GAP Group has expressed its delight after winning the Large Business of the Year category at the Scotland Business of the Year Awards 2026.
The Glasgow-headquartered hire specialist told Project Plant that the recognition reflects its roots as a business that has stayed true to its founding values since Gordon Anderson established the firm from a single depot in 1969.
Now boasting around 2,200 employees and 200 depots nationwide, GAP has grown to become the UK’s largest independent hire company and the second largest fleet operator in the country, all while remaining family-owned.
MD Mark Anderson attributes the company’s growth to disciplined organic expansion rather than acquisition, alongside a deliberate focus on the UK market over international ambitions. The family dimension remains central to what the award represents, with the business now preparing for a third generation to take the reins.
Mark Anderson said, “We’re keeping it in the family for a third generation. We see this recognition as validation that a patient, long-term approach can still compete in a hire industry increasingly shaped by consolidation, and as encouragement to keep building GAP the same way for years to come.”
GAP was presented with the accolade at a ceremony in Glasgow.
There was further good news for the Scottish plant sector at the event, with Muir of Ord-based Stoddart Crane Hire triumphing in the Family Business category. Founded in 2004 by David Stoddart, the company started out with just one crane. More than 20 years later, the family-run firm has evolved into a leading crane hire and specialist lifting business, with David now working alongside his children, Kerri and Ewan.
Today, Stoddart employs 35 people, operates a modern fleet of cranes ranging from five to 250 tonnes, and has invested more than £3 million in recent years in cranes, specialist equipment, and skilled workers. The company exhibited at ScotPlant 2026 earlier this year.
David Stoddart said, “We started with one crane and a belief that doing the job properly would always matter. To see the business recognised nationally, with Kerri and Ewan helping carry it forward, is incredibly special. This award is for the whole Stoddart Crane Hire team.”
