Our History

For over 160 years, BCB International have been designing, manufacturing and supplying personal Survival and protective equipment used by Soldiers, seafarers and adventures worldwide!

It started with a cough…

In 1854, a Dr Browne came up with a cough medicine and shipped some off to British troops suffering in the trenches in the Crimean war. 60 years later, Dr Browne’s Cough Bottle gave the initials for a registered company, BCB.

Taken over by a local Cardiff chemist Deryck Howell in 1949, BCB remains a Howell family run firm to this day.

Wave of Fortune

A lucky encounter in the 1950s with British Defence Officials resulted in BCB designing for the world’s first life raft survival kit. It cemented the company’s driving force CANEI: Continuous and Never Ending Innovation and sparked an impressive array of novel products including: shark repellent, ballistic protective underwear dubbed ‘Blast Boxers’ and an all-weather rations heating and barbecue cooking fuel called ‘FireDragon’.

Royal seal of approval

BCB’s expertise and excellence have been recognised through two prestigious Queen Awards for Export Achievement and Numerous technology and Industry awards.