Anco Storage to Merge with Beaverswood, Strengthening Service for Resellers

23 March 2026 by Lizzie Allen

Anco Storage, a trusted supplier of storage and workplace organisation products to the UK reseller market, will become part of Beaverswood from 1st April 2026. The Anco Storage product brand will continue in full, now sitting alongside the established Beaverswood range under a single manufacturer.

This move by IWS Group, the parent company of both Beaverswood and Anco Storage, is designed to streamline operations and deliver a simpler, more efficient experience for resellers. Customers who currently trade with both companies will benefit from a consolidated account, a single set of trading terms, and a single point of contact, reducing administrative complexity without any changes to the products or people they rely on.

Just as importantly, the merger is about continuity as well as improvement: the same products, the same people, and the same great service customers know and value will remain in place, now backed by a stronger combined operation.

By bringing the two businesses together, Beaverswood will also benefit from expanded warehousing capacity and increased supply chain resilience, helping to support reseller partners with even greater efficiency and reliability.

Media Details

About Beaverswood: Beaverswood is a UK manufacturer and supplier of warehouse identification and visual management solutions, serving resellers and distributors worldwide.

About Anco Storage: Anco Storage is a leading supplier of shelving, racking, and storage systems for all types of industries and applications to the UK reseller market, operating from Billingshurst, West Sussex.

About IWS Group: IWS Group is the parent company of Beaverswood, Anco Storage, Rack Group, and Brandsafe.

For media enquiries:

marketing@beaverswood.co.uk

One Group, One Mission: Introducing the New IWS Group Brand

8 September 2025 by Lizzie Allen

We’re excited to share some big news - our parent company, IWS Group, has rebranded. This rebrand unites all companies within the group under a refreshed, instantly recognisable identity.

This change strengthens the connection between the companies in the group, making it clearer and easier for customers and resellers to see the collective quality, reliability, and expertise behind our solutions.

What’s changing?

New IWS Group brand that unites all the companies
Updated branding for the Beaverswood®, Anco Storage, and Brandsafe product brands
No changes to well-known product brands such as racksack®, frames4docs®, Modulean®, and others

Why this matters

This rebrand isn’t just about a new look - it’s about reinforcing the strength of being part of a collective.

By aligning our companies more clearly under the IWS Group identity, we’re making it easier for customers to identify our solutions, trust the quality behind them, and see the bigger picture - a group committed to improving workspaces across the UK and beyond.

One group. One mission.

Behind this new identity is a shared purpose:

Mission: One group. One mission. To keep workspaces running safer, smarter, and built to last.

This mission is underpinned by a set of values that guide everything we do across the group:

Customer Focus - We listen first, act fast, and go further for our customers.
Integrity - Honesty’s not optional here - it’s how we keep each other safe, sharp, and proud.
Continuous Improvement - Smart ideas aren’t just welcome, they are how we get better, together.
Accountability - We don’t need titles to take responsibility, just pride in the job.
Collaboration - We work together with diverse perspectives to achieve common goals.

For Beaverswood® resellers, this means even stronger alignment with a group that’s committed to long-term innovation, reliability, and partnership.

What Beaverswood® resellers need to do

To help you keep your listings and materials up to date, we’ve refreshed our Reseller Toolkit with the latest brand assets:

Updated Beaverswood® product logo, along with new Brandsafe and Anco Storage logos
Refreshed specification sheets, in line with the new branding
An updated ‘Beaverswood® Approved Reseller’ badge, ready for use across your website and marketing

We recommend you:

Update your listings wherever the Beaverswood® product brand appears (product pages, catalogues, PDFs, image overlays, etc.)
Replace any older specification sheets with the latest versions
Add the updated distributor badge where relevant (e.g. category pages, sales flyers, or product detail pages)

Accessing the updated assets

You can download everything you need from the Reseller Toolkit - please contact us for a link if you don't already have one. If Google Drive is blocked or inconvenient, let us know, and we’ll send the assets via WeTransfer or another method that works for you.

Stronger Together

As one group with one mission, we’re stronger, clearer, and better placed to help keep workspaces running safer, smarter, and built to last. Together with our resellers, we can make that mission a reality.

IWS Group Announces Leadership Changes: Welcoming New Divisional Managing Director

4 June 2024 by Lizzie Allen

In an exciting development, IWS Group is pleased to announce the appointment of Gary Coleman as the new Divisional Managing Director for both Brandsafe and Rack Group, effective June 12, 2024. This strategic move comes as part of an ongoing review of the IWS Group’s operating structure.

Gary Coleman brings a wealth of experience to the role, having spent over 18 years in the industrial sector, primarily with NENE Warehouse Solutions. During his tenure at NENE, Gary held several key positions, including National Account Manager and Managing Director, demonstrating his expertise and leadership capabilities.

Gary expressed his enthusiasm for the new role, stating, “I am thrilled to join the talented team at IWS Group. Together, we will work towards driving the business forward, enhancing our service offerings, and ensuring we provide exceptional value to our customers. I look forward to contributing to the growth and success of Rack Group and Brandsafe and am excited about the opportunities ahead.”

In conjunction with this appointment, Susy Keating has decided to step down from her role at Brandsafe after a decade of dedicated service. Susy’s contributions have been instrumental in the growth and success of Brandsafe, and her decision to leave was made with careful consideration. She will remain with the company until the end of July, ensuring a smooth transition by working closely with Gary and her team.

“Over the past 10 years, Brandsafe has been a significant part of Susy’s professional journey. Her commitment and dedication have been invaluable to both Brandsafe and the IWS Group,” said Richard Harden, CEO of IWS Group. “We thank Susy for her remarkable service and wish her all the best in her future endeavours.”

The operational, sales, installation, and finance structures within Brandsafe and Rack Group will remain unchanged, ensuring continuity and stability for our clients and partners.

Please join us in welcoming Gary Coleman to the IWS Group team. We are confident that his extensive experience and leadership will drive continued success for both Brandsafe and Rack Group.

About IWS Group

IWS Group is a family of market-leading product brands, manufacturers and service companies, providing essential services and supplies to the logistics, material handling and other industrial sectors across Europe and beyond.

IWS Group Welcomes Richard Harden as New Chief Executive Officer

23 October 2023 by Lizzie Allen

IWS Group is thrilled to announce the appointment of Richard Harden as Chief Executive Officer. This appointment comes as part of the group’s ongoing strategy to drive innovation and growth, ensuring sustained leadership in the market.

Richard brings a wealth of experience to IWS Group with a solid leadership background, holding CEO and MD positions in previous companies, Stuart Turner Ltd and WILO, alongside the role of President to the trade organisation BPMA. He has built a successful career around improving top-line growth for private equity-backed firms, leveraging strategic partnerships and driving innovative sales and marketing strategies to achieve significant growth milestones.

Under Richard’s leadership, a key focus will be on amplifying the collaborative strengths of IWS Group to provide complete, seamless integrated solutions to customers in the industrial workspace. This cohesive approach is aimed at enhancing customer satisfaction and bolstering the overall impact and efficacy of IWS Group’s proposition in the market.

Commenting on his new position, Richard said, “It’s clear IWS Group is a very ambitious company with a strong track record of organic and acquisition-driven success and a clear vision for growth, which is what attracted me to the position. The future of the group excites me, and I am delighted to lead it into its next phase of growth and innovation”.

“We’re extremely excited to have Richard on board as our new CEO,” commented Neil Stephenson, Chief Financial Officer for IWS Group, “Richard’s extensive leadership background and his proven track record of accelerating market share aligns perfectly with our strategic vision for IWS Group. His dynamic leadership and innovative approach is just what we need to navigate the evolving market landscape and propel IWS Group to new heights. We look forward to the fresh perspective and the boundless energy he brings to our team, and we’re confident that under his leadership, IWS Group will continue to thrive and achieve great success.”

About IWS Group:

IWS Group is a family of market-leading product brands, manufacturers, and service companies providing essential services and supplies to the logistics, material handling, and other industrial sectors across Europe and beyond. The IWS Group portfolio of companies currently consists of Beaverswood®, Brandsafe, Rack Group, and Anco Storage.

IWS Group: Resetting the Bar on Impact Safety 💥💯

30 May 2023 by Lizzie Allen

We're thrilled to share exciting news from our parent company, IWS Group, which recently impact-tested its range of Brandsafe® polymer safety barriers to the PAS 13 global benchmark.

(Psst... these barriers are available to Beaverswood® resellers - get in touch to expand your product offering today!)

"I came in like a w̶r̶e̶c̶k̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶b̶a̶l̶l̶ pendulum!"

There's only one way to accurately impact test safety barriers, and it's by repeatedly smashing them at various points with a mighty pendulum.

That's the gist of it in layman's terms, anyway. The details are rather more scientific and nuanced and definitely require a passion for all things physics to understand.

Fortunately, IWS Group is full of curious minds and passionate spirits, and they set to work in April 2023, where the barrier range was tested at their subsidiary, Rack Group, in Barnsley.

"We undertook this activity to prove the capability of our barrier range and, with TÜV Nord witnessing, it confirms that our internal testing procedure adheres to the industry code of practice," explains Matt Mason, Group Design Manager at IWS Group.

"Testing is conducted on a purpose-built impact pendulum rig designed and commissioned entirely by IWS Group, which simulates real-world impact energies of material handling vehicles travelling at different speeds and provides physical proof of our products' capability.

The pendulum strikes barriers at various pre-determined locations to measure the level of energy the barriers can withstand, how much deflection they display under the impact, and how much force is transferred to the ground fixings and concrete.

Testing also defines the distance behind barriers that is considered the 'safe zone' for the barrier to deflect into, which is identified during installation of the barrier by visual floor markings."

All testing was conducted with UKAS calibrated measuring equipment such as high-speed cameras, torque wrenches, load cells and industrial weigh scales to ensure confidence in every result witnessed."

When the dust settled (literally), the Brandsafe® range of polymer safety barriers was declared to meet the PAS 13 code of practice. This is the only globally recognised code of practice for industrial safety barriers, and compliance ensures barriers effectively protect people and assets from accidents.

Why Should You Care?

Let's be honest; it's great that IWS Group had fun swinging a giant pendulum around, but why should you care?

"This testing is an important step for customers looking to purchase impact protection barriers for their workplace," says Susy Keating, Managing Director of Brandsafe, "Knowing what impact forces a barrier can take, as well as ensuring data is independently certified by a reputable third party, is a vital factor in choosing the right barrier."

"For too long, impact protection has been over-engineered, over-priced and overly complicated. It's time to reset the bar on what impact protection ultimately comes down to: keeping people and products safe."

Stuart Ovington, Managing Director of Rack Group, adds:

"TÜV Nord independently verifying that our testing abided by the PAS 13 guidelines serves as a testimonial to our teams here at IWS Group, as well as the quality of our polymer barrier range. Not every barrier manufacturer undertakes product testing to this level, so we are proud to be amongst the industry leaders.

Our barriers are shown to be high performing, long-lasting and can withstand greater impacts than similar, industry-leading products. In addition, we can create bespoke designs quickly to suit individual needs and, with short lead times, provide a cost-effective solution at the highest standard."

What This Means For Beaverswood® Resellers

In a nutshell - the opportunity to add a PAS 13 accredited polymer barrier range to your product offering! This includes:

By taking this fantastic proposition to market, you can drive revenue for your business and delight your customers with a safety barrier range which outperforms similar products while remaining cost-effective.

It's a win-win, so don't hesitate to contact us today for more information.

T: 0118 979 6096
E: sales@beaverswood.co.uk

Beaverswood® Upcoming Exhibitions as part of IWS Group

14 February 2023 by Lizzie Allen

As part of IWS Group, Beaverswood® will exhibit at two large-scale events in 2023, in the UK and USA respectively.

These exhibitions present a great opportunity for attendees to visit our stands and get hands-on with our products. See the value our products could bring your customers and discuss exciting new reseller opportunities with our friendly team.

ProMat 2023

Stand N6636, McCormick Place, Chicago, March 20th - 23rd

ProMat is a leading trade show for the manufacturing and supply chain industry.

Alongside Lean Inc., USA master distributor, Rack Armour® and Beaverswood® products will be showcased to potential USA resellers. The range includes the world's best-selling upright racking protection solution Rack Armour® (with a proven 800% customer ROI!), warehouse recycling solutions, labelling, visual management signage, and more.

Lean Inc is the master distributor in the USA and is actively looking to onboard more distributors across the USA for both Rack Armour® and Beaverswood® products. We will have several representatives from Lean Inc, Rack Armour®, and Beaverswood® on our stand, ready to explain how these innovative products can best support your organisation.

Safety and Health Expo 2023

Stand SH1650, Excel, London, UK, May 16th - 18th

Safety and Health Expo is the UK's largest dedicated event for health and safety. The show empowers health and safety leaders to shape healthier, safer, more productive and hazard-free working environments.

IWS Group returns to Safety and Health Expo to showcase innovative services, products, and solutions for the logistics, material handling, and industrial sectors in the UK and beyond. These range from planning, manufacture, and installation of racking and storage systems to warehouse labelling, floor marking, impact protection products, and more.

Joining the stand for the first time will be recent acquisition Anco Storage, the leading exclusively trade supplier of storage equipment. Its high-quality storage systems will be presented, some of which are highly versatile and simple to erect, boasting a build time of just 10 minutes.

Familiar faces will also make a reappearance as Beaverswood®, Brandsafe, and Rack Group return to display their products and solutions.

Beaverswood®, a leading manufacturer of visual management solutions, will be on hand to showcase its latest products to potential resellers, such as the award-winning racksack® mini. This is a smaller version of the original racksack® waste segregation solution, perfect for shelving, smaller racking areas, and workbenches, picking stations, desks, and more. Additionally, Modulean® rack end shadow boards, an innovative way to transform redundant end-of-aisle racking space into working space, will be displayed. All of this, plus Beaverswood®’s well-known offering of high-quality warehouse labels, aisle and bay markers, document display, and floor marking, will be on show.

Brandsafe, Europe’s leading provider of high-visibility impact protection and safety solutions, will be showcasing its traffic management and pedestrian safety products. This innovative range is being continuously developed, with all products designed to sustainably protect people, assets, and buildings from impact damage. One such range is the full impact polymer barrier range which requires no maintenance and uniquely absorbs impact to reduce barrier and floor repairs plus vehicle damage. Brandsafe also offers project consultation, bespoke design, professional installation, and ongoing support services for warehouse fit-outs. Brandsafe’s team of on-site installation engineers are highly qualified, skilled, and efficient, completing projects in the quickest, safest, and least disruptive manner possible across the UK and Europe.

IWS Group will also exhibit the world’s best-selling upright protection solution: Rack Armour®, which the business group designs and manufactures. Made from ballistics-grade plastic, the outer shell of Rack Armour® is shaped to divert impact energy around the rack leg instead of through it. Any remaining impact energy is absorbed by the interior foam until it’s diffused. This twin action protection uniquely helps maintain the structural integrity of the racking system – which saves tens of thousands of pounds in damage repair costs. IWS Group will be happy to discuss reseller opportunities for this fantastic product.

Huge value can be found in the combined strengths of all brands working together as part of IWS Group, and representatives from each business will be happy to discuss specific offerings as well as group-wide opportunities and projects.

Don't forget to book an appointment with us!

We're thrilled to exhibit at such well-known events and can't wait to showcase our products and solutions to these exciting markets.

If you'd like to have a more in-depth chat with a Beaverswood® representative at any of these shows, please book an appointment beforehand. Simply give us a call, drop us an email or click on the link below.

IWS Group Announces Acquisition of Anco Storage Equipment Ltd

27 June 2022 by Lizzie Allen

Leading industrial workspace specialist, IWS Group, today announces its acquisition of Anco Storage Equipment Ltd, the largest trade-only supplier of storage solutions in the UK.

Established in 1991 in West Sussex, Anco has gained an enviable reputation for quality and service at a competitive price. Exclusively through its trade-only distribution channel, Anco offers an extensive range of over 7,000 variations of products, covering all kinds of applications from industrial racking, multi-tier projects and mezzanine flooring, to office archive storage and modular shelving. Anco stores over £3M worth of stock in their warehouse to facilitate quick turn-around times on orders.

Strengthening the IWS Group Portfolio

IWS Group is a rapidly growing family of market-leading product brands and service companies which provide essential supplies and services to the warehouse and logistics, material handling, and industrial sectors.

The group portfolio currently includes Beaverswood, Brandsafe, Rack Group, and now Anco.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Anco to the IWS family,” said Jeroen van den Berge, CEO of IWS Group, “Anco’s wealth of storage solutions, its team of specialists and its long history of building strong partnerships with its distributor network are the perfect complement to our growing portfolio of innovative industrial workspace brands. Our vision is to be the partner of choice for essential products & services throughout the lifecycle of an industrial building, and this acquisition is a natural progression towards this end”.

The IWS Group Family

About Beaverswood

Beaverswood manufactures innovative products that improve the efficiency, safety, and sustainability of the physical workspace. The Beaverswood range of warehouse safety and management products includes labelling and signage, recycling solutions, identification products and visual communication solutions.

Visit: www.beaverswood.co.uk

About Brandsafe

Brandsafe is Europe’s leading provider of high visibility impact protection and site safety for industrial buildings, such as warehouses, manufacturing sites and logistics hubs.

Its innovative traffic management and pedestrian safety solutions are designed to sustainably prevent and protect people, products and property from impact damage.

Visit: www.brandsafeprotection.com

About Rack Group

Rack Group is the UK’s leading provider of warehouse racking solutions that focus on prolonging the life and safety of racking. These solutions, which include racking installation, inspection, repair, maintenance and training, are provided to many of the biggest household names across the UK. Its range of racking protection includes the market leading brand Rack Armour.

Visit: www.therackgroup.com

Announcement Regarding IWS Group

26 April 2021 by Lizzie Allen

Announcement Regarding IWS Group

We are delighted to announce that the parent company of Beaverswood, IWS Group (The Industrial Workspace Specialists), has acquired The Rack Group, a leading provider of pallet racking safety solutions.

Established for over 40 years as the UK’s leading pallet racking safety specialist, The Rack Group provides a unique combination of services, innovative products and solutions that guard, secure and maintain racking. Its racking protection product, Rack Armour, is used extensively throughout warehouses and distribution centres across the globe.

What Does This Mean For Beaverswood And Its Customers:

Beaverswood and the wider IWS Group is continuing to grow. The addition of The Rack Group to our family of specialist businesses enables us to offer a wider range of innovative solutions to our valued resellers. Furthermore, it further strengthens our resource, infrastructure and capability to provide our customers with the highest standards of service, customer care and innovation.

The Future:

We are all excited about the future, and we’re particularly keen to explore opportunities to introduce complementary products to our resellers from our new sister company within IWS Group.

More About IWS Group:

IWS Group, The Industrial Workspace Specialists, is a growing family of market-leading product brands, manufacturers and service companies, providing essential services and supplies to the logistics, material handling and other industrial sectors across Europe and beyond. Find out more at www.iws.group.

The other companies within IWS Group are Brandsafe and The Rack Group.

Brandsafe is Europe’s leading provider of high visibility impact protection and safety solutions for industrial buildings worldwide, such as warehouses, manufacturing sites and logistics hubs. Brandsafe continuously develops innovative traffic safety and management and pedestrian safety solutions, which are designed to sustainably prevent and protect people, products and property from impact damage.