14.04.2023

Another acquisition for Morris Leslie

UK rental company Morris Leslie Plant Hire has acquired the assets and business of Harborough Hire Centre, including its location in Market Harborough, from owners and directors John and Deborah Bates.

All staff will have the option to transfer across to the Morris Leslie, while business will continue exactly as before but under the Morris Leslie branding.
The Bates opened Harborough Hire in 1987, incorporating the present company in 2004, it has total assets in the region of £4.5 million, with a net tangible worth of around £1.8 million. Its rental fleet includes both telehandlers and aerial work platforms.
Please register to see all images

The Harbourough Hire location

Speaking of sale of his company managing director John Bates said: “35 years ago, I opened the doors of Harborough Hire. Non operated Plant was a new concept, and the rest is history. Concentrating on great service and equipment gave us the base for our success. Morris Leslie will take this depot to the next level. Thank you to all my customers some remaining from day one. I hope you continue to support the depot, I have agreed to be available to support Morris Leslie in transition period as this is my legacy. They are taking over an amazing workforce which I can’t thank enough for all their work over the years.”

Morris Leslie was established in August 1974, as a local construction equipment sales and trading company in Rait - halfway between Dundee and Perth in Scotland. 10 years later, in March 1980 the company began renting equipment, extending the rental activity to England in 1990 when it acquired a rental business with three locations in South West - Exeter, Plymouth & Saltash.

In 2000 it acquired two locations from Cox Plant Hire, in Burgess Hill and Woking, followed by three depots from Ambrose Plant Hire in 2013. But in 2017 it took another significant step forward when it acquired four Hewden locations from the administrators, which expanded its telehandler fleet to the fourth largest in the UK. The following year it took over Chersey in Surrey and in 2021 purchased the assets and business of Selwood’s equipment rental business including its five locations.

The Harborough acquisition takes the number of equipment rental depots the company operates to 15, they are: Bedford, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Avonmouth/Bristol, Burgess Hill, Errol – Perth, Exeter Market Harborough, Inverness, Newark, Saltash, Southampton, Stockport /Manchester and Woking.