A-PLANT is celebrating a hat-trick of accolades at the Hire Awards of Excellence 2018.
The firm was named Plant, Tool & Equipment Hire Company of the Year (turnover over £10 million) for the third time in five years. Live, the company’s temporary access division, won the Event Industry Equipment Hire Company of the Year category, while A-Plant chief executive Sat Dhaiwal picked up the Chairman’s Award.
Richard Thomas, chief executive designate at A-Plant said, “We are thrilled to walk away with such a prestigious title for a third time. The HAE does a lot of important work for our industry so to have our team’s hard work and achievements recognised by them is a fantastic honour. Over the past 12 months our service centre network has grown by almost 20% to 185 locations and we are employing more people than ever before. We provide a highly supportive workplace for our valued colleagues and have carried out a huge 15,000 training days for our staff over the last 12 months. Over the past two years we have also invested £300 million in new rental equipment ensuring that our customers can hire the youngest, safest and most environmentally efficient equipment in the UK.”
Live, A-Plant’s temporary access division, supplied equipment for around 1,000 outdoor events during the course of 2017 including the Cheltenham Festival, the National Ploughing Championships and Open Golf.
Richard Thomas added, “Live was officially formed on 1st January 2017 following a merger of Eve and Lion Trackhire. Reflecting the formation of two of the most successful companies in the events sector, the progress made has been remarkable. We have completed a major integration plan, restructured the business, rebranded, refurbished offices, invested in new stock and vehicles and improved depot locations. Live now has a stockholding of 250km of trakway, 200km of barriers and fencing and 350 experts working for the business.”
A-Plant chief executive, Sat Dhaiwal, was presented with the Chairman’s Award after more than a quarter of the century with the business. Sat, who retires this year, was appointed CEO in 2002. He said, “I had absolutely no idea that I’d been selected for this year’s Chairman’s Award, so the announcement came as a complete surprise on the evening. Receiving such a prestigious award is a great honour, I am absolutely over the moon.”
