News and Updates

A challenging workplace

Self-employed Michael Oliver has been the owner of Bespoke Alloys since 2015, setting the business up himself. It's a body shop that sprays cars and alloy wheels, activities that unfortunately create a dusty working environment where extraction is not always available to be used.

Michael also uses a gun wash machine with highly concentrated paint thinner to clean equipment using harsh chemicals. The products he uses can also give off fumes even while being stored.

Time for action

Michael has had asthma since he was four and has smoked throughout his adult life, so has always had issues with his breathing. However, for the past two years, he has been struggling at work and began to need more time off sick.

He was diagnosed with the condition COPD by doctors and advised to use better protection that did not restrict his breathing. Michael was so worried about losing his business and having to shut down that he was compelled to take action.

Expert service and solutions

Michael's paint supplier advised him to seek help from Arco as experts in respiratory protection. He visited Arco's Nottingham retail store and spoke to an advisor who listened to his story and concerns. She investigated what products he was using and reviewed COSHH sheets in order to give Michael the best possible guidance.

Using the information provided and through additional investigation, a powered respirator with specific filters was advised. Equipment was reviewed in store and Michael settled on the Sundström SR500 Fan Unit with an SR570 Face Shield – a decision based on the high levels of protection and flexibility it delivered.

A life-changing result

By his own admittance, Michael had nowhere else to go had Arco not managed to help him and ease his breathing issues. He finds the respiratory equipment comfortable to wear and is now able to do tasks more easily. Michael's productivity has improved and he can sometimes be a day ahead of his planned workload.

He is also feeling healthier and more confident, and the worries about his business have eased. Now, Michael is more certain about the future and has since renewed the lease on his premises for another three years, ready to keep more customers happy.

"Arco's customer service was brilliant. The detail they went into to ensure I had the right protection went above and beyond. Now I've got a new lease on life and can look forward to working safely and confidently for years to come."

Michael Oliver

Owner, Bespoke Alloys

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Investment will accelerate innovation, deepen customer and supplier partnerships and expand Arco’s reach across the UK, Europe and North America.

Arco, the UK and Ireland's leading safety specialist, today announced that global investment firm H.I.G. Capital has acquired the business, marking the beginning of a new chapter in Arco’s 140-year history.

The transaction represents a significant investment in Arco’s future, providing the capital and strategic support to accelerate growth, expand its capabilities and further strengthen its position across the personal protective equipment (PPE), workplace safety and training markets.

Since his appointment as Chief Executive Officer in December 2022, Guy Bruce and his leadership team have delivered 38.4% EBITDA compound annual growth over four consecutive years. 

During this period, Arco has undergone a significant transformation, creating a more scalable and resilient business while reinvesting in its operations, customer proposition, product range and innovation capabilities. The transformation has been underpinned by a clear commitment to responsible growth and ESG, culminating in Arco achieving EcoVadis Platinum status – the highest available rating – recognising the company’s approach to sustainability.

Having established the platform, capabilities and infrastructure to realise its full potential, Arco now enters its next phase of growth from a position of strength. Its market-leading safety proposition, deep supplier relationships and specialist expertise provide a strong foundation for continued investment and expansion across the UK, Europe and North America.

Investing in Growth for Customers and Suppliers

The acquisition marks the beginning of a new phase of investment for Arco, with significant opportunities to broaden its market reach and further enhance the value it provides to customers and suppliers.

Arco intends to invest in expanding its proprietary and Arco-branded product ranges, while significantly broadening its portfolio of specialist safety training and services. The business will also have greater scope to pursue strategic acquisitions that complement its capabilities, extend its geographic reach and create new opportunities for customers and supplier partners.

Most importantly, the investment provides a foundation for Arco’s long-term ambition: to build an even stronger business for its customers, suppliers and colleagues while preserving the culture, values, expertise and commitment to safety that have defined Arco for more than 140 years.

A Strong Foundation for the Future

Thomas Martin, spokesperson for the Martin family, said:

"For generations, my family has been proud to lead Arco and to help build the business it is today. We have always seen ourselves as custodians of the company, with a responsibility to protect and develop it for the generations that follow.

"We have received unsolicited approaches from potential buyers in the UK and internationally over many years. However, this was never simply about finding a buyer. It was about finding the right partner for Arco’s next chapter – one who shared our ambition for the business and our commitment to its people, customers and suppliers.

"Arco is a stronger business today as a result of the professionalisation of its strategy, governance, Board and Executive team. Having considered the options carefully, we believe H.I.G. is the right partner to support and guide the next phase of Arco’s development. I am confident that we are entrusting the business to good hands."

Building a Market-Leading Safety Business

Guy Bruce, Chief Executive Officer of Arco, said:

"Over the past three and a half years, we have transformed Arco, strengthened our operations and built a scalable platform capable of supporting significant future growth. We now have the infrastructure, talent and capabilities to support a substantially larger business.

"The decision to partner with H.I.G. reflects a strong alignment of both value and values. They bring significant investment capability, proven expertise in distribution and a track record of working alongside management teams to build businesses for the long term.

"The safety landscape is changing rapidly, and our customers consistently tell us that they need a reliable, capable and compliant partner to underpin their safety strategies and help them achieve their own business objectives. Arco’s expertise, supplier relationships and understanding of workplace safety have never been more relevant.

"With H.I.G.’s support, we have an opportunity to build on those strengths: to deepen our customer and supplier partnerships, broaden our proposition, invest in our capabilities and pursue opportunities that will extend our reach.

"We have an ambitious vision for Arco. It is about growing and evolving the business while retaining the expertise, values and customer focus that have made it successful for more than 140 years. H.I.G.’s experience and commitment to the sector make them an exciting partner for the next stage of that journey, and I am energised by what we can achieve together."

Shared Ambition

H.I.G. Capital is a leading global alternative investment firm with a strong track record of partnering with businesses to support sustainable growth, operational excellence and market expansion.

The newly constituted Board of Directors will be chaired by Meine Oldersma, who brings extensive experience with H.I.G., significant knowledge of Arco from his previous role as a Non-Executive Director, and a strong track record working with multi-million-pound distribution businesses.

Having worked with Guy Bruce previously and more recently at Arco, Meine’s appointment as Chairman also provides valuable continuity as Arco enters its next phase of development.

The Board will also include Adam Taylor and Elliott Robinson of H.I.G., who led the firm’s investment team on the transaction, alongside Guy Bruce as Chief Executive Officer and Dan Carr as Chief Financial Officer.

Under the leadership of Guy and his management team, Arco will continue its transformation, with the support and investment of H.I.G., while remaining firmly committed to setting the benchmark for safety, service and training excellence across the industries it serves.

Discarded high-visibility workwear and personal protective equipment (PPE) supplied by Arco has taken an unexpected journey from the workplace to the catwalk, after being transformed into striking fashion pieces showcased during London Fashion Week.

The garments were featured as part of Root Cause, a sustainability exhibition hosted by The Mills Fabrica in King's Cross. Around half of the catwalk designs incorporated innovative garments created from recovered industrial materials, demonstrating how products traditionally viewed as waste can be reimagined and given a new lease of life.

The collection was created by Exiled, the sustainable fashion and textile brand from Arco partner MYGroup. The exhibition brought together designers, researchers and industry partners to explore innovative approaches to textile waste and the future of sustainable materials.

Giving workwear a second life

The Root Cause exhibition included garments and installations made using recovered materials, including high-visibility workwear and PPE that had reached the end of its original working life.

Through innovative upcycling and textile recovery techniques, materials supplied by Arco were transformed into contemporary fashion pieces. Other designs incorporated recovered PPE into linings, insulation and other elements, demonstrating the versatility of materials that might otherwise have entered traditional waste streams.

The showcase provided a striking demonstration of what can be achieved when end-of-life products are considered as potential resources rather than simply waste.

It also highlighted wider research into textile recovery, including projects exploring how workwear and PPE can be reused, repurposed and ultimately recovered as valuable raw materials.

Supporting a more circular approach

The exhibition reflects Arco's ongoing commitment to finding more circular approaches to product development and sustainability.

One example is the Responsible Hi-Vis range, which was developed using certified recycled materials and designed with durability and recyclability in mind. The range was recognised with the Recycled Product of the Year Award at the 2023 MRW National Recycling Awards for its contribution to reducing waste within a traditionally challenging-to-recycle product category.

Arco was also shortlisted for Sustainable Business of the Year at the 2025 Edie Awards and in 2026 achieved EcoVadis Platinum status, placing the business among the top 1% of organisations assessed worldwide for sustainability performance.

Together, these initiatives demonstrate Arco's focus on considering the environmental impact of products throughout their lifecycle, from the materials used to make them through to what happens when they are no longer required.

Challenging perceptions of waste

Jim Harbidge, Head of Sustainability at Arco, said: "It was incredibly encouraging to see the conversation around textile waste reaching fresh audiences through a platform of such a scale as London Fashion Week.

"While fashion and workwear are often viewed as very different sectors, they face comparable sustainability challenges. The reality is that valuable materials are too often discarded before they have reached the end of their potential life, which is incredibly wasteful and unsustainable.

"At Arco, we've been striving to address that very challenge by taking a much more circular approach to our product design, considering not only how our products are made, but how they can be used for longer and crucially, what happens to them at the end of their life.

"The inclusion of recycled workwear materials within the Root Cause exhibition demonstrates a heartening shift in attitudes. Waste is not always waste. With innovative design, creativity, collaboration and well thought out recovery processes, materials can continue to deliver exceptional value beyond their original, intended purpose.

"As businesses across all sectors continue to look for meaningful, impactful ways to reduce their environmental impact, circularity will play an increasingly important role in helping to preserve resources, reduce waste and support more sustainable supply chains."

Rebecca O'Leary, Textiles Manager at Exile, said: "No one expects to find hi-vis workwear at London Fashion Week. That was rather the point. The material we recovered from Arco was shown as it arrived, alongside the pieces it became – visually striking in both forms.

"Hi-vis is among the hardest textiles to bring back, which is exactly why it is worth the effort – and why it sits at the centre of our ongoing fibre-to-fibre research.

"Root Cause was Exiled showing that the problem of textile waste and its answer sit closer together than anyone expects – that every material is made for more."

A future beyond traditional waste

By bringing end-of-life workwear and PPE into an entirely different environment, Root Cause challenged conventional ideas about what discarded materials can become.

For Arco, the showcase is another example of how collaboration and innovation can help move the industry towards more circular product lifecycles – finding opportunities to extend the value of materials while reducing waste and supporting more sustainable supply chains.

Discover more about Arco's approach to sustainability.