Best of 2020
31 December 2020
It might seem strange to talk about highlights of 2020, given that the last 12 months have been so unusual, unpredictable and challenging.
But since it’s that time when people look…
News for Tool Hire, Equipment Hire & Plant Hire and Rental Professionals
Previous Posts - December 2020
CP Hire goes electric
30 December 2020
Coleraine-based CP Hire has taken delivery of a battery-powered JCB 19C-1E mini excavator to meet demand for users seeking environmentally-friendly equipment.
CP Hire's managing director…
Optimism shines at Illumin8
29 December 2020
As the end of this most challenging of years fast approaches, here’s a story with a brighter outlook - literally.
A major market for the specialist hirer, Illumin8 Lights, is norm…
M O’Brien adds green machine
29 December 2020
M O’Brien Plant Hire has recently added an electric telehandler to its fleet.
The Faresin 6.26 model was bought from UK dealer, GGR Group. The machine's standard 300Ah battery is…
GAP tunes in to Cornwall
28 December 2020
The site of a former Marconi radio station is the location of a new GAP depot serving the whole of Cornwall.
The company recently relocated its St Austell branch to land once occupied by…
Brexit deal is done
25 December 2020
I felt that I had to interrupt the Christmas Day activities briefly to note the historic Brexit trade deal that was reached unexpectedly yesterday between the UK and the EU.
The agreemen…
Powering through Dover
24 December 2020
Media coverage has been full of stories about the backlog of lorry drivers wanting to travel from Dover to France but who are delayed by Covid-19 concerns.
As was recorded e…
Avant in demand
23 December 2020
The need to socially distance and reduce the number of people in a work area has led to increased demand for Avant Tecno’s compact articulated loaders and attachments.
In recent ye…
Reeling in the years
22 December 2020
While many of us have been in our attics recently to unearth Christmas decorations, Terry Heal has been in his loft again to pore over his intriguing collection of hire catalogues.
Terr…
Speedy extends B&Q trial
22 December 2020
Speedy and B&Q are extending a trial in which the hirer has a presence within certain of the DIY retailer’s outlets.
The initiative started in July with Speedy concessions in n…
Ten Shindaiwas for Sunbelt
21 December 2020
It’s obviously been a challenging year, but Shindaiwa Ltd has nevertheless continued its impressive performance.
Recent developments include an order from Sunbelt Rentals for ten o…
Sales through service
21 December 2020
For many businesses, the impact of the pandemic and the furlough scheme has resulted in smaller teams handling increased workloads. Many people have taken on additional roles and new responsib…
Virus vigilance
20 December 2020
This blog was started in order to monitor the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the hire industry and how professionals would respond to the unprecedented challenges, as a historical recor…
Q & A: Sally Wray
18 December 2020
Sally Wray is managing director of GoHire in Hull, which she established in 2015 after a chance remark made her decide to change career. She’s got her hands full as the company is about…
Third-generation Takeuchi
18 December 2020
Takeuchi reports growing interest from hirers in its TB370 excavator which was launched earlier this year and fills a gap in its line-up for a 7-tonne model.
It is the first third-genera…
JCB’s big book
17 December 2020
It might need a large stocking to put it in, but a new book celebrating JCB’s 75 years in business has been published, just in time for Christmas.
The 144-page JCB Scrapbook has m…
CMA fines Vp
17 December 2020
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has fined Vp £11.2m following its finding that there has been a breach of competition law by three major suppliers of groundworks products for…
Third depot for Site Equip
17 December 2020
One of Site Equip’s key markets is normally events but, following the pandemic, the Hampshire-based hirer of portable sanitisation equipment has successfully steered towards more positiv…
Instant results
16 December 2020
Instant Tool & Plant Hire has certainly made rapid progress since its formation just a year ago.
Starting with modest premises in Crewe, during the summer it bought and re-branded C…
Low-carbon Sunbelt
15 December 2020
Sunbelt Rentals UK has helped Balfour Beatty develop a system to manage the power supply of site compounds and reduce carbon emissions across the construction company’s sites by up to 80…
Pickerings opens new depot
15 December 2020
Pickerings, the national supplier of modular buildings and portable accommodation, has opened a new depot on a five-acre site at Willenhall in the West Midlands.
The company acquired and…
Phoenix flourishes
14 December 2020
Phoenix Hire and Sales has rounded off a challenging but successful year by establishing dedicated premises in Pontypridd for its growing Survey, Safety & Training operation.
&ldquo…
Q & A: Jim Longstaff
11 December 2020
Fielding all my questions today is Jim Longstaff, chairman of Coventry-based Clements Plant & Access Hire. The company offers a broad range of tools and machinery from its single depot and…
Total finance
11 December 2020
Snorkel reports keen interest in its recently introduced Total Business Liquidity Programme designed to help companies gain access to a range of funding options for a variety of business purpo…
GAP’s Golden gift
10 December 2020
The revenue obtained from hiring out a special gold mini excavator throughout the year is enabling GAP to make a significant donation to charity.
The machine was itself gifted to the hi…
HSS applies for AIM
10 December 2020
HSS has applied for admission to the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) instead of being listed on the main London Stock Exchange.
The AIM is typically home to smaller and medium size g…
Bruno battery range
9 December 2020
The roll-out of environmentally friendly products continues and, given the government’s pledge to create a green industrial revolution, it will be maintained for a long time to come.…
Tackling late payments
9 December 2020
While the construction industry has bounced back more strongly than could have been anticipated at the start of the pandemic, the issue of late payments and bad debts is always a concern durin…
Sunbelt’s healthy results
8 December 2020
The significant volume of business arising from being designated as an essential supplier to health services tackling the Covid-19 pandemic has helped Sunbelt Rentals report a very strong perf…
Construction cheer
7 December 2020
Positive news comes from the latest PMI (purchasing managers index) data for November from IHS Markit and the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply regarding UK construction output.<…
Vp shows resilience
7 December 2020
Not surprisingly, Vp’s interim results announced today for the six months ended 30 September 2020 show revenue impacted by the pandemic.
Revenues reduced by 24% to £142.1m (2…
Q & A: Matt Dolan
4 December 2020
Matt Dolan is MD (appropriately enough!) of MD Tool Hire & Sales UK in Warrington, which he founded exactly a year ago this week. With 25 years’ industry experience, he has some stro…
Growth opportunities
4 December 2020
A good number of stories on this site during the summer reported strong demand from people on furlough wanting to hire equipment for gardening jobs.
A report by the Horticultural Trades…
Viking lands at Arvill
3 December 2020
When a water company needed to transport personnel and materials across a challenging site near Saltcoats on the North Ayrshire coast, it turned to Airdrie-based Arvill Plant and Tool Hire for…
Charity canoe challenge
2 December 2020
While we are all surely looking ahead to what will hopefully be a relaxing Christmas, two construction professionals are already focusing on next Easter.
Georgie Horgan and her father, J…
Makita cuts a dash
2 December 2020
Makita continues to add more battery powered products to its cordless tools portfolio for environmentally conscious users.
This is another example of the on-going efforts to develop gre…
Have you been Zapptized?
1 December 2020
Zapptizer must be one of the real success stories to have emerged as the world adapted to the pandemic. The UK-made sanitising agent is the result of quick cooperation between three businesses…