From a Formby Business Park to Worldwide Success, Celebrating 20 Years in Our Bubble

4 hours ago
3 min read

A business that began with an idea from a serving soldier has grown from its Formby base into a specialist military, hunting, camping and outdoor company with customers around the world. This year, Contact Left Limited celebrates an impressive 20 years in business.

Based at Formby Business Park on Stephenson Way, Contact Left may already be familiar to many local people, particularly those interested in camping, hunting and the outdoors. However, others living just a short distance away may have little idea of the fascinating story behind the company or just how far its reach extends beyond our Bubble.

Contact Left Limited was established in October 2006 and over the past two decades has developed into a major specialist retailer supplying an extensive range of military, hunting, camping, tactical, security and outdoor equipment, with sales reaching customers worldwide.

The story behind Contact Left began with practical experience. The business was established by a soldier who, while teaching military promotion courses, recognised that many of those attending did not have access to the correct kit and equipment they needed.

Rather than simply accepting the problem, he saw an opportunity to provide a solution.

That idea became the foundation of Contact Left.

The people behind the business brought considerable military knowledge and experience with them, including Arctic Warfare Training in Norway, Jungle Warfare Training in Brunei, Desert and Mountain Training in Jordan, training alongside the United States Marines and operational experience in Iraq and Sierra Leone.

That first hand knowledge helped shape a business with an understanding of equipment designed for demanding environments.

Much more than military equipment.

While its military roots remain an important part of the Contact Left story, today the Formby business offers much more.

Its extensive range includes hunting and shooting equipment, camping gear, outdoor clothing, footwear, survival equipment, tactical products, bags, torches, knives, tools and a huge variety of accessories for people who enjoy spending time outdoors.

Whether someone is preparing for a camping trip, heading into the countryside, looking for specialist outdoor clothing or searching for professional military and tactical equipment, an extraordinary range of products is available from a business based right here in Formby.

From Formby to customers around the world.

Twenty years after it began, Contact Left continues to operate from Formby Business Park, but its customer base extends far beyond Merseyside and the United Kingdom.

The company has developed worldwide sales while also building relationships with specialist manufacturers and suppliers within the military, outdoor and protective equipment industries.

Its distribution operation has previously been announced as the exclusive UK distributor for American body armour manufacturer HighCom Armor, bringing specialist protective equipment to military, law enforcement and first responder markets in the UK.

Its UKOM range also provides specialist products for military, police and law enforcement customers, with international and foreign government enquiries considered where appropriate and subject to UK export regulations.

Alongside this specialist work sits the extensive hunting, camping and outdoor side of the business, making Contact Left an unusual company with an incredibly diverse customer base.

20 years in our Bubble…

It is easy to associate companies with an international reach with major cities and huge industrial centres, but sometimes remarkable businesses are growing much closer to home.

Contact Left is one of them.

What started with a soldier identifying a genuine need has developed over two decades into a specialist business selling military, hunting, camping and outdoor products to customers around the world, while continuing to call Formby home.

From Stephenson Way to customers across the globe, Contact Left is a fantastic example of how specialist knowledge, experience and determination can turn an idea into a successful business with worldwide reach.

As Contact Left celebrates its 20th anniversary in October 2026, it is another reminder that some incredible businesses are operating right here on our doorstep.

Twenty years in business, customers around the world and still proudly based in our Bubble. Congratulations to Contact Left on a fantastic milestone.