17.08.2026

Peter ‘Pete’ Mathew Ellis 1961 - 2026

On Friday, we received the tragic news that access industry veteran Peter Ellis had died.

He passed away suddenly and without warning on Thursday, August 13th in Dubai, where he had lived for the past 12 years. He was apparently preparing to head out for a game of tennis, one of his favourite sports, when he died. He was 65 in January.

Peter Ellis spent almost his entire working life in the access industry, starting out with scaffold, tower, aerial lift and specialist platform and staging manufacturer Planet Platforms in the early 1990s, becoming one of the owners and remaining a director for many years.

Early on in the new Millennium, he joined CTE UK where he worked with Brian King on the launch of the Power Tower, low level platform. Joining Power Towers when it was set up, he remained on board through its acquisition by JLG in 2015, having moved to the Middle East in 2014 as general manager, Power Towers Middle East. He played a critical role in Power Towers' considerable success in the region during the years when he was 'leading the charge'.

At the start of 2021, he joined Dingli as general manager of its Middle East operation, which also covers North Africa. In the years since then, he has played a major role in gaining a solid market share for the manufacturer throughout the region and was involved in setting up its service operation in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

He also played an active role with IPAF in the region, becoming chairman of its Middle East Regional Council in 2019.

Peter Ellis was a highly consistent, professional, knowledgeable, reliable, smart and decent individual and always good company, no matter what the occasion. He will be missed and mourned by a wide swathe of the access industry.

A statement from Dingli Middle East said: “We are deeply saddened by the passing of Peter Ellis, general manager of Dingli Middle East. Since joining Dingli in 2021, Peter led our team across GCC and North Africa, leaving a lasting legacy for Dingli’s growth in the Middle East market.”

“A highly respected industry veteran, he was known for his wisdom and humility toward colleagues and partners. His passing is a tremendous loss to all of us. We will honour his legacy and continue the work he passionately built. Our sincere condolences go to Peter’s family and loved ones. May he rest in peace.”

We will update and add to this report over the coming week.