Essentra is a UK-listed B2B component distributor and manufacturer with a complicated history. Essentra’s core subsidiaries were historically part of Bunzl and then spun out and listed under Filtrona PLC before being rebranded to Essentra PLC. Last year, Essentra sold its filters and packaging assets to focus solely on components. 

Our historical interest in B2B distributors such as Fastenal, Diploma, and Watsco led us to study Essentra. This learning journey covers our primary research on:

  • A brief history of Essentra 
  • The mission criticality of Essentra’s plastic component products
  • Example use cases of standard, configured, and custom Essentra components 
  • Stickiness and potential pricing power
  • How Essentra markets its products 
  • Comparison with Diploma, RS Components, and other B2B distributors  

History: Packaging and Filters Spin  

Sign up to test our content quality with a free sample of 50+ interviews