10/07/2026
Tbox Tech free to enter bold new era
It’s a trailblazer in inventory and vending systems – and after moving onto Aycliffe Business Park last year, Tbox Tech feels it’s finally arrived.
Tbox – trading as Tbox Tech – has been incorporated for almost 13 years. Founded by Jon Elwell, its inventory management systems have changed the ways firms track and manage their stock – although until recently, the technology was licensed through a third party and Tbox Tech operated more on a consultancy basis.
Last year, however, that 10-year deal ended, leaving Tbox Tech free to develop and trade its products on its own terms.
And now, from its base in Sydney House on Ricknall Avenue, it’s all systems go for a firm that remains a true family affair, with CEO Jon still developing and refining the products, wife Tracey general manager and son Jayden, 22, the business development manager.
Buoyed by a double award win at the Make Your Marks Awards (see pages 17 and 23 of this issue), it’s about to deliver on a major deal to install seven RFID industrial vending machines at a big automotive site.
And that, says Jayden, is just the start of an exciting new era.
He said: “I’d describe 2025 as an arrival for us. We were waiting to do our own thing but couldn't because of the licence agreement.
“Now that’s no longer in play, we've got a great opportunity to run with it.”
The original tech, explains Jayden, dates back to the mid-2000s, when Jon began developing and patenting various groundbreaking RFID and vending systems for manufacturers
Since then, he’s continually developed and refined them. The patented ProVyda 2.0 industrial vending system, for example, has around seven times the capacity of the closest comparable machines.
Jon continues to pioneer Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology, developing yet more game-changing solutions. The latest innovation, the RFID Smart Locker, automatically updates stock levels and usage data in real time whenever an item is stored or retrieved, providing complete visibility and control of inventory.
Jayden said: “We're still at the head of the pack. I was a kid when all this tech was originally conceived and invented but even back then, it was leaps ahead of anyone else.
“The things others are starting to do now, Jon’s been doing since 2009 and he’s refined it to the ‘nth’ degree.”
Jayden says moving to the business park permanently has been a “game-changer” for Tbox, which previously ran from The Work Place and the family home.
He said: “It's been a great move for us. We have technology in the premises so we can demonstrate our products, and we also assemble and make some parts here.”
Running the business alongside family, he says, is going “surprisingly well”.
He said: “We have the odd robust discussion, but we're all on the same page. We all believe in what we're doing because we see the results happening in front of us – people seeing the technology and saying, ‘Wow, that's brilliant’.”
But what does the ‘Tbox’ in Tbox Tech stand for?
He explained: “Treasure box. When Jon set it up, one of his close friends said, ‘Stop letting people into your treasure box for all the ideas and the technology’ – people were trying to get a piece of the pie, so to speak.”
And Jayden – Who created the company's website and is responsible for its marketing, brand development, and overall promotion. – says there’s plenty more in that treasure box to help move the firm forward.
He said: “For us, the greatest satisfaction is seeing not just the benefits to companies, but to the person on the shop floor. I see some awful storerooms and setups out there – it’s a real issue.
“We’re proud to be in a position where we can deliver a cost-effective solution, which is going to help the person on the shop floor, the purchasing department and the CEO with their bottom line.”
Visit www.tboxtech.com
