FP Tools

What FP Tools does

FP Tools (operating as FP Group, formerly Fred Parkin and Sons, established 1960) is a UK-headquartered industrial consumables supplier headquartered in Birmingham. The company supplies factory consumables — abrasives, adhesives, chemicals, cutting tools, fasteners, hand tools, janitorial, PPE, oils and lubricants, packaging, storage, and welding equipment — to large-scale manufacturers, with a stated worldwide delivery footprint. Its platform is organized around three solution pillars: Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) with lineside cabinets, smart vending solutions, consignment stock for fast-moving parts, managed stock for slow-moving critical parts, and consolidated invoicing; Spot Order and Tail-End Management through a configurable web ordering portal; and System and Site Integrations, including punchout-ready ERP integrations with SAP Ariba and Medius, supported by an in-house software development team.

The business operates an enterprise field sales motion underpinned by permanent on-site site envoys, dedicated account managers, and quarterly business reviews, complemented by a self-serve web portal for ad hoc and tail-end purchases. Pricing is quote-based under multi-year managed services contracts and is not publicly disclosed. Revenue streams mix recurring managed-services income (VMI, vending, on-site inventory management) with transactional spot order revenue and hardware-led spill management and consumables sales.

The customer base skews enterprise and is anchored by a strategic relationship with GE Vernova, which has awarded FP Group a Strategic Supplier Collaboration Award. The company holds ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 certifications and is pursuing ISO 27001:2022 for 2026. No revenue, funding, M&A, or leadership change disclosures are available; headcount is stated at 51-100 employees.

Name

FP Tools

Legal name

FP Group

Website

https://fptools.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

FP Tools (trading as FP Group) is a UK-based industrial consumables supplier, founded 1960, serving large manufacturers worldwide with vendor-managed inventory, smart vending, lineside cabinets, and an SAP/Medius-integrated web ordering portal delivered via permanent on-site envoys.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Birmingham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Managed Consumables Supply: Recurring revenue from vendor-managed inventory programs supplying industrial consumables, cutting tools, fasteners, PPE and other production-critical supplies to manufacturing sites. Includes consignment stock (fast-moving parts) and managed stock (slow-moving critical parts) with consolidated invoicing.
2. Smart Vending & On-Site Inventory Solutions: Revenue from deploying and managing vending solutions, lineside cabinets, and on-site inventory management stations at customer facilities.
3. Ad Hoc Spot Orders & Tail-End Management: One-off and configurable spot order revenue through the web portal for non-contracted or tail-end consumable purchases, integrated with ERP systems.
4. Spill Management Solutions: Supply of spill management products and solutions for industrial environments.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

FP Tools supplies industrial consumables, tooling, PPE and MRO products to large manufacturers through vendor managed inventory (VMI) programs, smart vending and lineside cabinet deployments, and a configurable ERP-integrated web ordering portal. The company also provides spill management products for industrial environments and supports consignment/managed stock models with permanent on-site presence.

Product overview

FP Group offers a unified industrial consumables supply platform built around Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI), Smart Vending Solutions, and a configurable Web Ordering Portal. The VMI system includes lineside cabinets and consignment/managed stock programs, while the Web Ordering Portal integrates with SAP and Medius ERP systems. Additional offerings include spill management solutions and a comprehensive range of industrial consumables across categories such as abrasives, adhesives, fasteners, hand tools, PPE, and welding equipment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) Comprehensive consumable and tooling supply programme for large manufacturers using data-driven stock control, automated replenishment, and on-site inventory management, including lineside cabinets, smart vending, consignment stock, and managed stock with permanent site envoys and dedicated account managers.
• Web Ordering Portal Fully configurable and ERP-integrated web portal for spot orders, ad hoc enquiries, and tail-end management, with custom branding, individual user accounts, up to 4-layer approval workflows, HSE product approval tracking, and Proof of Delivery tracking.
• Smart Vending Solutions Automated vending hardware solutions for industrial consumables deployed at customer facilities, tracking usage and enabling real-time inventory control of production parts and consumables.
• Spill Management Solutions Spill containment and management products and solutions for industrial environments, supplied as part of FP Tools' industrial consumables portfolio.
• ERP-Integrated Procurement (SAP Ariba and Medius Punchout) Punchout-ready catalogue integration of FP Tools' consumables offering with SAP Ariba and Medius procurement platforms, enabling enterprise customers to procure consumables directly from within their ERP systems with unlimited reporting and dashboard visibility.

Quantifiable outcome

• Awarded GE Vernova Strategic Supplier Collaboration Award for excellence in partnership, performance, and supply chain collaboration.

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• GE VernovacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFP Group was awarded the GE Vernova Strategic Supplier Collaboration Award in recognition of excellence in partnership, performance, and supply chain collaboration. GE Vernova is a flagship customer and strategic partner in the power and energy manufacturing sector. FP Group provides comprehensive industrial consumable supply, vendor managed inventory, and vending solutions supporting GE Vernova's global manufacturing operations.
• SAP AribacoreTechnology or IntegrationFP Group's web ordering portal is SAP-integrated and punchout ready, allowing SAP Ariba customers to access FP Group's consumables catalogue directly from within their SAP Ariba procurement environment. This integration provides seamless procurement workflow for enterprise customers using SAP.
• MediuscoreTechnology or IntegrationFP Group's web ordering portal integrates with Medius punchout catalogues, enabling customers using Medius procurement platforms to access FP Group's consumables catalogue through punchout catalog functionality.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Toolstation: UK trade supplies retailer (now part of Travis Perkins) selling tools, consumables, and PPE to tradespeople and small industrial buyers; adjacent rather than direct competitor given its counter/trade focus versus FP Group's enterprise model.

Direct peers

• Würth: Global market leader in industrial consumables distribution (fasteners, tools, chemicals, PPE) with strong direct-sales and on-site presence in Europe, including the UK. Closest analogue in product breadth and operating model.
• Fastenal: US-headquartered industrial supplies distributor with a heavy focus on vending solutions, on-site inventory management, and VMI — directly comparable to FP Group's core offerings and target customer base of large manufacturers.
• RS Components: UK-headquartered distributor of industrial and electronic components, tools, and consumables to manufacturers and engineers — overlaps with FP Group's mid-market and spot-order customers.
• MSC Industrial: Large North American MRO industrial supplies distributor offering metalworking, fasteners, cutting tools, and PPE through direct sales and digital channels — overlaps FP Group's broad consumables range and B2B distribution model.
• Rubix (formerly Brammer Buck & Hickman): Leading European industrial MRO distributor (UK-strong) supplying bearings, power transmission, fluid power, and consumables to manufacturers — directly comparable in geography, customer base, and product breadth.
• Jacomb Direct: UK-based industrial supplies distributor offering vending solutions, MRO consumables, and on-site inventory management to manufacturers — very comparable operating model and size profile.
• Cromwell Tools: UK-based industrial supplies distributor with extensive catalog of cutting tools, hand tools, PPE, and MRO consumables — directly comparable in UK geography and product mix to FP Group.

Broad incumbents

• Grainger: Largest broadline MRO distributor in North America with growing UK/European presence; offers industrial supplies, vending, and digital procurement solutions competing for the same enterprise manufacturing customers.

Emerging players

• SupplyOn: European B2B procurement and supply-chain platform provider — competes on the digital/ERP-integration layer rather than physical consumables distribution, but increasingly relevant as procurement digitizes.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/FP-103780212220581
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fp-tools-limited

Compliance3 records

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 FP Tools