Weekly roundup: Sunbelt HVO deal | Vp specialty move | Kennards acquisition

Photo: Sunbelt Rentals

It was a busy week for the UK equipment rental industry in the week that was Nov 20-26.

For starters, Sunbelt Rentals UK and Kier announced a new partnership that will see Sunbelt become the official supplier of Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) to the UK-based contractor.

Kier said the partnership will play a key role in meeting its carbon reduction targets, with which it aims to achieve net zero emissions by 2045 and net zero for scopes 1 and 2 by 2039 through a series of near-term greenhouse gas reduction targets and various industry commitments.

In the next 12 months it expects to use more than 3 million litres of HVO fuel, replacing diesel use in its fleet vehicles and equipment and delivering a reduction in Scope 1 carbon emissions of more than 6,000 tonnes, as well as helping to improve local air quality.

Meanwhile, Vp plc launched a new rail division and said that it will give customers a direct access to all of its rail specialisms.

The company said the launch of Vp Rail, which it describes as an “integrated rail solution”, creates a new end market focus and will give customers direct and easier access to its scale and rail capabilities from across its divisions.

Staying in the UK, GAP Group appointed James Anderson as managing director of its operations in the north. Anderson first joined the company in 2016 as major account manager and has held a number of senior roles, most recently as the head of asset management and supply chain.

In his new role, Anderson will oversee the plant and tools, non-mech, and welfare divisions across Scotland, the North East, and North West.

North America news

Focusing on North America, results from the Candian Rental Association and the American Rental Association painted a mixed outlook for North America. 

The results, available here, reveal that construction equipment rental firms in North America are expected to see slower growth in rental revenues in the next few years as the markets in the United States and Canada are softening.

Elsewhere, North America’s access and rental industry celebrated the best of the best on the evening of Nov 20 with six winners taking home top honors at the inaugural Working at Height Conference & Awards.

Jointly organized between Access, Lift & Handlers magazine and the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF), the Working at Height Conference & Awards combined the ALH Conference & Awards with IPAF’s Innovate Workshop. A full list of winners can be found here.

Other rental news

Aggreko reported steady growth in its business during the first nine months of 2024, with underlying revenues up 13% to US$2.078 billion and operating profit 17% higher at $455 million.

The UK-based company, which has been investing heavily in new forms of power including battery energy storage, cleaner fuels and solar parks, reported 16% growth in North America to $784 million, led by work in petrochemicals, refining and construction.

In Australia, Kennards Hire  expanded its businesses in Moss Vale in the South Highlands of New South Wales by acquiring MV Hire.

Kennards Hire said the new branch marks its 63rd location in Australia, and the acquisition underscores its commitment to delivering exceptional service and building strong community partnerships throughout the region.

Rounding up news from this week, Bauma China kicked off, a day after the International Rental Conference, in Shanghai, China.

The first day a notable for packed aisles and a host of ‘giant’ and new-power machines. These included an 82.3m working height telescopic boom from Zoomlion, a 180m3/hr capacity concrete pump powered by hydrogen fuel cell and batteries from the same OEM, and the first battery powered telehandler from MEWP specialist LGMG.

The show opened with expectations of more than 200,000 visitors.