John F Hunt acquires Morris
5 August 2022
John F Hunt Group has announced the purchase of the Morris Site Machinery business and its assets from the Morris family for an undisclosed sum.
The business, whose main brands include Denyo generators, ArcGen welder generators and Hilta pumps and pressure washers, will henceforth be known as Morris Machinery.
John F Hunt is a long-established customer of Denyo via Morris, and the deal was sealed in June following a visit to Denyo’s headquarters in Japan by the John F Hunt board. Terms were agreed to transfer the exclusive rights to market and support all Denyo products in the UK.
The agreement also involves Chris Morris remaining as part of the management team. All staff have been retained at the Wolverhampton-based business, which will relocate shortly to new premises in Shrewsbury.
John F Hunt already operates in excess of 500 Denyo generators, but the intention is to expand the Morris Machinery offering to the UK market by adding solar and hydrogen powered options. The new company will continue to manufacture and market Hilta pumps and pressure washers, as well as ArcGen welders.
Director David Hunt, commented, “This was a natural fit for us to further diversify the business. Denyo are considered by many to be the ‘Rolls-Royce’ of the generator industry, widely known for their reliability and excellent residual value.
“This move also gives us exclusive access to their research and development work on hydrogen fuel cells and dual fuel power systems, so we are excited that Morris Machinery has become part of the John F Hunt Group and see a wealth of opportunities for the company in the future.”
The Group’s interests include demolition, civil engineering, waste and recycling, environmental monitoring, asbestos abatement, equipment hire and power generation.
Chris Morris said: “We are delighted that our long-standing collaborative working relationship with John F Hunt sees our business becoming part of this highly successful operation.
“I am looking forward to continuing my association with the business which we are proud to have built over the past decade, along with the excellent site machinery team, as we move onto the next chapter and exciting opportunities ahead.”
● Family-owned Morris & Co acquired the ArcGen business in 2006, and the pump maker Hilta the following year. It bought the lighting tower manufacturer SMC (Sandhurst Manufacturing) in 2010, a brand that it sold last year. The Morris Site Machinery name was adopted in 2013.
