Cardno Ltd

What Cardno Ltd does

Cardno Ltd is a privately-held UK manufacturer and distributor of vehicle recovery, lifting, securing, towing, and winching equipment, headquartered at a single manufacturing and distribution facility in Houghton Regis, Bedfordshire. The company designs, makes, conformity-tests, certificates, and packs its own-brand products in-house — including polyester webbing straps (25mm to 75mm), Grade 8 and Grade 10 lifting chain assemblies, flat and round polyester lifting slings (1 to 20 tonnes), and galvanised wire winch cables (6mm to 10mm) — and complements this with distributed ranges from LODAR (wireless winch controls), GoJak (self-jacking wheel skates), PowerStart and NOCO (battery jump packs), Portwest (hi-vis/PPE), LED Autolamps/ECCO Safety Group and LAP Electrical (vehicle lighting), JSP (head/eye protection), and Kinco (gloves). The full catalogue spans 336 SKUs across eight categories, with 149 own-branded products.

The business operates a direct-to-consumer e-commerce model on Shopify at cardno.co.uk alongside a telephone/email trade counter, with marketing through email mailshots and a content blog. Revenue is generated almost entirely through one-time unit-based product sales and replacement-part sales to the installed base; prices range from £2 accessories to £1,311.95 for the PowerStart PS1224HD. The primary customer segment is professional vehicle recovery and breakdown operators (the AA is implied through PowerStart product use), with secondary segments in construction and salvage lifting applications and commercial vehicle load-securing. Pricing, certification, and procurement are governed by British and European standards including BS EN 12195-2/-3, BS EN 13411-1/-3, EN 818-4, BS EN 1492-1/-2, EN ISO 20471, PAS 43:2018, and LOLER, with UKCA/EC Declarations of Conformity supplied with each assembly.

Name

Cardno Ltd

Legal name

Cardno Ltd

Website

https://cardno.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1945

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Cardno Ltd is a UK-based manufacturer and distributor of vehicle recovery, lifting, towing, and winching equipment, serving professional recovery operators, construction, and salvage firms with in-house certified own-brand products and complementary distributed brands via e-commerce and trade counter.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Houghton Regis

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, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Product Sales: One-time sale of physical equipment and safety products including vehicle recovery equipment, lifting slings, winch cables, straps, and PPE. Products sold individually and in kits/sets.
2. Replacement Parts: Sale of replacement parts for Cardno manufactured products including castors, straps, wire winch cables, latch kits, providing ongoing revenue from existing customer base
3. Special Offers/Promotional Sales: Periodic promotional pricing on select products across ranges, available both online and via trade counter

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Cardno Ltd manufactures and supplies vehicle recovery equipment, lifting chains and slings, load restraint straps, towing and winching equipment, hi-vis safety clothing/PPE, and commercial vehicle lighting from its Bedfordshire facility in the UK. The company sells directly to professional recovery operators and related industries through its e-commerce storefront and trade counter, while also distributing complementary third-party brands. Products are tested, conformity-labelled or certified, and packed on-site in the United Kingdom.

Product overview

Cardno Ltd is a UK-based manufacturer (Bedfordshire) of vehicle recovery equipment, lifting, securing, towing, and winching equipment. The product portfolio consists of multiple core categories including Vehicle Recovery Equipment (jump packs, wheel skates, recovery straps), Lifting Chains & Polyester Slings (Grade 8/10 chain assemblies, flat/round slings), Straps/Load Restraints & Tie-downs (polyester webbing ratchet straps in 25mm-75mm), Towing & Moving (GoJak skates, wheel skids), Winching & Accessories (winch ropes, LODAR wireless remote controls, shackles), Hi-Vis Safety Clothing & PPE (Portwest garments, Kinco gloves), and Commercial Vehicle Lighting (LED lightbars, beacons from LED Autolamps/LAP Electrical). Cardno manufactures most of its own branded products in-house, including straps, chains, slings, and winch cables, while distributing complementary third-party brands such as LODAR (winch controls), GoJak (self-jacking skates), Portwest (safety clothing), and various lighting brands. The company also offers replacement parts, special offers, and bundled kits. Target industries include vehicle recovery, breakdown services, construction, salvage, and automotive.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Vehicle Recovery Equipment Equipment for recovering and moving incapacitated vehicles, including PowerStart and NOCO battery jump start packs, GoJak and ITI Skates wheel skates, vehicle recovery straps, road safety cones, signage, and fire hazard equipment. Designed for the professional vehicle recovery and breakdown industry.
• Lifting Chains & Polyester Slings Lifting chain slings (Grade 8 and Grade 10) and lifting polyester slings (flat and round, 1–20 tonne ratings) for lifting operations in vehicle recovery, construction, and salvage. All assemblies are fully tested and certificated with UKCA/EC Declaration of Conformity.
• Straps, Load Restraints & Tie-downs Cardno Recovery Range polyester webbing straps, ratchets, vehicle tie-down assemblies, motorcycle straps and lashing chain for securing and tying down loads on vehicles, trailers, and beds. Includes 25mm (1T), 50mm (5T) and 75mm (10T) ratchet strap systems tested and labelled per BS EN 12195-2.
• Towing & Moving Products for moving vehicles including GoJak self-jacking wheel skates, ITI Skates and Wreckmaster wheel skids, towing straps, lightboards and accessories for workshop, trailer, and truck slide-bed applications.
• Winching & Accessories Cardno-manufactured winch ropes and wire cables (6–10mm diameter, certificated to BS EN 13411-3), snatch blocks, shackles, LODAR wireless radio remote winch controls (2, 4, 6 and 10 function systems, TI MINI), hooks, fittings and winching straps.
• Hi-Vis Safety Clothing & PPE High-visibility safety workwear meeting EN ISO 20471 standards (primarily Portwest garments), Kinco gloves, JSP helmets, eye protection and ear defenders. In-house badging/lettering service available for branding hi-vis clothing.
• Commercial Vehicle Lighting LED lightbars, beacons, warning lights, marker lights, work/flood lamps, and vehicle camera kits from LED Autolamps (ECCO Safety Group), LAP Electrical and other brands. Includes recovery LED lightbars and amber R65-certified beacons.
• Replacement Parts Replacement components for Cardno manufactured products including castors for recovery wheel skates, straps, wire winch cables, latch kits, and chains. Also supplies LODAR remote control handsets, GoJak spares and other aftermarket parts.

Quantifiable outcome

• Products manufactured, tested, and packed on-site in Bedfordshire, UK

Named customers2 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

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• LODARcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCardno is a distributor for LODAR wireless remote winch control systems. LODAR products are designed and manufactured in the UK. Cardno stocks and supplies the full range of LODAR products including 2, 4, 6, and 10 function radio remote control systems, TI MINI systems, replacement transmitters, receivers, and Lo-Cator sensors.
• PortwestcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrincipal supplier of hi-vis safety workwear. Portwest is long established and offers quality products meeting EN ISO 20471 standards at reasonable prices. Cardno also offers in-house badging/lettering service for Portwest hi-vis clothing.
• LED Autolamps (ECCO Safety Group)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrincipal supplier of vehicle lighting. ECCO Safety Group supplies an extensive range of European certified commercial vehicle LED lighting and automotive safety products under the LED Autolamps brand. Cardno can supply any products from the LED Autolamps range.
• LAP ElectricalcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIndustry expert and leading UK manufacturer of LED vehicle lighting technology. Supplies LED lightbar beacons including the Hurricane TITAN series and vehicle camera kits.
• GoJakcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSupplier of self-jacking wheel skates (models 5211, 6313, 7016 SUV, 9000 HD) for moving vehicles on smooth surfaces. Cardno also supplies GoJak spare parts.
• ITI SkatesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSupplier of wheel skids (Recovery Wheel Skate Skids) from the USA for reducing friction during vehicle movement on ground or vehicle bed. Available for cars and commercial vehicles.
• WreckmasterminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSupplier of Slippery Jims wheel skids from the USA for vehicle recovery operations.
• PowerStartcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSupplier of battery jump start packs designed and built by professionals for professionals. Used by the AA and many recovery operators. Range includes PS700, PS800, PS1224, PS1224HD, and 24HD models.
• NOCOminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSupplier of lithium jump starter packs including HD 2000A and PRO 3000A models, plus Rapid Chargers.
• CobraminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSupplier of G8 and G80 chain components including back-to-back safety hooks for lifting and winching operations.
• JSP LtdminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSupplier of safety glasses, goggles, and helmets including EVO®3, EVO®VISTAlens, and EVO®VISTAshield helmets for head protection.
• KincominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSupplier of work gloves including pigskin safety gloves (1918, 909 models) and KincoPro synthetic gloves from the USA.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Warn Industries: US-based industry leader in winches, winch cables, and vehicle recovery equipment. Directly comparable as a specialist manufacturer/distributor of winching and recovery products sold to professional and consumer recovery operators.
• Rhino Products: UK-based manufacturer of van roof racks, accessories, and load-securing products. Comparable as another UK-manufactured, B2B-focused vehicle-accessory business serving commercial-vehicle operators with a similar direct-to-customer e-commerce model.
• CURT Manufacturing: US-based manufacturer of towing products, hitches, and load-securing equipment. Comparable to Cardno's towing/moving and load-restraint categories, particularly for commercial-vehicle and trailer operators.
• Pewag: Austrian manufacturer of chains, lifting chains, and load-securing products. Comparable because of direct product overlap with Cardno's G8/G10 chain assemblies and lashing chain ranges, and similar compliance-driven B2B go-to-market.
• Comeup Industries: Taiwanese winch and recovery-equipment manufacturer with global distribution. Comparable as a specialist maker of winches, winch cables, and recovery accessories competing in the same professional and consumer recovery category as Cardno's winching range.
• Factor 55: US-based specialist manufacturer of winching hardware, recovery straps, and closed-system winching accessories. Comparable as a niche, engineering-led maker of safety-critical recovery and winching equipment.
• ARB: Australian 4x4 accessories manufacturer and distributor with a significant recovery, lifting, and load-restraint product range. Comparable because it sells certified, adventure-grade recovery and load-securing equipment through its own e-commerce and dealer network.
• RUD Ketten Rieger & Dietz: German manufacturer of chains, lifting equipment, and lashing systems. Comparable to Cardno's lifting and lashing chain range, with a similar standards-driven, B2B-focused commercial proposition.

Regional players

• TJM (ARB 4x4 Accessories Australia): Australian 4x4 and recovery equipment brand (now under ARB). Comparable product range (recovery straps, winch accessories, towing gear) but primarily serves the Australian/NZ market, making it a regional rather than direct UK competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Crosby Group: Global manufacturer of rigging, lifting, and load-securing hardware (shackles, hooks, blocks, slings). Comparable because it overlaps with Cardno's lifting-chain, sling, and shackle portfolio, but at significantly larger scale and broader geographic footprint.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance10 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 Cardno Ltd