THE winners of the Hire Awards of Excellence 2021 have been announced during a hybrid awards ceremony – with Sunbelt Rentals scooping a stunning five awards.
Hosted by BBC Business presenter Maryam Moshiri and held in real-time in a studio, the HAE EHA’s Hire Awards of Excellence ceremony was live streamed and watched by more than 75 companies from within the hire, plant and event industries.
HAE EHA CEO Paul Gaze delivered a welcoming address before association chair Brian Sherlock announced the recipient of the Outstanding Contribution to Hire was HAE EHA’s policy and public affairs manager, Mark Bradshaw, for his campaigning throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. Brian said, “I would like to thank Mark Bradshaw on behalf of the board and members of the association for his dedication and commitment in public affairs. Mark has lobbied government on behalf of our industry to ensure hire and rental is deemed as ‘essential retail’ and classified to remain open during the first lockdown. He is continuing the journey with red diesel and hire industry theft.”
Sunbelt Rentals’ award haul comprised Best Use of New Media, SafeHire Company of the Year (turnover over £10 million), SafeHire Event Company of the Year (turnover over £3 million), Best HAE Member Covid-19 Response, and Young Apprentice of the Year (won by Lucy O’Rourke).
A number of independent firms won awards including Smiths Hire (Website of the Year); Ardent Hire Solutions (Best Sustainability and CSR Initiative); and PSM Plant & Hire Centres (SafeHire Company of the Year, Turnover up to £10 million).
A JCB and Travis Perkins partnership triumphed in the Hire Industry Product of the Year category for the 1T-2 dumper, which judges described as a great innovation that would hopefully prevent deaths and injuries.
Other individual award winners went to Charlotte Bingham from Travis Perkins (Apprentice of the Year), Andrew Smith from Speedy (Workshop Manager of the Year), and Luke Davies from Hirebase (Hire Manager of the Year and Hire Achiever of the Year).
Paul Gaze said, “Whilst holding an in-person event wasn’t possible for 2021, it was more important than ever to be able to recognise the extraordinary achievements of the hire, plant and event industries in the face of tremendous adversity. I have been amazed by the resilience shown by our members since March 2020, despite the challenges and difficulties they have dug deep to continue their businesses and protect their staff.
“We know from talking to the membership how much the Hire Awards of Excellence means to them and hope that everyone watching online enjoyed the ceremony as much as we did and made an occasion of it. The number and calibre of those companies who joined the livestream would certainly attest to that.”
All the winners and a replay of the virtual Hire Awards of Excellence 2021 can be viewed here.
