04.01.2016

Stephen Rodgers 1951- 2015

We have received the sad news today that Stephen Rodgers, the joint founder of UK Platforms, passed away on December 30th after suffering a stroke. He was 64.

Rodgers spent most of his career in the access rental industry starting out with Search at the tender age of 18 and then moving on to PTP and Ainscough Access, before setting up UK Platforms.

Rodgers founded UK Platforms in 2000 with Shane Smith, the two had previously worked together as managers for PTP which was purchased by Loxam – becoming Loxam Access. The two left the company, joining ex PTP director Tony Dearie at the short lived Ainscough Access division.
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Steve Rodgers

When, after a year, Ainscough Crane hire decided that the access business was not one that it felt comfortable with, it exercised an option that it had negotiated when sourcing its access fleet from Haulotte – to return all units to the manufacturer rather than paying for them.
This action provided the catalyst for the two colleagues to form UK Platforms with the support of Haulotte and the ex-Ainscough Access fleet.

Smith and Rodgers were later joined by an old PTP colleague, Tim South, who became financial director. The new company expanded rapidly to over 1,300 units spurring an all-out UK price war in 2000/2001, this along with the pains of expanding too rapidly, caused a default leading to Haulotte stepping in and taking over in early 2004. Later Rodgers went on to manage a number of pubs throughout the UK,

His funeral will be held at Rawdon Crematorium 13th January at 15.40. His daughters and family would like to welcome all his old friends and colleagues to join them to celebrate his life. And afterwards at The Brownlee Arms, Long Row, Horsforth LS18 5AA.