The plant hirer this morning revealed it has just bought £4m turnover lifting and materials handling company Interlift as it seeks to further expand its rental capabilities.
The deal is the firm’s first bolt-on acquisition in 10 years and comes as Hewden also starts to make an £11m investment in its mobile crane fleet, taking lifting capacity to 220 tonnes.
Hewden CEO, Adrian Murphy, said: “We see great opportunities for the lifting business and aim to double hire turnover in the next few years.”
“Interlift furthers our lifting solutions proposition taking us to new industrial customers and allows us to offer more to construction customers.”
Interlift provides an array of hoists, slings, beam and plate clamps, hydraulic lifts, height safety and man riding equipment and operates from bases in Middlesbrough, Hull and Glasgow.
Murphy also revealed Hewden planned to buy 21 Tadano all terrain mobile cranes this year, taking the hirer’s fleet lifting capability from up to 130 tonnes to 220 tonnes.
Murphy said: “2015 was about restructuring and divesting at Hewden. We got out of operated plant and cabins because we couldn’t get the margin.
“I want to take the business into technical and services innovation, helping us to offer clever on-site solutions.
“2016 is all about investment in cranes, attachments and power generation to help the business grow.
“Also we have invested heavily in the sales force in the last six month.”