With New Balance and JCB on board, Beeswift is answering demand for comfortable, affordable PPE
For those working on construction and civil engineering sites, the right personal protective equipment (PPE) is the last line of defence. Not only is it essential for safety, but garments must be comfortable enough to wear through a long shift. That is the exact thinking behind two major moves from Beeswift, one of the UK’s leading providers of PPE, technical workwear, and safety solutions.
Established in the Black Country in 1981, Beeswift has grown from a regional PPE supplier for businesses across the West Midlands to a UK-wide provider of safety solutions, including safety footwear, protective clothing, hand protection, respiratory protection, face and eye protection, and specialist safety products for high-risk environments. Following its acquisition by the Gerber Goldschmidt Group in 1986, the business began expanding both its product portfolio and customer base, and it now operates across Europe – although its roots remain firmly in the UK. Today, its customers span construction, manufacturing, logistics, utilities, infrastructure, public sector, and industrial markets.
Brand partnerships
The company has recently secured exclusive UK distribution rights for New Balance Safety – described by CEO Darren Washbourne as a partnership it is incredibly proud of. “We’ve had conversations with several brands over the years, but New Balance stood out due to its commitment to innovation, performance, and comfort,” explains Darren. “Since our launch in summer, demand has exceeded all expectations. Forward orders, customer interest, and container commitments have been exceptionally strong, demonstrating both the strength of the New Balance brand and the appetite for something genuinely different in the safety sector.”
The range itself, as Darren explains, is built around the wearer. “At Beeswift, our purpose is simple: protecting people at work,” Darren emphasises. “The New Balance collection combines world-renowned expertise in athletic footwear with the technical requirements of modern workplace safety, offering a wide variety of styles, fitting options, and sizes. Most importantly, the range delivers exceptional comfort, lightweight construction, and advanced safety performance – today’s workers need products that protect them whilst improving comfort and reducing fatigue during the day. New Balance Safety achieves exactly that.”
Beeswift’s exclusive distribution agreement with New Balance also offers a unique proposition across both B2B and increasingly B2C channels. “It strengthens our footwear offering, enhances our market position, and helps our customers access genuinely differentiated products,” Darren states, underlining how the agreement enables the business to work closely with preferred channel partners, while ensuring brand integrity through carefully managed distribution – something he believes is particularly important when working with a premium global brand.
In addition to the New Balance collaboration, Beeswift has also launched a new JCB Workwear collection, created for today’s tradespeople and industrial workforce. “JCB is one of Britain’s most recognisable industrial brands, and together, we’ve launched a new workwear collection focused on quality, durability, functionality, and style.” Crucially, he outlines, this product range tackles a current issue faced by many customers – the rising cost of premium workwear. “We’ve worked hard to create a product that offers exceptional value without compromising on performance, and the response from both distributors and end users has been extremely encouraging.”
After releasing two major collaborations in 2026, Beeswift’s immediate priority is ensuring that both New Balance Safety and JCB Workwear continue to scale successfully next year. Beyond that, Darren tells us, sustainability remains an integral focus. “The PPE and workwear industry has significant environmental challenges that must be addressed. Last year we acquired Plan B, a business dedicated to circular workwear solutions, and through our Envirowear brand, garments are designed specifically for recycling and supported by collection and processing programmes that help customers move away from the traditional take-make-dispose model.” Envirowear has been recognised by the Circular Textile Federation and forms a central pillar of Beeswift’s long-term sustainability strategy.
“We’re also investing heavily in Beeswift Vending Solutions. Through an exclusive partnership, we now provide advanced PPE vending machines and intelligent locker systems that help customers improve product availability, control spend, and gain valuable usage data. Demand for these solutions has been exceptional across our PPE distributor marketplace, and we are seeing considerable growth,” Darren discloses.
Compliance and performance
Since moving into its long-term headquarters shortly after the Covid-19 pandemic, Beeswift has moved forward with a clear vision for growth. Looking ahead, Darren says he wants to continue this progression both within the UK and internationally. “Our European operation, Beeswift BV, is already establishing itself as a gateway into key European markets and will play a major role in our future growth strategy,” he notes. Alongside geographical expansion, the group aims to be recognised as the industry leader in sustainable PPE, circular workwear solutions, and technology-enabled safety management. “Ultimately, our ambition is to continue creating innovative solutions that help protect workers while supporting our customers’ operational and environmental objectives.” Darren concludes with sage advice for customers and other businesses in the industry. “I’d encourage anyone purchasing PPE to work with reputable suppliers and utilise the guidance available from the British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF). The BSIF plays a vital role in helping end users identify compliant products and ensuring standards across the industry are maintained. PPE is a necessity for workers in potentially hazardous environments, so product compliance and performance should never be compromised. At the end of the day, people’s safety depends on the quality and integrity of the PPE they wear, and that’s something our industry must never lose sight of.”
