19.02.2015

Ivor Kiddle 1925-2015

We have just received the sad news that Ivor Kiddle, the founder and previous owner of UK based crane and access company Quinto Crane and Plant Ltd, passed away on Saturday.

Kiddle spent most of his career in the crane business, although he started out in construction. He was a director of the concrete construction division of the Pointer group when it formed a crane and equipment rental business in 1966. Two years later he became general manager of the crane business which was run as Pointer Cranes, with a distinctive pointer dog logo.

The Pointer group was acquired by RMC-Ready Mixed Concrete in 1970, mainly for the group’s sand and gravel pits, however it kept the crane and equipment rental operation until 1977 when Kiddle led a Management Buy Out and renamed it as Quinto, to reflect the company's five depots.
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Ivor Kiddle

He sold the business last October to a local agricultural contractor Oliver Arnold of the Spring Farm Partnership - see: New owner for Quinto. Also see the article on Quinto in the latest issue of Cranes & Access - See Mobile tower cranes – Cranes & Access February.

Kiddle did a great deal more than found a major crane hire company, he also played a major role in the early days of the Construction Plant Hire Association and was elected onto the CPA Council in October 1979 and served as the council member for the London and South East regions for 19 years, before stepping down in October 1998. He remained an active member of the council, representing the association on various CITB committees until 2002.

During this time, he also served as a trustee of the association, with Tony Chapman (who passed away on 7th January) Bill Law, Ronnie Stuart and Keith Chaundy. In 2002 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award (at the Vertikal organised Crane Dinner) for his work in establishing industry associations.

Oliver Arnold said: “Ivor Kiddle built Quinto into a substantial crane hire company with eight depots across East Anglia and the East Midlands with a staff of over 125 people. Under his leadership, Quinto was very much a family business and that extended to the staff. There are many instances of multiple family members working for the company. For instance, a father and daughter worked at Norwich head office and the daughter’s husband is a crane driver at the depot. Ivor believed in these close ties."

“As the new owners we are continuing the family business model hoping that our children will one day take over the firm. When purchasing the company during the extended sale process we came to know the Kiddle family well. The sale process went very well due to their straight forward transparent approach. We finished the process as friends, so it was with great sadness to learn of Ivor's passing. Hannah and myself along with the staff offer our condolences to Mr Kiddle’s family and friends.”

We plan to update this item as we receive more information and can do justice to a major figure within the UK crane industry over many years. If you have any material or photographs to share with us, please do get in touch.

Funeral arrangements

The funeral will be held funeral is to be held on Tuesday the 17th March at 10.30 am at:
Earlham Crematorium
193 Earlham Road,
Norwich NR2 3RG