GAP Group anticipates move into power and access rentals

UK plant and tool hire company GAP Group is to establish more specialist divisions to add to the Lifting and Non-mechanical plant divisions launched in the past three years.

Douglas Anderson, who is joint managing director of the Glasgow-based rental company, told International Rental News (IRN) that GAP would add specialist divisions for products such as power and powered access in the future.

"The effort and investment in the national plant and tool business now gives us economies of scale", said Mr Anderson, "We've got scale, national coverage, brand awareness, so we can start stretching the brand."

Around 80% of business with the lifting and non-mechanical plant divisions is with existing customers, and these divisions are already generating around 7-8% of revenues on an annualised basis.

"I don't know in what order [the new divisions will be launched], but if we continue to grow why wouldn't we do it?", he told IRN. Mr Anderson said GAP's customers were asking for a wider range of equipment.

He told IRN that specialist divisions could represent up to 25-30% of revenues five years from now, even after taking into account the significant growth planned for the core plant and tools business.

GAP started with a non-mechanical plant division in 2009 - renting fences, props and steel plates - but more significant was the establishment of the lifting division at the start of 2011. That division, which supplies chain hoists, jacks, stone handling tools and conveyors, now has around 18 locations, with 12 opened in 2011, a further 10 this year and the same number scheduled to open in 2013.

Read the full interview with Douglas Anderson in the Sept-Oct issue of IRN.