The Early Days
The Profiles Range as you know it today, specialising in ornamental metalwork with a focus on gift items and a wide library of designs, is a far cry from the early days. Our current workshop foreman Jake is very proud to be the 4th generation in a line of Tarrant metalworkers, and will often tell of how his Great Grandad introduced metal working to the family with ornamental architectural work, vehicles, and other general fabrication jobs, often
reclaiming and repairing architectural metalwork affected during WW2.
He encouraged his son Jim to come onboard with him when he was old enough, and together, they evolved their skill sets to include ventilation work, and in 1963, Jim Tarrant and a close friend embarked on a new venture, using their metalwork skills to build & install heating and ventilation. They were based on ‘Bret’s Yard’ in Balcombe, and so the company name – Bretvents was born. Bretvents became the main family business for the Tarrants, and so it was inevitable that a few years later, Jim's son Keith came onboard too.
From Vents to Vanes
In the early 80s it became a real family affair when Keith took over properly, and him, his mum and his wife Vicki moved the business to a new workshop in Uckfield. To facilitate the larger fabrication contracts with WSCC and Gatwick North Terminal, they invested in new machinery; a brand- new plasma cutter. Whilst incredibly useful for cutting out ducting patterns, Vicki's artistic side soon took over, and she started to play at cutting pictures of their boys (Jake and Mark) on their ponies, which was the seedling for a new beginning.
Due to the economic downturn in the early 90s & a health scare for Keith, Vicki found herself at the forefront of the business - without Keiths technical expertise she set about creating the
very first official Profiles designs, which she drew and cut out on the kitchen table – they consisted of a hedgehog, squirrel, birds nest, cat, horse, and a mouse. With the whole family
involved, brackets were being produced & being sold at craft fairs and Christmas markets under the name The Profiles Range.
The next generation
Fast forward 20 years or so, and it was time for the next generation of Tarrant’s to join, with Jake stepping in to the family business. Although he initially turned down his dads offer of
coming onboard, after a few years enjoying his early career working with horses, he decided to return to work as a Father and Son duo at Bretvents, learning all things engineering and fabrication.
It wasn't long though before The Profiles Range well and truly took over, and they lost their workshop space to bracket storage & animal cutouts. With an HGV full of Profiles products, Jake set off attending trade shows up and down the country, Europe & even as far afield as
the USA.
After a couple of decades of working together as a family unit, tragedy hit at the beginning of 2020 when the Tarrant family lost their Patriarch and Keith sadly passed away. His funeral was a testament to the way in which he conducted himself and his business, with family, friends, ex-colleagues,
trade partners and old clients coming from 100's of miles to pay their respects. Previous employees recalled how Keith had even sold his car during the recession of the ‘90s just to
pay their wages, a sacrifice that had clearly not been forgotten almost 30 years later.
Still reeling from the loss of such an important figure in their lives, the Tarrant’s then had to turn their attention to the same problem everyone faced in 2020 - how to keep a small business running during Covid. After successfully steering them through it, in 2023 Vicki took her well-earned retirement, moving nearly 300 miles with her labrador Remmi to live with her son Mark on his farm in Yorkshire. She now enjoys her ‘quieter’ lifestyle, enjoying her horse, walking Remmie, and sitting in her favourite spot in the garden, where Keith’s ashes sit beside her, so they can both enjoy the view together.
What Friends are for
With Jake at the helm alone, a series of events unfolded that were completely out of his control & he soon faced the unthinkable, closing the doors on Bretvents, and as a result, The Profiles Range too. However, long term fabrication clients & friends of the Tarrant family, Scantech Group Ltd (run by the Stephens family), stepped in to offer their support, keen not to see such a long-standing British brand close.
Scantech have been offering quality print & signage for nearly 35 years, headed up by Peter from 1991, and he has now handed over the reins to his sons Neil & Craig, however, if you’ve ever phoned in to The Profiles Range, you may have spoken to Peters granddaughter, Charlotte. Scantech officially took over The Profiles Range in 2025, employing Jake under the Scantech umbrella to ensure the continuity, quality and values you have all come to recognise. Charlotte has also stayed on with The Profiles Range and is now managing everything at the workshop, helping to bridge the gap between both companies and families.
So whilst the original company 'Bretvents' no longer exists, its essence lives on through Jake, a Tarrant, who is still head of operations in the same metal workshops in Uckfield to this day.
