HSS is ready to 'set the pace' in tool hire

HSS is promising to "set the pace" in the tool hire market now it is an independent company (CJ 9 January).
Deputy chairman Lister Fielding told CJ that acquisitions are an immediate priority. "The opportunity for acquisitions was off limits when we were part of the Davis Group. But further consolidation in the tool hire market is inevitable."
Fielding bemoaned some missed opportunities in recent years, most notably the Jewson stand-alone hire shops, which were sold to Speedy Hire in 2002. But he is confident that many more opportunities exist.
New chief executive Paul Nolan last week launched HSS's new catalogues. For the first time, one company has produced three different brochures to meet the needs of its three separate customer groups - construction, specialist and DIY. He also announced an overhaul of the branch network into a hub and spoke operation and said HSS is seeking strategic alliances with major contractors.