UK rental and training company Astley Hire is celebrating 60 years in business.
The Astley team outside its headquarters on Jury Street in Leigh
Based in Leigh, Northwest England, Astley Hire traces its roots back to 1963, when Cyril and Mildred Dorricott bought a hardware and grocery shop in Astley Green, west of Manchester. In 1966, after spotting demand for water pump rental locally, Cyril bought the business’s first pump to rent out alongside the shop, marking the start of Astley Hire. The family business expanded through the 1970s as the founders’ sons, Stephen and Michael, joined the company and trained on the rental counter, they took over when their parents stepped down in 1982, with the current corporate entity set up in 1985. The company moved to its Jury Street facility in Leigh in 2006.
The company's first store in Astley Green in 1963
Over time, it has diversified into powered access - from 1999 - and industrial cleaning equipment - from 2015 - while its IPAF and PASMA approved training centre has been operating for 20 years with, the company says, 950 individuals trained last year.
Astley's first facility at Moss Industrial Estate, also in Leigh, before the move to Jury Street
Managing director Michael Dorricott said: “The business has come a long way. Our parents would be surprised by the team of 25 employees we have today and the range of equipment now available. But we have tried to keep the same approach to customer service, reliability and quality.”
One of the first company vehicles
Today the company runs a fleet of aerial work platforms, including scissor, mast and boom lifts up to 21 metres, push arounds, 16 vehicles and scaffold. In addition to platform rental, it offers a range of services, with separate departments covering heating, cooling and cleaning, as well as operator training.
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