What Pluscrates does

Pluscrates is a UK-based plastic crate hire and rental business operating as a trading brand under The Hill Company since its 2023 acquisition following the 2022 administration of Pluscrates Ltd. The company supplies plastic moving crates, manual handling equipment and packaging consumables to domestic movers, commercial relocation companies, the education sector, and retail/logistics customers across the UK, with high-profile engagements including BBC, ITV, the Houses of Parliament, Windsor Castle and the Royal Chelsea Flower Show.

The core product set comprises six crate types — the LC1 (25L locker crate), LC2 (64L stair crate), LC3 (80L industry-standard removal crate), LMC (130L metre-long crate for libraries and filing systems), IT3 (140L) and IT6 (165L) specialist IT crates — plus handling equipment (Secure Roll Cage, Sack Barrow, Non-slip Skate), packaging accessories (screen protectors, bubble wrap, labels, security seals), and pre-priced bundles. Crates are manufactured exclusively by Advanced Crates and feature interlocking lids, stackable/nestable geometry, built-in label holders, and RFID tag slots for inventory tracking. A Secure Shredding Service (BS EN15713 compliant) is delivered in partnership with The Shredding Company.

Revenue is generated primarily through weekly subscription rentals billed on a per-crate/per-equipment basis, with individual unit weekly prices ranging from £0.43 to £38 ex VAT and a one-week minimum hire. Secondary revenue comes from outright crate sales (including recycled-material crates), accessory sales (labels, seals, bubble wrap), and recurring commercial document destruction contracts via shredding. Distribution is omnichannel: e-commerce at pluscrates.com for SMB and domestic customers, phone and email for mid-market orders, dedicated trade account managers and an extranet portal for commercial removal companies, and free collection from five national service centres (London, Bristol, Manchester, Birmingham, Livingston). Next-day nationwide delivery as standard and a 100% ULEZ-compliant in-house fleet underpin the operating model.

Name

Pluscrates

Legal name

The Hill Company Limited

Website

https://pluscrates.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Pluscrates is a UK-based plastic crate hire and rental business supplying moving crates, handling equipment and packaging supplies to domestic movers, commercial relocation companies, education institutions and retail/logistics customers via five national depots and a weekly subscription rental model under The Hill Company.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Reusable Plastic Crate Rental

NAICS

Packing and Crating (488991), Support Activities for Transportation (488), Material Handling Equipment Manufacturing (33392)

SIC

Industrial Trucks, Tractors, Trailors & Stackers (3537)

akta.pro primary industry

Pallets, Bins, Totes & Returnable Transport Packaging (RTP) (IMAHABAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Material Handling Protective Accessories (Slip Sheets, Corner Boards, Pallet Collars) (IMALAFAN), Packaging, Repackaging & Co-Packing Services (TLAIAAAG)

Keywords

• Plastic crate rental
• Moving crate hire
• Manual handling equipment
• Returnable transit packaging
• Packaging supplies

Headquarters

HQ city

Wembley

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Crate Rental: Weekly rental of plastic moving crates, handling equipment, and accessories. Minimum hire period is one week with charges calculated from delivery date. Customers can rent crates for short-term or long-term periods.
2. Crate Sales: Sale of new and used plastic crates, including crates manufactured from recycled materials in black color.
3. Packaging Materials: Sale of bubble wrap, screen protectors, labels, security seals, and other packing accessories.
4. Secure Shredding Service: Provision of secure shredding bins and confidential document destruction services through The Shredding Company partnership, including certificate of destruction.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Pluscrates is a manufacturer and supplier of plastic moving crates, manual handling equipment, and packaging supplies, operating primarily as a rental/hire business for reusable transit packaging. The company rents and sells a range of lidded plastic crates (from 25L LC1 to 165L IT6), sack barrows, roll cages, screen protectors, bubble wrap and security seals to domestic movers, commercial relocation firms, schools, universities and retail/distribution customers across the UK.

Product overview

Pluscrates is a crate rental company offering a portfolio of plastic moving crates, manual handling equipment, and packaging supplies. The core product line consists of six distinct crate types: the LC1 (25L personal/locker crate), LC2 (64L stair crate for home moves), LC3 (80L standard removal crate, the industry standard), LMC (130L metre-long crate for library/filing moves), IT3 (140L computer crate for flat-screen PCs), and IT6 (165L computer/server crate). These are complemented by manual handling equipment including the Secure Roll Cage, Sack Barrow, and Non-slip Skate, plus packaging accessories such as screen protectors (SPR, XLSPR), bubble wrap, labels, and security seals. Bundle deals combine crates with accessories at discounted weekly rates. The company also offers a Secure Shredding Service through a partnership and Seasonal Tote Rental for retail logistics. Trade account services provide commercial customers with preferential rates and dedicated account management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• LC1 25L Lidded Moving Crate Smallest 25L reusable plastic moving crate with a lockable lid, designed for domestic household moves and small storage jobs; typically hired rather than sold.
• LC2 64L Lidded Moving Crate 64L reusable plastic moving crate with a lockable lid, used for kitchen and household items during home or office moves.
• LC3 80L Standard Lidded Removal Crate 80L standard-sized reusable plastic removal crate with a lockable lid, used as the primary crate for household and commercial moves.
• LMC 130L Metre-Long Lidded Moving Crate Extra-large 130L metre-long reusable plastic moving crate with a lockable lid, designed for bulky items such as bedding, soft furnishings, and large household goods.
• IT3 140L IT Computer Moving Crate 140L reusable plastic moving crate with anti-static protection, designed for transporting IT equipment, computers, and sensitive electronics during office moves.
• IT6 165L IT Computer Moving Crate 165L anti-static reusable plastic moving crate for IT equipment, servers, and sensitive electronics, used by commercial relocation customers.
• SRC Secure Roll Cage Secure roll cage designed for retail, distribution, and commercial logistics use, providing a tamper-evident, returnable alternative to wooden pallets and single-use packaging.
• SBR Sack Barrow Heavy-duty sack barrow for moving stacks of crates and bulky household or commercial items during moves.
• NSK Non-Slip Skate/Dolly Non-slip moving skate/dolly allowing heavy crates and equipment to be slid across floors without manual lifting, reducing handling risk in domestic and commercial moves.
• SPR Screen Protectors Protective screen protectors designed to shield televisions, monitors, and glass surfaces during home or office moves.
• XLSPR XL Screen Protector Extra-large screen protector for oversized TVs, monitors, and large glass surfaces during moves.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 50% cost savings compared to cardboard boxes over time
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and supporting.

• The Hill CompanycoreOthers · 1 January 2023The Hill Company acquired the Pluscrates brand in 2023 following the administration of Pluscrates Ltd. The Hill Company already operated a crate hire division (cratehirecompany.co.uk) and continues Pluscrates as a semi-independent brand, bringing back some of the original team. This acquisition enables Pluscrates to continue providing industry-leading crate hire solutions with expanded resources and capabilities including data storage and shredding services.
• Advanced CratescoreTechnology or IntegrationPluscrates exclusively sources their crates from Advanced Crates (advancedcrates.com). This special relationship ensures all moving crates and plastic containers are built with care and quality. Pluscrates can also offer new crates for sale through this partnership, manufactured from recycled materials.
• BAR (British Association of Removers)strategicGTM or Marketing PartnerPluscrates is an Affiliate Member of BAR and actively participates in BAR events. They are sponsors of the prestigious Commercial Mover of the Year Award (CMotY). Pluscrates supplies BAR member companies with crate hire services on a national basis.
• The Shredding CompanysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFollowing The Hill Company's acquisition of Pluscrates, the company now offers first-class shredding services through The Shredding Company, an industry-leading secure shredding provider adhering to BS EN15713 standards. This partnership provides confidential document destruction with certificates of destruction for offices.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Kennedys Crates: UK-based plastic moving crate rental company serving domestic and commercial customers, with comparable weekly rental pricing, depot-based distribution and a focus on home/office moves. Direct overlap in product, customer, and business model.
• Box and Crate: UK plastic crate rental service offering reusable moving crates for residential and commercial relocations with depot-based fulfilment. Directly comparable offering, customer type and geography.
• Rentacrate (UK): UK-based reusable plastic crate rental service providing moving crates to domestic and commercial customers with doorstep delivery. Directly comparable product, customer base, and UK geographic scope.
• Crate Hire Company: The Hill Company's existing in-house crate hire division, explicitly described as operating alongside Pluscrates post-acquisition. It offers essentially the same plastic moving crate rental service in the UK market, making it the closest direct competitor — and effectively a sister brand.
• Easycrate: UK plastic crate hire specialist with online ordering and nationwide delivery, focused on home moves and office relocations. Comparable subscription-style rental offering and customer base to Pluscrates.

Others

• Advanced Crates: Manufacturer that exclusively supplies Pluscrates' plastic crates, including recycled-material variants. As Pluscrates' sole upstream supplier, Advanced Crates is a critical ecosystem partner and the most adjacent company by product, even though it does not directly compete in the rental market.
• The Shredding Company: UK secure document shredding partner under The Hill Company group, which Pluscrates cross-sells confidential shredding services through. Adjacent offering that bundles with Pluscrates' office-relocation customers and shares parent-company infrastructure.

Regional players

• FrogBox: North American reusable moving crate rental company with a similar eco-friendly reusable-transit-packaging model and weekly subscription pricing. Comparable business model, but operates in Canada/US rather than competing directly with Pluscrates in the UK.

Broad incumbents

• Pickfords: One of the UK's largest and longest-established commercial and residential removal companies. While not a crate rental specialist, Pickfords is a major buyer of crate hire services for its own moves, making it both a potential trade-account customer and a broader competitor for end-to-end relocation contracts.
• Crown Worldwide: Global commercial relocation and logistics group with UK operations. Comparable enterprise customer base (corporate/office relocations) and a partial overlap with Pluscrates' commercial relocation segment, though it is a broader incumbent rather than a crate hire specialist.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pluscrates-ltd
• Xx.com/pluscrates
• Facebookfacebook.com/PluscratesLtd

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 Pluscrates