Bedmaker Jay-Be has reported a profit turnaround of more than £1m after an increase in sales buoyed by exports.
The family-owned company says it saw sales climb by +4.5% to £19.15m in the year to 17th August 2025. Unaudited accounts reveal that export sales of more than £3m helped generate pre-tax profits of £17,769 after a loss of £1.09m in the previous year. Operating profit jumped by £1.2m to £416,000.
"Total sales and profitability for our financial year 2024 were significantly impacted by two isolated factors, both of which have now been resolved," says Rob Livingstone, Jay-Be's global sales director.
"The first was a temporary slowdown in our contract division, largely due to the residual impact of the industry overstocking during the Covid-19 pandemic. This suppressed manufacturing demand within the industry for approximately 18 months as the market corrected itself. The second was a planned discontinuation of several legacy product lines, designed to make way for new environmentally sustainable alternatives. However, the launch of these was delayed due to specialist machine and tooling deliveries missing key dates, caused by global shipping delays through the Suez Canal."
Roger Durrans, Jay-Be's CEO, hailed the improved performance and said it had shown the wisdom of pressing on with the company's restructuring plan despite the short-term losses: "These results underscore the benefits of Jay-Be’s strategic restructure in the prior year, which has strengthened operational resilience, improved efficiency, and positioned the business for sustainable growth in both the UK and international markets.
"2025 has been all about building the strongest foundations in our history. I’m extremely proud of our team and everyone’s commitment to the company’s vision – to be one of the most trusted and innovative ethical sleep brands globally.
"2026 is all about focus. With the operational groundwork complete, we’re really looking forward to launching more innovative products, delivering world-class service, and continuing to push the boundaries of sustainability, comfort, and health-conscious design.
"The year also marked the opening of Jay-Be’s new distribution and recycling centre – a major investment expanding our DHD capacity and scaling up in-house recycling of mattresses and beds. This development supports our zero-to-landfill commitment and ISO 14001 environmental accreditation, while also enabling future adoption of RFID technology for real-time inventory visibility and greater operational efficiency.
"R&D continue to be a priority, with substantial investment in patented product designs scheduled for launch in 2026."
