ACE Winches

What ACE Winches does

ACE Winches is a UK-headquartered designer, manufacturer, and rental provider of winches and marine deck machinery, founded in 1992 with primary operations between Turriff and Aberdeen, Scotland. The company serves offshore energy (oil and gas and offshore wind), subsea intervention, and civil engineering clients, supplying high-capacity hydraulic and electric winch systems, active heave compensation equipment for offshore lifts, and supporting deck machinery deployed on vessels and rigs. Its technical capabilities span bespoke engineered systems and a globally hired rental fleet used for lifting, pulling, towing, and load-handling operations in harsh marine environments.

The business runs a capital-intensive, asset-heavy model that combines custom manufacturing with equipment hire, generating revenue through rental day rates, project contracts, and selective equipment sales. Customers are predominantly institutional and industrial — offshore wind developers, oil and gas majors (including those running major decommissioning programmes such as the Brent Field), and infrastructure contractors — typically engaged on a project-by-project basis or via multi-year framework agreements.

Since December 2023 ACE Winches has operated as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ashtead Technology, a global subsea equipment and technology provider, gaining access to broader international infrastructure and cross-sell channels. Its leadership team includes founder and CEO Alfie Cheyne, Chairman James Milne, CFO Kevin Mclardy, and CCO Valerie Cheyne. In September 2017 the company received approximately $13.5 million in funding from Balmoral Group Holdings.

Name

ACE Winches

Legal name

ACE Winches

Website

https://ace-winches.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

ACE Winches is a UK-based designer, manufacturer, and rental provider of marine winches and deck machinery, serving offshore energy and civil engineering clients globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Offshore Lifting and Winch Equipment Rental

NAICS

Material Handling Equipment Manufacturing (33392), Agriculture, Construction, and Mining Machinery Manufacturing (3331)

SIC

Construction, Mining & Materials Handling Machinery & Equip (3530), Mining Machinery & Equip (No Oil & Gas Field Mach & Equip) (3532)

akta.pro primary industry

Winches & Capstans (IMAHAJAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Deck Machinery & Mooring Systems (Winches, Windlasses, Capstans) (IMAJAIAA), Cargo Handling & Lifting Equipment (Cranes, Derricks, Hoists) (IMAJAIAB)

Keywords

• Offshore winch hire
• Lifting equipment rental
• Marine deployment solutions
• Subsea cable lay equipment
• Offshore energy mechanical services

Headquarters

HQ city

Turriff

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Equipment Rental: ACE Winches operates an extensive rental fleet of lifting, pulling and deploying equipment. The company offers equipment hire for offshore energy and civil engineering projects, supporting applications such as shore pulls, topside and jacket installation, pipe pulls, subsea tiebacks, riser installations, and cable lay operations.
2. Project Services: Bespoke equipment packages and project support services from concept design through full project delivery, including engineering support and technical expertise for complex offshore operations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

ACE Winches designs, manufactures and hires an extensive fleet of specialized lifting, pulling and deploying equipment—including hydraulic drum winches, linear winches, chain winches, reel drive systems, spooling and traction winches, fibre rope traction winches, hydraulic power units, rollers/sheaves/fairleads, A-frames, active heave compensation systems and running line monitors—for offshore energy and civil engineering applications. The company delivers bespoke equipment packages along with supporting engineering services, project support, wire rope inspection and a dedicated testing facility to global customers in oil & gas, offshore wind renewables, infrastructure and decommissioning.

Product overview

ACE Winches is an equipment rental and solutions company specializing in lifting, pulling and deploying solutions for the offshore energy and civils sectors. The company operates a portfolio of mechanical winch products (Hydraulic Drum Winches, Linear Winches, Chain Winches, Reel Drive System, Spooling and Traction Winches, Track Tensioner, Fibre Rope Traction Winches, and Hydraulic Power Units) complemented by rigging hardware (Rollers, Sheaves, Fairleads and Deflectors, A-frames and Over-boarding Frameworks), motion control systems (Active Heave Compensation, Running Line Monitors), and ancillary equipment. Services include equipment rental from an extensive global fleet, support services, wire rope inspection and lubrication, and a dedicated testing facility. The product line supports applications including shore pulls, topside and jacket installation, pipe pulls, subsea tiebacks, riser installations and cable lay. Established in 1992, the company was acquired by Ashtead Technology in December 2023.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hydraulic Drum Winches Heavy-duty hydraulic drum winches for lifting, pulling and deployment applications in offshore energy operations.
• Linear Winches Linear winches for lifting, pulling and deployment applications in offshore energy operations.
• Chain Winches Winches designed specifically for chain handling and tensioning in offshore marine lifting and deployment operations.
• Reel Drive System System for handling and deploying cable and umbilical reels during offshore lifting and deployment applications.
• Spooling and Traction Winches Spooling and traction winches for lifting, pulling and deployment applications in offshore energy operations.
• Track Tensioner Equipment for maintaining proper tension on track systems during offshore lifting and deployment operations.
• Fibre Rope Traction Winches Specialized winches designed for handling fibre rope in offshore lifting and deployment applications.
• Hydraulic Power Units Hydraulic power units providing power for lifting, pulling and deployment applications in offshore energy operations.
• Rollers, Sheaves, Fairleads and Deflectors Rigging hardware used alongside winches for lifting, pulling and deployment applications in offshore energy operations.
• A-frames and Over-boarding Frameworks A-frames and over-boarding frameworks for lifting, pulling and deployment operations in offshore environments.
• Active Heave Compensation Systems Active heave compensation equipment designed to compensate for vessel motion during offshore lifting operations, ensuring precise and safe load handling.
• Running Line Monitors Running line monitors used during lifting, pulling and deployment operations in offshore energy applications.
• Ancillary Equipment Ancillary equipment supporting lifting, pulling and deployment applications in offshore energy operations.
• Wire Rope Inspection and Lubrication Inspection and lubrication service for wire ropes used in offshore lifting and deployment operations.
• Rental Equipment Services Rental of an extensive fleet of lifting, pulling and deployment equipment supporting customers' global operations worldwide in offshore energy and civil engineering projects.
• Support Services Technical support services for lifting, pulling and deploying equipment, complementing the rental fleet with engineering expertise for complex offshore projects.
• Testing Facility Services Dedicated testing facility for validating equipment performance and reliability of lifting, pulling and deploying equipment prior to offshore deployment.

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Ashtead TechnologycoreOthers · 1 December 2023ACE Winches is an Ashtead Technology company, acquired in December 2023. The acquisition complements and bolsters Ashtead Technology's mechanical solutions division, combining ACE Winches' lifting, pulling and deploying expertise with Ashtead's broader equipment and services portfolio.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Balmoral Group: Aberdeen-based provider of offshore buoyancy, protection, and engineering products to the offshore energy sector, and a prior investor in ACE Winches. A regionally-aligned peer operating in similar offshore energy customer workflows and Aberdeen ecosystem.
• Huisman: Dutch manufacturer of heavy-duty cranes, winches, and marine equipment for offshore energy, naval, and civils applications. Directly competes with ACE in design and supply of specialised offshore winch and lifting systems, with comparable product engineering and global project delivery.
• Sparrows Group: Aberdeen-based offshore lifting and crane services provider offering crane maintenance, inspection, and engineered lifting solutions to the oil & gas and renewables sectors. Directly comparable to ACE Winches in offshore lifting equipment, customer base, and Aberdeen-headquartered service model.
• TTS Group / TTS Marine: Norwegian-based supplier of marine and offshore deck machinery including winches, cranes, and hatches. A direct competitor in the marine/offshore lifting equipment niche where ACE Winches operates.
• MacGregor (Cargotec): Part of Cargotec, MacGregor supplies marine deck machinery, offshore mooring systems, and cargo/lifting equipment for the offshore energy and shipping sectors. Overlaps directly with ACE's deck machinery, winch, and mooring equipment offerings.

Emerging players

• Axtech Workholding / Axtech Offshore: Provider of specialised offshore lifting, mechanical handling, and equipment solutions for the oil & gas and renewables sectors. A smaller emerging peer with comparable offshore customer focus and bespoke engineered product offering.

Broad incumbents

• Palfinger: Austrian global manufacturer of crane and lifting solutions across marine, offshore, and industrial segments. A larger incumbent with overlapping lifting equipment technology and similar end markets including offshore energy and infrastructure.
• Enerpac Tool Group: Global manufacturer of high-force tools, winches, and lifting equipment for industrial, energy, and infrastructure applications. Comparable in winch and heavy-lifting product portfolio, with broader industrial reach than ACE's offshore focus.
• National Oilwell Varco (NOV): Global oilfield equipment and services giant offering a broad portfolio of lifting, hoisting, and motion compensation equipment for offshore drilling and production. A larger incumbent overlapping with ACE's offshore lifting product set but serving a much wider oilfield customer base.
• Konecranes: Finland-headquartered global leader in industrial lifting equipment, cranes, and material handling. Overlaps with ACE's lifting/hoisting domain but serves a much broader industrial and port customer base rather than specialising in offshore deployment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ACEWinches

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ACE Winches