Plant hire unaffected by credit crunch, says report

The plant hire industry has so far managed to avoid the more serious consequences of the credit crunch, according to the annual Plant Hire Investment Report.

Last year the total fleet value of the top 75 plant hire companies grew to more than £6bn, an increase of over 25%.

The sector has also continued to consolidate, with a few large companies dominating the sector. The top three companies account for 46% of the fleet value of the biggest 75 companies; the top five account for 60% and the top ten 71%.

The top five companies by fleet size identified in the report were Ashtead, Aggreko, Hewden, Speedy hire and Lavendon.