Reliance Medical is the UK’s leading trade supplier and manufacturer of first aid and medical supplies, proudly headquartered in Stoke-on-Trent with bases worldwide.

2026 marks 20 years of Reliance Medical as it continues to go from strength to strength by focusing on people, innovation and the environment. Lifesaving, sustainable products are key to the two decades of massive growth for this local, second-generation family business. Reliance supports NHS, ambulance services, the military and police, making workplaces and public spaces safer across the world.

Founder, CEO and University of Staffordshire alumnus Andrew Pear said: “As a business our products save lives and they make lives better. When we began 20 years ago we wanted to create a business dedicated to quality, service and price. Our initial products were based around the contents of first aid kits; our business has grown considerably since then.”

All of the company’s products are designed in Stoke on Trent and all manufacturing, from nylon threads to products found in ambulances and military field hospitals, takes place at its wholly owned facility in Shanghai.

Internationally, Reliance has expanded its operations to Hungary, Australia and New Zealand with specialist products for localised markets such as European standard first aid kits and snake bite dressings for Australia.

Reliance manufactured and supplied vital PPE to the NHS throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2021 it launched the AURA3 first aid box, the world’s first kit box made entirely from recycled and recyclable materials, featuring screen-printed universal icons and laser-printed labels—eliminating virgin plastic use, saving the equivalent of 14 million plastic bottles.

The recent Titan first aid kit box, designed for extreme conditions, is also fully recycled. Reliance is in the process of shifting all first aid packaging from plastic to paper, and with innovative compact product revisions; is reducing shipping space and carbon footprint by 40%.

In 2023, Reliance supplied 20,000 AEDs to UK schools – an industry record, saving children’s lives by addressing sudden cardiac arrest, which strikes more than 30,000 people of all ages outside hospitals annually.

2024 saw the launch of the Igloo hypothermia blanket, developed to protect trauma patients, newborns, and those in extreme cold and wet weather conditions. Its reflective, latex-free material traps body heat, with variants for military use and an Xtreme version with heat pads. Recognising the impact of adverse temperature on AEDs, Reliance also introduced Lifevault, the first AED cabinet with automatic climate control, ensuring devices remain safely functional between 10°C and 40°C wherever and whenever they are needed throughout the world.

Reliance Medical is revolutionising how businesses manage health and safety with the launch of the free Tell Arnie app, an all-in-one digital solution designed for seamless first aid kit management and accident reporting. By replacing labour intensive processes with an advanced software solution, Tell Arnie empowers Health and Safety Officers to maintain safer, more compliant work environments with minimal effort.

Andrew Pear added: “20 years is a long time for any business. I am incredibly proud of our team, many of whom have been with us since day one, helping make Reliance Medical a world-class company.”

Reliance Medical has entered the Business of the Year category of University of Staffordshire Business Awards.