05.08.2019

GT takes Extreme

UK rental company GTAccess has acquired powered access rental company Extreme Hire, with the aim to improve its market coverage in the south east of England.

Extreme Hire is based in Hailsham, East Sussex with depots in Shepperton, Middlesex and Meriden, near Coventry. It runs a fleet of around 200 aerial work platforms and telehandlers and employs 25. The company is owned and managed by Stuart Bond, the original company, established in 2004, ran into difficulties in 2018 and went through an administration process emerging with the same name and ownership. See Extreme administration

GTAccess currently operates from six locations across the West Midlands and south Wales, with a fleet of just over 1,800 platforms.

The deal not only takes the company’s branch network to eight outlets, but also adds truck mounted platforms up to 48 metres and a range of telehandlers, both of which are new additions to the company’s fleet (GT only runs 20m/3.5t Isoli truck mounts). Both companies are members of the Access Alliance and as such follow similar working practices.

Managing director Jonathan Till said: “This acquisition will strengthen our powered access offering and will help us to continue our ambitious growth strategy. I very much look forward to welcoming the whole Extreme Hire team to the GTAccess family. Extreme Hire customers will be unaffected by the change with current managing director Stuart Bond continuing to run the two southern depots.”

Bond added: “This is a great deal for Extreme Hire customers as it will give them access to GTAccess’s depots and training centres and a combined modern and versatile powered access hire fleet of over 2,000 machines. I am really looking forward to continuing to provide a first class service to all our customers.”

GTAccess general manager Tom Long said: “We already deliver powered access platforms down to the south coast and into London, but the addition of Extreme Hire’s locations will expand our capability even further and make it easier for us to continue meeting our customers high expectations.”

Vertikal Comment

This looks like a good move for both companies, putting them both in better position to win more business from any fall out of recent acquisitions such as Loxam’s purchase of UK Platforms and Speedy’s acquisition of Lifterz etc… and cements GTAccess’ position as the eighth largest powered access rental company in the UK or Ireland. It also secures Extreme's financial position following its emergence from administration last year. The additional product lines also present further opportunities, for the GTAccess business, assuming they are added to some of the other existing locations.