Established in 1996, Worcester-headquartered Kingswood owns seven brands which provide a suite of products directly to consumers that help people with mobility difficulties to stay safe and independent in their own homes.
Its brands, which sell market-leading products such as riser chairs, adjustable beds and accessible bathrooms, include Willowbrook Mobility Direct, Easy2Bathe Bath Lifts and The Adjustable Bed Factory.
Supporting business growth
LDC invested in the business in 2021, backing the existing management team, led by CEO Jeremy Rolph. Jeremy has been with the business for 19 years and has driven the growth of the business since becoming CEO in 2018.
With LDC’s support, the management team plan to strengthen Kingwood’s position as a market leader and explore new product development opportunities across all of its brands.
This new partnership marks an important step on our journey that will energise our future expansion plans. I am looking forward to the new perspectives and experience that LDC will bring to help guide our growth strategy.”
Reusing, recycling, reducing carbon footprint
Since LDC’s investment the management team has been able to accelerate the integration of ESG into its business model. This will reduce Kingswood’s carbon footprint by 25% in
the next two years.
A key initiative was moving production to a new 50,000 sq ft manufacturing site in Brierley Hill, West Midlands. The site, identified by LDC, has been designed to optimise efficiency and features solar panels on the roof. Thanks in part to the move, the distance driven by Kingswood’s fleet will reduce by over 100,000 miles a year, saving 48 tonnes of CO2 in vehicle emissions and reducing Kingswood’s vehicle fuel bill by 10%.
When Kingswood delivers to customers’ houses, they also take their old furniture away. This used to go to landfill, but now goes to households in need, thanks to a partnership with the Reuse Network. Over the course of next year, this will save 25 tonnes of waste from landfill, helping over 800 families in the process.