Gratnells

The family origins of the Gratnells company can be traced back to 1890 and a household ironmongery company set up by William Hudson in Shoreditch, East London. In the following years it opened branches in Glasgow, Bristol and Liverpool. During the 1940s the company diversified developing the Seymour Television Table and later, during the 1960s, the flat packed clothes wardrobe, Pacta., which launched at the Ideal Home Exhibition, Olympia.

In 1971 the current Gratnells Company was incorporated as a limited company, based in Leyton, East London. It focused on the schools market and in particular, science, after a curriculum change demanded students conduct their own experiments. This led to a greater need for school storage and in 1972, the slotted square tube frame system, still in production today, was launched at the annual conference of the Association for Science Education. Gratnells is a long-standing partner of the ASE and organises the annual Science Technician of the Year Award.

In 1985, to coincide with the standardisation of British school furniture, Gratnells launched the injection moulded F type shallow plastic tray, the dimensions of which are now the standard for the development of most school furniture across the globe. In 2000, the company moved to larger premises in Harlow, Essex and in 2007, the tray design became a registered trademark. Since 2012, the Managing Director has been Murray Hudson.

Gratnells opened its first subsidiary in the USA in 2017. To mark this milestone, it brought Sir Ken Robinson to EdSpaces in Kansas to deliver the keynote speech.

The company sponsors various initiatives and organisations throughout the year. Most recently it has sponsored the F1 in Schools Challenge (promoting the uptake of STEM subjects amongst students) and has provided free furniture to Gecko on the Move (a charity dedicated to improving maths learning in developing countries). Gratnells has a STEM ambassador who organises factory tours and STEM activities for local schools and it makes STEAM resources freely available through the Learning Rooms website.

Gratnells is currently or has been a member of the following industry associations and trade bodies:

• British Educational Suppliers Association – BESA
• The Association for Science Education – ASE
• Worlddidac Association
• Education Market Association
• Association for Learning Environments
• The Manufacturers Organisation
• Museums Association
• FIRA
• Association of Industrial Laser Users - AILU

1992 – Worlddidac silver award – F type trays

2008 – Worlddidac certificate of quality - GratStack

2017 – Education Technology Magazine - Top 50 EdTech products for 2017 – PowerTray 2018 – Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers - Manufacturing Guild Mark

2018 – Worlddidac award – Callero MakerSpace trolley

2019 - GESS Education Awards - Callero MakerSpace Trolley- winner of Innovation Product- Equipment /Hardware / Non-ICT