News and Updates

Arco, has launched a new responsible hi-visibility clothing range. The eight initial launch items include short-sleeve t-shirts, short sleeve and long sleeve polo shirts, waistcoats, sweatshirts, fleeces, softshells and overcoats. Trousers will be added to the range in 2024.

As a key supplier of hi-visibility clothing, Arco is committed to addressing the problem of what to do with garments that have reached the end of their useful life. As a result, the garments in the responsible hi-vis range have been designed to last longer, are made from certified recycled and materials and developed with end of life in mind, focussing on the recyclability of materials.

Designed with life-extending features, the responsible hi-vis range has been developed to increase the longevity of the clothing. Garments are tested to retain integrity, dimensional stability, UV protection and colourfastness to above the average number of washes – knitwear and trousers are certified for up to 50 washes - twice the typical use cycle - which reduces the need for replacement and reduces carbon emissions.

All garments are made using 100% Global Recycled Standard (GRS) certified recycled polyester and have been sourced and produced ethically by GRS-certified manufacturers*. To improve efficiency and reduce additional component usage, labelling has been printed directly onto the garment. All additional components, including poppers, toggles, zips, ribs, cuffs, neckbands and collars, are made from recycled polyester so do not need to be removed before entering the recycling process.

The hi-vis range has been developed in conjunction with Stuff4Life and can be recycled using their patent-pending chemical recycling solution that's currently being developed. Once a garment comes to the end of its life, the recovered materials from the recycling process become valuable raw materials that can be transformed back into new polyester yarn to be made into new products.

Dalvir Sarkaria, Product and Procurement Manager, said:

"Customers are placing growing significance on making responsible product choices. As a result, we recognised a clear requirement to develop and introduce a new range of products with the aim of supporting customers to achieve their sustainability objectives.

"The launch of our Arco Responsible hi-vis range is an exciting moment for us and demonstrates our continued commitment to delivering on our strategic plan for sustainability - A Safe Tomorrow - and by supporting our customers' desires to make responsible choices for their business. Using a circular approach, the range can offer assurance to customers with proven sustainable credentials whilst remaining excellent quality and competitively priced."

The Arco Responsible hi-vis clothing line includes garments that have been designed for all weathers and temperatures and conform to the relevant hi-vis safety standards. The range includes interactive outdoor clothing and garments with UV protection, wicking properties and other practical features.

Arco Responsible hi-vis clothing is available to purchase online here.

*except the trousers

Arco, is celebrating after having raised a quarter of a million pounds for Macmillan Cancer Support.

The company, based in Hull,¹ with centres across the country ², has baked, hosted quizzes, ran and hiked, among many other things, to support people living with cancer and to reach this incredible fundraising total.

The fifth-generation family-owned business holds fundraising for Macmillan close to their hearts; having lost family member and Joint Managing Director Jo Martin to breast cancer in 2008. Jo founded the company's Charity Committee in 2003 and championed the Macmillan Coffee Morning as a fundraising cause for all Arco colleagues to join in and be part of, across all the company's locations in the UK – something that continues to this day. Following Jo's death, fundraising continued via a charitable trust in Jo's name, which supported local cancer causes, including Macmillan's presence at Castle Hill Hospital, Cottingham.

Stephen Martin, Non Executive Director at Arco, said:

"Reaching the £250,000 goal is a significant and deeply personal milestone in our mission of supporting Macmillan that stands as a tribute to Jo's memory and her unwavering compassion for others. Our collective efforts have fuelled research and support for those fighting this unrelenting disease and it brings me a profound sense of pride and gratitude to those at Arco that have helped us achieve this milestone."

Guy Bruce, CEO at Arco, said:

"Supporting communities and charities is at the heart of our business and it is clear from the incredible amount we have raised for Macmillan that this commitment runs throughout the company.

"We all genuinely want to make a difference for people with cancer, sadly few of us are untouched by this disease.

"I feel incredibly proud of our colleagues who give so generously and are continually motivated to make the world a slightly better place."

Arco offices across the country pushed their fundraising effort before Christmas to reach their target of £250,000. The phenomenal fundraising amount was boosted by over £15,000 being raised last year alone, this included Arco's Great Annual Raffle, with prizes including a week's annual leave, Christmas hampers and shopping vouchers.

Fiona Gavaghan, Macmillan's Fundraising Manager, said:

"I have been blown away by the generosity of spirit I've witnessed at Arco, everyone goes above and beyond to give up their time and money for people living with cancer.

"Arco has raised enough money to fund a Macmillan nurse for over four years or provide over 700 Macmillan grants to help people living with cancer with heating bills - this amount has had a huge impact on the support we're able to provide for people.

"On behalf of Macmillan I want to thank every Arco employee who supported the fundraising; if you bought a raffle ticket, baked a cake or hiked up a mountain you helped make life a bit better for people with cancer."

Anyone diagnosed with cancer can contact the Macmillan Support Line seven days a week on 0808 808 00 00 or visit the Macmillan website Macmillan website

¹ Blackfriargate office (HQ), National Distribution Centre, and Hose divisions are all based in Hull

² Arco Clothing Centre (ACC) in Preston (Lancashire); Arco Safety Centres in Eccleshall (Cheshire), Trafford (Manchester), Linlithgow (Scotland) and Bracknell (Berkshire); nationwide Arco Safety Stores and remote sales teams spread throughout the UK.

Arco, has been named as one of the top 10 family businesses in the UK for employing apprentices for a second year running. Arco's contribution to employing apprentices and its investment in the next generation saw the company listed by Family Business United - the global voice of the family business community.

The Hull-based company features in the 2023 report that examines the number of apprentices in the sector, the creation of new apprenticeships and the number of apprentices completing and graduating from apprenticeship programmes alongside the likes of Bagnalls and Hodgkinson Builders, with JCB also included.

Over the past six years, Arco has built upon its Future Experts programme as part of an ongoing commitment to developing the next generation of industry talent.

Darren Ford, head of organisational development and learning and development at Arco, said:

"We are incredibly proud to be recognised for a second year in the Family Business United list of top family business apprentice employers. Helping to nurture future talent and further develop the knowledge and skills of our colleagues plays an important role in the aspirations of the business and will support our ambitions for growth.

"We're seeing a greater uptake from a broader range of business areas now and this year we have committed to creating eight dedicated apprenticeship opportunities across the organisation, with a plan in place to increase this to 16 next year. I'm very excited to see both our internal and external apprentice numbers grow over these coming months."

Arco's Future Experts programme has seen over 42 apprentices graduate and currently has 23 apprenticeships ongoing. Apprentices have the opportunity to work in a variety of areas across Arco, including finance, digital, customer services and safety, health and environment.

Paul Andrews, Founder and Chief Executive of Family Business United, said:

"Family businesses are innovative and entrepreneurial and it is great to see so many providing apprenticeships within their organisations."

"This is our second report and it clearly highlights the growing importance of apprenticeships to family firms across the UK and the continuing commitment from leading family businesses to continue to invest in the ongoing development of the next generation of their staff. There are significant numbers of apprenticeships opportunities available within the family business sector in the UK today and as outlined below, they provide a fantastic stepping stone into a career with long term development opportunities that may even take you to a board position in the future."

We're set to begin our latest website improvement plan designed to help more customers transact online.

The plan, which begins in September will initially focus on helping customers find the exact safety products they need. We stock over 80,000 lines on our website and are determined customers have easy access to the correct products to keep them safe.

Initial improvements to our product listing page will include clearer pricing and delivery dates, an updated design for customers across all devices and clear product lifecycle information to make buying decisions easier.

Customers that we've spoken to will welcome this update as it builds more certainty into their supply chain and helps them plan and buy the products that they need.

We've also added an alternative product link which means where a product is not available, customers can select a suitable alternative.

Head of Ecommerce, Gareth Wray, said:

"We know from customers that selecting products based on delivery time, availability and continuity of supply is critical to their supply chain and that's why we're introducing these changes at the start of our plan.

"Along with the new features, customers will see more time-saving changes such as an improved look and feel to Arco's listings page, more detailed search results allowing faster filtering and the ability to add products directly to their basket."

Customer summary:

• Get clearer pricing by logging into to see your contracted price rather than list price
• Better plan your order with accurate availability dates, even if your purchase is in multiple consignments
• Be sure of ongoing supply with product lifecycle information showing which products are new, have limited availability or are discontinued
• View alternative products if your selected item is unavailable
• Check out faster by adding multiple products and quantities directly to your basket from the listing page

You can shop our full range of products 24/7 online, if you've not already registered to use our website simply register for an online account here.

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Arco, has been awarded certification from the British Standards Institution (BSI) for the health and safety management system at its clothing centre, in Preston, highlighting the company's continued commitment to exceptional health and safety standards.

Following a rigorous assessment, the BSI determined that the site conformed to the ISO 45001 Health and Safety Management Standard, which is designed to prevent work-related injury and ill-health and to provide safe and healthy workplaces.

The BSI assessor spent time talking to colleagues across the site, including the clothing centre's management and Arco's safety, health and environment (SHE) team, as well as assessing working practices and processes and examining documentation.

In the report, the assessor commented that colleagues had 'a very good understanding of the management specification obligations' and that this was 'demonstrated by all participants interviewed and evidence of implementation in all areas planned has been confirmed through this assessment'.

Stephen Crossley, General Manager of Arco's Clothing Centre, said:

"To receive the ISO 45001 standard is a fantastic achievement and demonstrates our commitment to living up to Arco's core purpose of keeping people safe at work.

"This is the first time we have secured this globally recognised standard and it is a great example of how we, as a business, are continuing to lead within the health and safety industry."

Jo Heselton, SHE Manager at Arco, added:

"We are proud to have attained ISO 45001 and I'd like to thank all those colleagues involved in supporting the assessment, this certificate really is a testament to their hard work, day-in and day-out, in ensuring our clothing centre is a safe and healthy workplace.

"As with any assessment, it's not just about the hard work on the day but the many weeks of preparation to ensure we can demonstrate the robustness and effectiveness of our health and safety management system."

Find out more about Arco's clothing centre.