To gain a full appreciation of safety and MRO reseller Caswells Group, it’s essential to trace its journey back to its foundation over five decades ago. Established in 1972 by Derek Caswell in Billingham, Teesside, the reseller’s roots are firmly planted in the North East – a region once synonymous with heavy industries such as steelworks, shipbuilding and coal mining.
Caswells was founded on a straightforward mission: to provide everything for a ‘worker in a cabin’. This ranged from overalls, boots and a hard hat to a kettle, two-ring hob, pens and a mug. Over the years, this modest concept has blossomed into a diverse portfolio and extensive offering that now encompasses PPE, workwear, safety equipment, tooling, workplace supplies, and more.
While the reseller has experienced steady growth throughout its history, the pandemic proved to be a turning point for the business. “COVID was a game-changer for us,” acknowledges Commercial Director Paul Murphy. “We entered the pandemic in a strong position and a turnover of £14.5 million. Although industrial supplies tailed off, healthcare demand soared, enabling us to maintain the status quo.”
Unlike competitors that capitalised on the crisis, Caswells took a principled approach. Amid widespread price hikes, it remained committed to fairness, ensuring customers had access to essential PPE and sanitising products. “We could have easily quadrupled prices and made a fortune, but we didn’t,” Murphy reflects. “Instead, we prioritised our longstanding clients, spreading resources fairly.”
This ethical stance not only cemented existing relationships but also attracted new customers. In 2021, revenue rose to £17.5 million as businesses discovered the company’s range beyond sanitising products. Today, sales sit shy of £29 million, with expectations to reach £33 million this year.
Buying into the future
Caswells’ ambitions didn’t end after weathering the pandemic. In 2024, the company took a bold step by acquiring Jarreds Office Supplies, a traditional OP dealer also based in Billingham. This acquisition was a natural progression after years of collaboration.
Murphy explains: “We’d dabbled in stationery and business products before, but it was more of a side note. If a customer needed something, we’d often fulfil the order through Jarreds, so acquiring the firm gave us the chance to expand our portfolio. All our clients need workplace supplies – and now they’re buying them from us.”
The integration of the two companies has been carefully managed. “We started by gradually combining stock and initially kept operations separate, housing the Jarreds team in a different building,” Murphy shares. Over time, the teams were brought together in the main sales office, creating opportunities for mutual learning. “They introduced us to workplace supplies and we shared our know-how in PPE and industrial tools. It’s been a symbiotic relationship.”
This measured undertaking extended to customers, many of whom had been loyal to Jarreds for decades. Notes Murphy: “We couldn’t just say, ‘Right, everything changes now.’ We’ve taken a step-by-step approach to ensure continuity and build trust.”
The acquisition opened new doors for Caswells, particularly in the healthcare and education sectors. “Historically, we weren’t big in those areas,” Murphy states. “But Jarreds’ expertise has enabled us to explore new possibilities.”
As a result, Caswells now benefits from an extended number of wholesalers and buying/dealer groups. Already a member of Jangro for cleaning and jan/san supplies, the reseller became part of Advantia through Jarreds. “We knew VOW already as in the past, we’d used it for items where we couldn’t compete with giants like Makro,” Murphy explains, adding that most products are still sourced directly from manufacturers due to its high-volume spend.
Caswells current warehouse spans 140,000 sq ft and holds £4.5 million in stock, while deliveries are handled through in-house logistics and external couriers, including local long-haul pallet firms and DPD. “If the supply chain gets a little sketchy, then with workwear, for example, we’ll turn to wholesalers such as PenCarrie, RalaWise and BTC to fulfil orders.”
Aiming to build on last year’s momentum, Caswells has started 2025 with a bang, further broadening its skills base and expanding its geographic spread with the acquisition of Macclesfield-based Cutler Cleaning – a jan/san and PPE specialist with a good foothold in healthcare and education. “It’s a natural fit,” says Murphy.
For now, Cutler will operate as a standalone entity under the Caswells Group umbrella. “The Cutler team has decades of experience and a strong bond with the name, so we want to preserve that loyalty while moving forward together,” he adds. Both companies use different ERP systems, so work is currently underway to ensure full integration by September.
Although Cutler will continue to operate under its own brand for the foreseeable future, it marks a significant milestone for its new parent company. While Caswells already serves the UK and Ireland from its large facility in the North East, the aim is to establish multiple locations across the country – with Cutler representing the first step in this long-term strategy.
Servicing every need
Customer relationships are the cornerstone of Caswells’ success. From long-standing industrial clients to newer partnerships in workplace supplies, the firm prides itself on delivering personalised service. “We’ve always been about doing right by our customers,” Murphy emphasises. “It’s why they trust us.”
This confidence is reflected in enduring associations. “Geoffrey Robinson, for example, has been with us since the beginning,” he notes, “and we’ve grown alongside them. Similarly, we supply Nestlé with millions of pounds worth of PPE and workwear across its UK sites.”
Caswells’ product range is comprehensive, with workwear and PPE leading the way, followed by jan/san supplies, tooling and consumables as well as numerous other categories. A standout feature is its in-house services such as custom hose manufacturing for industries like food and beverage and aviation, overseeing every stage from production to compliance.
“We also have a branding centre where we handle everything from embroidery and signage to heat sealing and pad printing for safety helmets,” Murphy highlights. “Unlike our larger national competitors that outsource pad printing, we do it in-house for major PPE suppliers.”
Despite a tradition of account management, Caswells recognises the increasing importance of e-commerce, offering bespoke online portals with customised pricing, ordering systems and product selections. “We go out and speak to our customers to understand what they need, and then we create a portal to suit them. For aspects such as workwear branding, the portals make it much easier as clients can put through requests online. In addition, customers can use our standard e-commerce site and/or PunchOut too,” says Murphy.
Online sales stand at £6 million and while this does not represent the vast majority of transactions yet, they continue to grow exponentially. Murphy is encouraged by the shift: “It takes the pressure off the internal sales team by removing the order bashing so they can be more proactive with their customer accounts,” he states.
He is also pleased with Caswells’ direction on the sustainability front, although like many companies, it faces challenges in dealing with the complexities of balancing progress with environmental impact. “We sell clothing made from recycled materials, but the energy consumption involved in recycling can be higher than virgin materials,” Murphy acknowledges. Nevertheless, he remains optimistic about the potential for change: “For every good, there’s a negative somewhere down the line, but we have to focus on the positive,” he says.
“I have discussed recycled workwear extensively with Northumberland Water and it is currently impossible for the water authority to capture all microplastics. So, we must do as much as we can. Regatta workwear, for instance, incorporates ocean plastic, so while some microplastics will still end up back in the water, big chunks of plastic are being removed; it’s also better than taking plastic bottles from a manufacturing factory.”
In addition, partnering with Planet Mark reflects the company’s determination to reduce its carbon footprint over the next ten years.
Looking ahead
Already among the top three resellers for PPE and workwear in the North East, the regeneration of the Tees Valley promises further opportunities. Advancements in manufacturing, engineering, energy and bioscience sectors in the region align perfectly with the company’s product and service offerings. Now, with national expansion firmly in its sights, Caswells Group is poised for continued growth.
