04.11.2025

450 Manitous for Ardent

The UK’s largest telehandler rental company Ardent Hire Solutions has placed a £40 million order for more than 450 new Manitou telehandlers, the largest single order ever placed with Manitou UK.

The order, part of a fleet renewal and expansion programme, includes fixed frame models from the four metre/2,000kg MT420 H sub compact to 18 metre/4,000kg MT1840s. Deliveries will get underway in January.

Chief financial officer Julian O’Neill said: “This £40 million deal with Manitou represents a pivotal moment for Ardent Hire. It’s a powerful signal of confidence – in our business, in the industry, and in the future. We are committed to providing customers with the most advanced, reliable machinery on the market, backed by our cutting edge digital platforms and exceptional service. This partnership will enable our clients to deliver projects with greater productivity, improved safety standards, and reduced costs.”

To put it into perspective, the order is roughly equivalent to just under half of Ardent’s annual fixed frame telehandler purchase requirements, if it is to maintain the average age of its fleet. After the new machines are delivered Manitou will make up over 30 percent of the Ardent fleet.

The Ardent name Ardent the new name for Fork Rent and One Call(was adopted in 2016 following the acquisition and merger of Fork Rent and One Call Hire. While this is the largest order for Manitou, Ardent has placed significantly larger orders before with JCB.

In this month’s C&A UK Top 30 rental company report Ardent declared a grand total of 3,122 telehandlers, most of them regular fixed frame models. It operates from six locations and spent a total of £55 million on new equipment last year. Total revenues in the year to the end of March 2024 were just over £70 million with a pre-tax profit of £2.8 million. Total assets were £213 million.