Hirepool’s purchase of Hirequip was finalised recently, with the newly-created business targeting a range of growth opportunities nationwide.
Mike Foureur, executive director of New Zealand Rental Group, which owns Hirepool, announced the settlement of the industry-transforming transaction.
“This is the most exciting transaction in the history of the hire industry in New Zealand. We are delighted to have brought these two industry leaders together, and see many strong opportunities for the combined businesses,” Mr Foureur says.
“With our New Zealand-wide footprint, we will be providing greater nationwide capabilities, a ‘best in class’ fleet and the most experienced staff in the industry.”
Hirepool chief executive Mark Powell, who will be continuing with the company, said it would be making a significant investment in updating assets and expanding its product range.
“Our focus is very much on growing the business. We have identified a number of opportunities where there are gaps in the New Zealand rental market, and we intend to invest considerable capital expenditure to fill those gaps and augment our offering to our customer base,” Mr Powell says.
“This merger will allow us to better service our customers while adding tangible value to the services we provide them, via improved assets and an enhanced branch network which gives us unparalleled access to all regions of the country.”
Mr Powell says all Hirequip employees have been offered, and accepted, positions under the new ownership structure.
Mr Foureur says Hirequip, with its emphasis on heavy equipment, and Hirepool, which concentrates on specialist and SME markets, provide a complementary customer offering and broad operational capabilities.
“Obviously, we will be undertaking a comprehensive review across both businesses to identify duplication, but our main aim here is growth through an enhanced product offer and unrivalled customer service.
“At the end of the day, equipment hire is all about having the best equipment supported by the best people — and our combined group has both.”
“In the meantime, for all our customers it remains business as usual. Both Hirepool and Hirequip will continue to operate under their own names in the near term, although that is likely to change further down the track. We look forward to making some exciting announcements in the coming months,” Mr Foureur says.
Hirequip chief executive Brian Stephen, who will also remain with the business, said it was an exciting time to be in the equipment hire industry.
“This merger offers many benefits that enable us to harness the potential that exists within the industry. For example, we are already doing a lot of work in Canterbury and, given our expanded resources, that will grow in the coming years,” he says.
“We also believe the Christchurch rebuild will take longer than some pundits are currently predicting, so that will be a sustained effort for us going forward.”
