THE owners of a plant hire firm with a fleet of over 2,500 pieces of equipment have used a business finance facility to return ownership of the company into family hands.
B&W Plant Hire & Sales Ltd, which has depots in Blackburn, Keighley, Northwich and Southampton, utilised a £3.5 million invoice discounting facility from Skipton Business Finance to support a de-merge from a corporate group that acquired a stake in the business in 2022.
Bill and Mary Whitwell founded Whitwell Plant Hire in Barrow, Lancashire, in 1963, acquiring their first new machine, a JCB 3C, in 1965. After their separation in 1975, Bill continued in the industry, building a fleet that included Volvo BM A20 dump trucks, O&K excavators, and Komatsu dozers.
In 1988, he briefly ventured into the hotel business before returning to plant hire in 1994, establishing B&W Plant Hire. His son, William Whitwell, now MD, joined in 1998 when the fleet had around 50 machines.
Today, B&W operates over 2,500 machines, ranging from micro-excavators to 50-tonne models.
William Whitwell said, “I’m thrilled to be leading the business once again, with renewed motivation and optimism for the future. Thanks to the exceptional support from Skipton Business Finance, we’ve not only regained full ownership of our business but also unlocked exciting new growth opportunities. Their invoice discounting facility empowers us to expand our team, invest in state-of-the-art machinery, and embrace digitalisation – enhancing efficiency and ensuring long-term sustainability.”
Adam Bradbury, regional sales director at Skipton Business Finance, added, “With their aim of returning to being a family-owned business, B&W needed a strong and flexible funding solution that will support the business moving forwards – and it was a pleasure to be able to assist. We support businesses across various industries, but helping a family run business back into family ownership and put in place the foundations for long-term growth brings us real satisfaction.”
