyne Powder Coating Ltd.

The company sells primarily through specification-led direct engagement with three named buyer segments: UK landscape architecture practices (LDA Design, BDP, WSP, BCA Design), contractors (FM Conway, McLaren Construction, Blakedown Landscapes) and local authorities (Westminster, Canterbury, Blackpool councils), supported by downloadable CAD/BIM libraries, a 3D configurator covering six core product ranges, BALI accreditation, CPD sessions and a podcast channel. Revenue is one-time hardware sale, quote-based and project-specific, with a transactional online store for select stocked items (Bell Bollard, certain litter bins).

Customer concentration is broad across named logos spanning local government, higher education, retail, commercial real estate, residential development and exhibition venues; pricing is governed by configuration and quantity rather than public list pricing, and lead times run 6-10 weeks for standard modular product with expedited dispatch available. The Bell Bollard's Registered Community Design, the Design Guild Mark awarded to Uniun in 2023, ISO 9001/14001/45001 certifications, and FSC and Made in Britain accreditation provide a defensible standards-led position in UK public realm procurement.

Name

Furnitubes International

Legal name

Furnitubes International Ltd

Website

https://furnitubes.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1950

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Furnitubes International is a UK manufacturer of modular street furniture — seating, bollards, cycle parking, planters, litter bins and signage — made from recycled steel and FSC-certified timber, selling direct to landscape architects, contractors and local authorities under a specification-led, project-quoted model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Street Furniture Manufacturing

NAICS

Institutional Furniture Manufacturing (337127)

SIC

Miscellaneous Furniture & Fixtures (2590)

akta.pro primary industry

Outdoor Living Structures Retail (Sheds, Gazebos, Pergolas, Greenhouses) (CRAIAIAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Wood Decking, Fencing & Outdoor Lumber Products (IMADADAF)

Keywords

• Street furniture manufacturing
• Modular public realm seating
• Bollards and cycle parking
• Urban landscape products
• Public realm steel furniture

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Street Furniture Product Sales: One-time sale of manufactured street furniture products including seating, benches, planters, bollards, litter bins, and cycle parking. Products are sold as standard modular configurations or project-specific custom specifications. Pricing is quote-based and varies by product range, configuration, and quantity. For standard stocked items, direct online purchase is available. Professional services including specification support, CAD library access, and installation guidance are bundled with product sales or provided as standalone advisory.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Furnitubes International designs and manufactures modular street furniture in the UK from recycled steel and FSC-certified or reclaimed hardwood timber. Core offerings include hexagonal Hive seating/planters, the RailRoad modular seating and planter system, AKRI steel retaining walls with integrated seating, the award-winning Uniun bench/planter, the Elements configurable seating range, the Bell Bollard cast-iron bollard, plus wall-top seating, freestanding planters, litter bins, cycle stands, and picnic benches.

Product overview

Furnitubes International is a UK-based manufacturer of modular street furniture offering a comprehensive portfolio of products for public realm, urban, and commercial spaces. The core offering includes modular seating systems (Hive, RailRoad, Uniun, Elements, Zenith, Fordham, Ribbon, Veeva, Boston, Cheshunt, Stark, New Forest, Eastgate), wall-top seating (Fortis, Contor, Alta, Lapa), steel retaining wall planters (AKRI Snap/300/600), freestanding planters (FERN), bollards (Bell, Capital, City, Doric, Manchester, Hammersmith, Cannon, Canterbury, Pinnacle, Millennium, Transport, Eltham, Epping, Garrick, Ashdown, Telescopic, District Traffic, Zenith Service), litter bins (Arca, Zenith, Boston), cycle parking (Sheffield, Ribbon, Omega, Letterform, Fin, Transport, Nordic, District, Hammersmith, Morden), and picnic benches and tables (Hollo, Parallel, Fordham, RailRoad, Zenith, Elements, Thetford). The portfolio is unified by standard component modularity, shared material specifications (recycled steel, FSC-certified timber, Endura thermally modified ash), and consistent Triple Process powder coating finishing. An online 3D configurator enables custom layout design across key ranges.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hive Modular Seating and Planting System Hexagonal modular seating and planting system where modules split, flip, and stack at three heights to create clusters, rows, and organic shapes; FSC Iroko / Endura ash tops with recycled steel chassis; for landscape architects and public realm projects.
• RailRoad Modular Seating and Planters Flagship modular seating range combining straight and curved modules with integrated planter options, multiple configurations (linear, islands, parklets, tree surrounds), freestanding / ground-fixed / below-ground installation; designed for up to 25 years of service life. Includes RailRoad Express for expedited delivery.
• AKRI Steel Retaining Wall System with Integrated Seating Steel retaining wall system with optional integrated seating for level changes and structured planting schemes, particularly suited to roof terraces and podium decks. Available in AKRI Snap (flat-pack), AKRI 300, and AKRI 600 variants.
• Uniun Trapezoid Bench Planter Award-winning trapezoid-shaped modular bench and planter system with polyethylene (LDPE) base, Iroko timber top, configurable as bench, planter, or hybrid; multiple orientations, longitudinal or transverse feature lines; 40mm water reservoir; 150-litre planter capacity. 2023 Design Guild Mark recipient.
• Elements Modular Seat and Bench Fully configurable seating system with pre-drilled steel chassis supporting interchangeable slats, supports, armrests, and backrests; three seating styles, two size options, three timber sizes, six support options; designed for easy component replacement.
• Zenith Horizon Seats, Benches, Picnic Tables, Bins, and Bollards Inclusive table and seating solutions built to last from cast-iron steel and carved timber across the Zenith range, including seats, benches, picnic tables, litter bins, and bollards.
• Fordham Reclaimed Hardwood Seating Modern seating made from reclaimed tropical hardwood (Greenheart, Jarrah, Keruing) and recycled steel; heavy-duty reclaimed timbers; available as bench or seat with backrests and armrests; four trees planted per bench sold via Ecologi partnership.
• Bell Bollard Cast-Iron Bollard Cast iron bollard in production since 1985 with bell-shaped geometry that deflects vehicle wheels; over 25 years design life. Five variants (Original, Half, City, with 150mm hole, with 115mm hole); covered by Registered Community Design no. 008142889-0001.
• Arca Litter Bin Interchangeable litter bins to suit a range of schemes; high-capacity waste management built to withstand heavy public use with robust design.
• FERN Freestanding Planter Moveable, freestanding planters for flexible planting schemes where permanent groundworks are not feasible.
• Fortis Wall-Top Seating Wall-top seating that transforms functional wall-top spaces into inviting seating solutions, designed to complement raised planting beds.
• Sheffield Cycle Stand (and Cycle Parking Range) Cycle parking range covering Sheffield, Ribbon, Omega, Letterform, Fin, Transport, Nordic, District, and Morden stands; forged from recycled steel or polyurethane; root-fixed or bolted-down options.
• Bollard Range (Capital, City, Manchester, Pinnacle, Millennium, Transport, Epping, Garrick, Ashdown, Telescopic, District Traffic, Zenith Service) Modern steel and cast-iron bollards including tapered Contemporary, transport, retractable, and timber variants for contemporary and infrastructure streetscapes.
• Heritage Bollards (Hammersmith, Cannon, Canterbury, Doric, Eltham) Cast iron / cast aluminium heritage bollards for conservation areas and traditional streetscapes.
• Zenith Litter Bin Part of the Zenith range, available in freestanding or post-mounted configurations in stainless steel or powder-coated mild steel with slam lock and rodent-proof base.
• Picnic Benches and Tables (Hollo, Parallel, Thetford and others) Picnic bench and table solutions, including cost-effective Parallel, low Hollo seating cubes suited to rooftop terraces, and traditional Thetford, for public parks and commercial projects.
• Online 3D Configurator and CAD/BIM Library Web-based 3D design tool available for RailRoad, Uniun, Elements, AKRI Snap, Fortis, and Zenith Bin product families, with CAD/BIM downloads in AutoCAD, SketchUp, and Revit. Free UK Mainland delivery for select online products including the Bell Bollard.

Quantifiable outcome

• 74% less energy required for recycled steel vs. virgin steel
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers26 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ashwells' Timber YardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with tropical timber reclamation specialists Ashwells to source reclaimed tropical hardwoods (Greenheart, Jarrah, Keruing) for the Fordham range. The FSC-certified process repurposes timber from demolished structures for use in street furniture, combating deforestation, saving energy and mineral resources, and preserving architectural history. Reclaimed timber is stronger and more durable than new material.
• Custom Wytelyne Powder Coating LtdcoreTechnology or IntegrationSister company that developed the Triple Process powder coating system with Furnitubes. The system combines shot blasting, protective primer, and polyester powder coat, independently tested to ISO 12944-6 and 2,000 hours for weather, UV, and corrosion resistance. Has a lower environmental impact than traditional galvanising.
• EcologiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental platform partnership through which Furnitubes plants 4 trees for every Fordham bench sold, contributing to verified carbon offset projects.
• NBS (National Building Specification)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed manufacturer on the NBS platform, connecting Furnitubes with specifiers and procurement professionals in the construction industry.
• BALI (British Association of Landscape Industries)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerBALI accredited member. BALI is the UK's leading trade association for landscape industries. Accreditation provides professional endorsement for Furnitubes among its target market of landscape architects and contractors.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Glasdon Group: UK-based manufacturer of street furniture, litter bins, cycle parking and bollards. Broader range than Furnitubes and larger scale, but overlaps strongly on the public-realm / council specification motion.
• Nola Industrier: Swedish designer/manufacturer of urban outdoor furniture and public-realm products. Comparable in modular thinking and sustainability positioning, occasionally specified alongside Furnitubes on UK projects.
• Townscape Products: UK street-furniture and outdoor-seating manufacturer serving local councils and commercial developers with a comparable mid-market product portfolio focused on public-realm regeneration.
• Broxap: Long-established UK street-furniture manufacturer supplying bollards, seating, cycle parking, litter bins and shelters to councils, schools and commercial schemes — the closest direct competitor on catalog breadth and customer profile.
• Vestre: Norwegian outdoor-furniture manufacturer of sustainable, design-led street furniture (benches, planters, litter bins) supplied into UK public-realm projects. Direct competitor on sustainability and design credentials.
• Metalco: Italian designer/manufacturer of urban street furniture (now part of Waterfront group) with a strong design-pedigree position in European public-realm projects — a primary competitor for design-led UK specifications.
• Santa & Cole: Spanish designer/manufacturer of urban and public-space furniture with a strong design pedigree. Competes for premium design-led landscape-architecture specifications in the UK and Europe.
• mmcité: Czech designer/manufacturer of premium urban street furniture (seating, planters, shelters, bike infrastructure) frequently specified by UK landscape architects on design-led public realm projects — directly competes at the premium end.
• Bailey Street Furniture Group: UK street-furniture manufacturer with a broadly comparable product range (seating, bollards, cycle parking, planters, litter bins) and a similar specification-led sales motion targeting local authorities, contractors, and landscape architects.

Broad incumbents

• Kompan: Danish global outdoor-equipment manufacturer with a broader playground/outdoor-recreation portfolio. Adjacent to street furniture on public-realm tenders, especially in education, leisure and council framework deals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/furnitubes
• Facebookfacebook.com/Furnitubes
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/furnitubes-international-limited
• Instagraminstagram.com/furnitubes

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Furnitubes International