CR Clarke & Co

What CR Clarke & Co does

C R Clarke & Co is a privately-held UK designer and manufacturer of thermoforming and plastic fabrication equipment, founded in 1974 by Chris Clarke and based at a single integrated facility in Ammanford, South Wales. The company operates with approximately 25 employees, many of whom have worked there for over 20 years, and retains full vertical integration from design through to finished goods: SolidWorks 3D CAD with Radan sheet-metal and CAMWorks CNC add-ins, Amada CNC punchpress and pressbrake, CNC machining centres and lathes, in-house PLC programming (developed since 2003), assembly, and direct delivery via its own vehicle fleet. The product portfolio spans strip heaters, vacuum formers, diamond and flame edge polishers, the Schred plastic recycling system, an injection moulding machine, the multi-process 911 Thermoforming Centre, hot wire sculptors, ovens, dip coating fluidised baths, 3D dye transfer units, dome blowing units, and the Celtic Star large-format laser cutting range.

The company serves two principal customer segments: UK secondary school Design & Technology departments, where plastics have been part of the National Curriculum for many years, and industrial plastic fabricators operating across automotive, aerospace, motor sport, consumer IT accessories and medical end-markets. Revenue is generated predominantly through hardware sales of new equipment, supplemented by used equipment resales; no software, subscription, or service-revenue lines are disclosed. Distribution is channelled through a curated global network of independent distributors in over 35 countries/regions, with back-to-back specialist support from C R Clarke, while customers in markets without a distributor transact directly with the company. Exports account for around 20% of total output, and the company has installed more than 500 3D dye transfer systems worldwide.

Ownership remains within the Clarke family following a 2004 management buyout by Maurice Clarke from his retiring father. The business carries no external venture, private equity, or strategic investors, and operates without disclosed patents, regulatory actions, M&A activity, or third-party certifications in the available data. Marketing is conducted primarily through the company website and direct contact, with no active social media presence evidenced in the source material.

Name

CR Clarke & Co

Legal name

C R Clarke & Co (UK) Limited

Website

https://crclarke.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

C R Clarke & Co designs and manufactures thermoforming and plastic fabrication equipment at its Ammanford, South Wales facility. The family-owned company serves UK secondary school Design & Technology departments and industrial customers across automotive, aerospace, medical, motor sport and consumer IT sectors in over 35 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Thermoforming Equipment

NAICS

Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing (333310)

SIC

Sheet Metal Work (3444)

akta.pro primary industry

Blister, Skin & Thermoform Packaging Machines (IMAHAOAI)

Keywords

• Thermoforming equipment
• Plastic fabrication machinery
• Vacuum forming machines
• Strip heaters
• Plastic recycling systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Ammanford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Equipment Sales: Sale of thermoforming and plastic fabrication equipment including strip heaters, vacuum formers, edge polishers, recycling systems, dome blowing units, ovens, dip coating equipment, laser cutting systems, 3D dye transfer units, injection moulding machines, hot wire sculptors, and accessories. Both new and used equipment is sold.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

C R Clarke & Co designs and manufactures thermoforming and plastic fabrication equipment for industrial and educational customers worldwide. The product range includes strip heaters, vacuum formers, edge polishers, plastic recycling systems, injection moulding machines, the 911 Thermoforming Centre (seven processes in one), dome blowing units, ovens, dip coating equipment, 3D dye transfer printing systems, hot wire sculptors and laser cutting systems. All equipment is designed and manufactured in-house at the South Wales facility, with full application and technical support provided worldwide via a distributor network.

Product overview

C R Clarke & Co is a designer and manufacturer of thermoforming and plastic fabrication equipment, operating for over 40 years from South Wales, UK. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of hardware equipment rather than a unified software platform. The product range includes Strip Heaters for bending plastics (with models from basic 500/920 units to advanced Elite Digital with touchscreen control), Vacuum Forming Machines (benchtop to large freestanding models with multi-zone heater systems), Edge Polishers (both diamond and flame polishing solutions), the Schred Plastic Recycling System (granulators and sheet presses for recycling PMMA, PP, HIPS, LDPE, ABS), Injection Moulding Machines, the unique 911 Thermoforming Centre that combines seven processes in one unit, Hot Wire Sculptors for polystyrene foam cutting, Ovens for conditioning and heating, Dip Coating Equipment (fluidised baths and blowers), 3D Vacuum Dye Transfer Printing systems for full-colour imaging, Dome Blowing Units for creating optical-quality domes, and Laser Cutting Systems under the Celtic Star brand. All equipment is designed and manufactured in-house at their South Wales facility, serving both educational and industrial customers worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strip Heaters Range of strip heaters for bending plastics, covering simple folds in thin materials to multiple bends in materials up to 25mm thick. Includes models 500/920, 600/1000/1500S, 600/1000/1500D, F600/1000/1500/2000S, F600/1000/1500/2000D, Wide Band Heaters, the Elite Range, and the Elite Digital with touchscreen control. Used in schools and industrial fabrication.
• Vacuum Formers Vacuum forming equipment for education, industrial fabrication, medical and automotive applications. Models include 1210, 725FLB, 750FLB, 1820, 242, 248, and the Profile Cutter 145.
• Edge Polishers (Diamond and Flame) Edge polishing machines that regenerate the edges of plastic sheets after cutting to a high gloss finish. Includes Diamond Edge Polisher 1550, Diamond Edge Polisher 1525, Flame Polisher FP01, and Flame Polisher FP02.
• Schred Plastic Recycling System Plastic recycling system that granulates suitable materials (PMMA, PP, HIPS, LDPE, ABS) and re-presses them with heat and pressure to create new sheet materials or completed items. Includes R25 Granulator, R30 Sheet Press, and R60 Sheet Press.
• Injection Moulding Machine (Model 25) Produces high-quality mouldings from aluminium or steel tools. All working parts are visible, making this machine ideal in educational environments.
• 911 Thermoforming Centre Combined machine incorporating seven thermoforming processes in a single unit: vacuum forming, dome blowing, dip coating, plastic welding, injection moulding, and extrusion. Mounted on lockable castors for easy workshop movement.
• Hot Wire Sculptors Hot wire sculptors for accurate and clean cuts on expanded polystyrene foams. Includes the 280 Hot Wire Sculptor and the 180 Hot Wire Sculptor/Strip Heater combination unit.
• Ovens Temperature-controlled fan-circulated ovens for warming materials for drying, annealing, and thermoforming. Can reach higher temperatures required for plastic dip coating. Includes 200FD and 400FD models.
• Dip Coating Equipment Fluidised baths and Variable Speed Blower Unit for dip coating metal items to create durable and attractive finishes. Includes 120 Blower Unit, 300 Fluidised Bath, and 150R Fluidised Bath.
• 3D Vacuum Dye Transfer Printing Systems 3D dye transfer systems for full-colour wrapped imaging of contoured items. Includes EP1, EP8, and EP30 Dye Transfer Units. The company has over 12 years of experience with over 500 systems installed worldwide.
• Dome Blowing Units Units for production of circular or shaped plastic domes using aluminium or steel rings with heavy-duty toggle clamps. Lack of mould ensures optically clear and blemish-free hemispheres. Includes 320, 650, and 650A models.
• Laser Cutting Systems (Celtic Star) Large-format laser cutting systems with glass tube lasers. Includes enclosed laser systems with bed sizes from 400x300mm to 1400x900mm, and flatbed systems up to 2000x1500mm with laser power options up to 150W.
• Used Equipment Resale of used C R Clarke equipment alongside new equipment, supporting customers seeking lower-cost entry into thermoforming and plastic fabrication.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 500 3D dye transfer systems installed worldwide
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• AYVA Educational SolutionscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAYVA Educational Solutions serves as a distributor for C R Clarke & Co products in Canada and the USA. They supply both educational and industrial equipment, serving the educational and industrial market segments in North America.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Kiefel GmbH: Kiefel is a leading global manufacturer of thermoforming machinery and tools for packaging, automotive, and medical applications. Comparable because it serves the same broad thermoforming equipment category but at industrial scale CR Clarke does not address.
• CMS Industries: CMS Industries produces industrial machinery for plastics processing, thermoforming, and CNC machining. Comparable as a broader machinery incumbent serving overlapping plastic-fabrication customers.
• ILLIG Maschinenbau: ILLIG is a large German manufacturer of thermoforming and packaging machinery (vacuum formers, blister lines, tooling). Comparable as a much larger incumbent in the same thermoforming equipment category CR Clarke serves.
• Geiss AG: Geiss manufactures thermoforming machines and CNC trimming systems widely used in industrial plastics processing. Comparable for the same thermoforming equipment category with a similar customer base in industrial plastic fabrication.
• Frimo Group: Frimo supplies complete thermoforming production lines, tooling, and automation for plastics processing. Comparable as a larger incumbent in thermoforming equipment serving automotive and industrial customers similar to CR Clarke's industrial segments.

Direct peers

• Epilog Laser: Epilog Laser designs and manufactures CO2 and fiber laser engraving/cutting systems heavily marketed to schools, makerspaces, and small businesses. Comparable because CR Clarke's Celtic Star laser cutters compete with Epilog in the same education and small-industry laser cutting segment.
• Trotec Laser: Trotec manufactures CO2 and fiber laser cutting and engraving systems for education, signage, and industrial users. Comparable because CR Clarke's Celtic Star laser cutting systems directly compete with Trotec's education and small-business product lines.
• Formech International: Formech is a UK-based designer and manufacturer of vacuum forming machines sold to educational and industrial customers worldwide. Directly comparable because it competes head-to-head with CR Clarke's vacuum formers across the same UK D&T curriculum and industrial plastic-fabrication use cases.
• Maestri Srl: Maestri is an Italian manufacturer of strip heaters, benders, and edge polishers for plastic fabrication. Comparable because CR Clarke's strip heater and edge polisher lines overlap directly with Maestri's product portfolio.

Emerging players

• Tech Developments (TDD) / COMEC Italia: COMEC Italia manufactures plastic fabrication and processing machinery (vacuum formers, recyclers, granulators) used in education and light industrial markets. Comparable as a niche player in the same plastic-fabrication equipment category CR Clarke serves.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
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Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 CR Clarke & Co