Centaur
Centaur Manufacturing, founded 1974 in Redditch, UK, designs and manufactures PVCu and aluminium cable management products — trunking, conduit, power poles and bench units — sold to healthcare, education, commercial, government and security sectors through 400-plus UK distributors and CEF stores.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1974
- HeadquartersRedditch, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Centaur does
Centaur Manufacturing is a Redditch, UK-based manufacturer of PVCu and aluminium cable management solutions, founded in 1974 and operating as part of the CEF Limited group following a May 2024 restructure. Its product portfolio spans branded lines — Meridian (3-compartment dado trunking), President (multi-compartment dado and skirting), Campus (cost-effective PVCu or aluminium), and Kensington (architrave and skirting) — alongside commodity PVCu conduit, boxes, power poles and posts, bench trunking, and a special fabrication service producing bespoke bends, clear trunking for security-sensitive sites, custom RAL colours, and pre-wired assemblies. The catalog exceeds 900 products. Underlying capabilities include in-house compounding of PVCu resin, a ~5000 m2 Redditch manufacturing facility running 24-hour continuous processing, and a BioMaster silver-ion antimicrobial additive independently tested to ISO 22196:2011 with 99.9% reduction against E coli and Staphylococcus aureus.
Revenue is generated through B2B hardware sales of physical cable management products. Distribution is channel-led: over 400 UK distributors plus CEF's nearly 400 stores stock Centaur products, with established overseas partners for international reach, and a next-day UK delivery service enabled by substantial stocks held at the Redditch site. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; quotes are issued by project specification and volume. End-customer segments are healthcare (hospitals, care homes, NHS Covid field hospitals), education (schools, colleges, universities), commercial (offices, hotels, public buildings), government/local authority, and security/justice (police, MoD, criminal justice centres). Direct specification engagement supplements the distributor model on major projects. Sister company Tamlex operates alongside Centaur within the CEF Limited Installation Materials Division, and a combined catalogue was launched in June 2026 to formalise the joint offering.
The company provides no public revenue disclosure. Certifications include BS 4678 Part 4, BS 4607 Part 5, BS EN 61386-21, BS 7671 compliance pathways, ISO 22196:2011 for antimicrobial products, and an EcoVadis Silver Medal (top 15% globally) achieved in 2024. Recent product activity (Aluminium Power Pole, Aluminium Pendant, RAL 7001 finish, combined catalogue) signals continued investment in aluminium extensions, healthcare/education verticals, and cross-brand packaging within the CEF Limited group.
Centaur firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Centaur
- Legal name
- Centaur Manufacturing
- Website
- https://centaurmfg.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1974
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Centaur Manufacturing, founded 1974 in Redditch, UK, designs and manufactures PVCu and aluminium cable management products — trunking, conduit, power poles and bench units — sold to healthcare, education, commercial, government and security sectors through 400-plus UK distributors and CEF stores.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Centaur industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Electrical Cable Management
- NAICS
- Wiring Device Manufacturing (33593), Noncurrent-Carrying Wiring Device Manufacturing (335932), Electrical Equipment Manufacturing (33531)
- SIC
- Wholesale-Electrical Apparatus & Equipment, Wiring Supplies (5063), Electric Lighting & Wiring Equipment (3640)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Electrical Conduit & Raceway Systems (PVC/HDPE) (IMANADAC)
Keywords
Where Centaur is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Redditch
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Centaur business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- PVCu Cable Management Products: Manufacturing and selling PVCu cable management solutions including trunking, conduits, boxes, power poles and posts. Products sold through distributor network across UK and overseas markets.
- Bespoke Fabrication Services: Custom fabrication services for special bends, awkward fittings, and bespoke assemblies. Includes cut-to-length, populated with outlet boxes to specification, and pre-wired with accessories.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Centaur product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Centaur manufactures PVCu (PVC unplasticised) cable management solutions for fixed electrical installations, including trunking, conduit, power poles, posts, pendants and accessory boxes. Products are produced at the company's Redditch, Worcestershire facility and sold through CEF stores, over 400 UK distributors and overseas partners to electrical contractors and the construction trade.
Product overview
Centaur is a UK manufacturer of PVCu and aluminium cable management solutions established in 1974. The product portfolio is organized around multiple branded sub-product lines (Meridian, President, Campus, Kensington) and product categories including Mini & Maxi Trunking, Conduit & Channels, Bench Trunking, Power Poles & Posts, and Boxes. Core offerings include dado trunking, skirting trunking, architrave trunking, and bench units with various compartment configurations (1-4 compartments). The company also provides aluminium alternatives for environments requiring additional strength, antimicrobial-protected products for healthcare settings, and special fabrication/bespoke services including clear trunking for security applications. Pre-fabricated products such as conduit assemblies, electric meter box hockey sticks, and pre-wired bench units complement the standard catalogue of over 900 products across trunking, conduit, and box categories.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Meridian: 3 compartment dado trunking range with clip-on curved profiles and flexible internal and external angles. 173mm x 60mm overall profile, Cat 6 & 7 compliant.
- President
- Campus
- Kensington
Products and services
- PVCu Trunking Rigid PVCu trunking channels used to route and protect electrical cables along walls and surfaces in commercial, residential and industrial installations; supplied to electrical contractors and wholesalers.
- PVCu Conduit Rigid PVCu conduit tubing used to enclose and protect electrical wiring runs within walls, floors and ceilings; supplied to electrical installers and wholesale buyers.
- Power Poles and Posts Vertical PVCu power pole and post assemblies used to distribute power and data services from floor to ceiling in open-plan offices, schools, healthcare and commercial fit-out environments.
- Pendants PVCe pendant units used to suspend or support cable management and accessory components within ceiling and overhead installation spaces.
- Accessory Boxes PVCu accessory boxes used to house connections, junctions and accessory terminations within trunking and conduit systems for electrical installations.
Quantifiable outcome
- 99.9% reduction in E coli and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria (independently tested to ISO 22196:2011)
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Centaur
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Centaur technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Centaur partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- TamlexcoreTamlex and Centaur are part of the same British manufacturing group of electrical products. Tamlex specializes in wiring accessories, switchgear, and cable basket tray while Centaur focuses on PVCu cable management. They share the Installation Materials Division and combine proven cable management expertise with pre-fabricated solutions service. Both companies supported NHS Covid-19 field hospital projects.
- CEF (Consumer Electrical Federation)coreCEF is a major distributor with nearly 400 stores nationwide that stock products from Centaur. Customers can find Centaur products for their everyday requirements same day in CEF stores as well as ordering online.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Centaur competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Legrand: Global electrical and digital building infrastructure group with cable management, wiring devices, and trunking solutions. Comparable as a large incumbent offering cable management as part of a broad product portfolio including its own PVCu and metal trunking lines.
- ABB: Global electrification and automation group with cable management solutions including trunking, conduit, and cable tray systems under its installation products business. Comparable as a broad incumbent serving commercial and industrial construction.
- Schneider Electric: Global electrical equipment group with a broad cable management portfolio (Thorsman, Wandsworth, Unica) covering trunking, conduit, and wiring accessories. Comparable as a broader incumbent offering cable management alongside much wider electrical product lines.
- Panduit: Global manufacturer of network and electrical infrastructure including cable management, routing systems, and surface raceway. Comparable as a broader incumbent offering cable management solutions for commercial and data-centric applications.
Emerging players
- D-Line: UK-based specialist in cable management solutions including decorative trunking, cable tidies, and floor cable covers. Comparable as a smaller specialist targeting commercial and residential cable management with overlapping distribution channels.
Direct peers
- HellermannTyton: Global manufacturer of cable management, identification, and connectivity solutions including trunking, conduit, and fastening products. Directly comparable as a cable management product manufacturer serving commercial and industrial construction markets.
- Tamlex: Sister company within the CEF Limited group, specialising in steel cable basket tray, wiring accessories, and switchgear. Comparable as a UK electrical installation materials manufacturer sharing the same group and channel ecosystem as Centaur.
- OBO Bettermann: European manufacturer of cable management systems including trunking, conduit, and cable tray for commercial and industrial installations. Directly comparable cable management product portfolio marketed to specification engineers and electrical contractors.
- Marshall-Tufflex: UK manufacturer of PVCu and aluminium cable management products including trunking, conduit, and floor systems. Direct competitor to Centaur in the UK specification market for dado and skirting trunking across healthcare, education, and commercial sectors.
Others
- Eland Cables: UK-based supplier of cables and associated cable management products to the electrical wholesale market. Comparable as a UK-based channel participant selling cable infrastructure products through similar electrical wholesale and specification channels as Centaur.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Centaur social profiles
Digital presenceCentaur compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
Centaur financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Centaur leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Centaur funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Centaur 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 Centaur
What does Centaur do?
Centaur manufactures PVCu (PVC unplasticised) cable management solutions for fixed electrical installations, including trunking, conduit, power poles, posts, pendants and accessory boxes. Products are produced at the company's Redditch, Worcestershire facility and sold through CEF stores, over 400 UK distributors and overseas partners to electrical contractors and the construction trade.
Is Centaur a public or private company?
Centaur is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Centaur founded?
Centaur was founded in 1974. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Centaur based?
Centaur is headquartered in Redditch, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Centaur make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. PVCu Cable Management Products are the primary driver. The others are bespoke Fabrication Services.
Who are Centaur's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Legrand, ABB, Schneider Electric and Panduit. D-Line is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are HellermannTyton, Tamlex, OBO Bettermann and Marshall-Tufflex. Eland Cables is listed as an others.
Does Centaur have an API?
No public API is recorded for Centaur.
What industry is Centaur in?
Centaur's product category is Electrical Cable Management. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMANADAC, Electrical Conduit & Raceway Systems (PVC/HDPE). Its NAICS code is 33593 and its SIC code is 5063.