13.11.2020

Speedy Powered Access

UK rental group Speedy has merged its powered access acquisitions into a single operation

The company built its powered access business on the backs of three key acquisitions, adding Prolift and Platform Sales & Hire in late 2017 and Lifterz in March 2019. It is now formalising the process of integration towards the single entity of Speedy Powered Access. The powered access operation has been led by managing director Andy Briggs since he joined the company from Nationwide Platforms in March.
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In the past six months the last remaining owners of the acquired businesses have departed, with Duncan Howard a previous owner of Platform Sales & Hire leaving in June, while Ben Bowers of Lifterz called it a day during the summer.

The Speedy Powered Access fleet now totals around 8,500 machines - boosted by the purchase of 100 Haulotte Star 10 mast booms at the end of last year - with further investment planned over the winter period. The division operates from 11 dedicated powered access ‘specialist service centres’ across the UK, with access to Speedy’s general rental locations. The merged operation also provides training, used equipment sales, and long term rental maintenance packages.

The company has also recruited Marc Johnson as head of engineering, he joined the business at the end of October after 18 months with Riwal (see: Marc Johnson joins Riwal. Prior to that he was UK technical director for Nationwide Platforms.
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Marc Johnson

Speedy has also named David Burns as regional manager for the South East. He joined the company in August after more than 13 years with AFI-Uplift, most recently as southern region operations manager. He began his career in the retail sector in 1998, initially as a restaurant manager for Enigma Retail, leaving after three years for Martin McColls where he was appointed as a cost analyst. He joined AFI as depot operations controller in 2007 moving into the regional operations job seven years later.
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David Burns

Andy Briggs said: “We have made a number of strategic investments in powered access recently and grown our offering into a major specialism that complements Speedy’s wider equipment and services business. The launch of the new national brand combines the wealth of expertise with our vast fleet to deliver an industry leading simple, standardised, end-to-end service for our customers across the UK. With hire, sales, asset servicing and training provision, we now provide a one stop shop with the expertise of a trusted specialist powered access supplier, coupled with the service level and availability of a large national networked business.”