What HSS Hire does

HSS Hire, operating legally as HSS ProService Limited, is a UK-founded tool and equipment hire and sales company established in 1957. The company serves three primary customer segments — DIY homeowners, tradespeople, and professional contractors — through an omnichannel model combining a nationwide physical branch network with digital platforms including hss.com for consumers and the HSS ProService Marketplace for B2B trade accounts. The product portfolio spans hire categories such as access equipment, breaking and drilling, cleaning, concreting, powered access, pumping and drying, lifting and shifting, and safety equipment, alongside building materials including timber and joinery, kitchens, bathrooms, and landscaping products. Adjacent service lines include HSS Training (equipment operation and safety courses) and HSS Skips (waste removal).

The business operates a dual-revenue model: equipment rental on daily or weekly terms (Hire) and equipment and materials sales (Buy), which were unified through the March 2026 launch of an integrated Hire & Buy service on hss.com. The HSS ProService Marketplace platform is built on Scala and Cats functional programming with an agentic AI layer that converts unstructured supplier communications into structured API data, positioning the company as a data-driven broker across complex construction supply chains. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; hire rates are quoted at point of order and materials are sold at standard retail pricing through the e-commerce storefront, with payment processing handled via Stripe and Shopify integrations.

In 2025, Grafton Group plc completed a bolt-on acquisition of HSS Hire, integrating it into its Chadwicks Group subsidiary in the Republic of Ireland to extend the hire proposition into the Irish market. The company is registered in England and Wales (HSS ProService Limited), with its operational headquarters in Manchester at Building 2, Think Park, Mosley Road, Trafford Park, M17 1FQ. Operations now span the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, with reported group-level compliance covering GDPR, the Modern Slavery Act 2015, the Bribery Act 2010, and HMRC controlled oils registration.

Name

HSS Hire

Legal name

HSS ProService Limited

Website

https://hss.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1957

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

HSS Hire, operating as HSS ProService, is a UK and Ireland-based equipment hire and building materials supplier founded in 1957, serving DIY homeowners, tradespeople, and contractors through nationwide physical branches and the HSS ProService digital marketplace platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Mitcham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Equipment Hire: Core business of renting tools and equipment to homeowners, tradespeople, and contractors for construction, DIY, and maintenance projects. Revenue generated through rental periods (daily, weekly rates).
2. Equipment and Materials Sales (Hire & Buy): Sale of building materials, tools, and equipment through the HSS ProService Marketplace. New Hire & Buy service allows customers to purchase items alongside hiring equipment.
3. Republic of Ireland Operations: HSS Hire operations in the Republic of Ireland through Chadwicks Group subsidiary, extending the hire proposition under Grafton Group ownership.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

HSS Hire (legal entity: HSS ProService Limited) is a UK-based supplier of tools, equipment, and building materials, operating since 1957. The company rents a broad portfolio of construction and DIY equipment (access, breaking & drilling, cleaning, pumping, powered access, safety, etc.) and sells building materials, kitchens, bathrooms, and landscaping products through its HSS DIY consumer brand and HSS ProService Marketplace B2B platform, supplemented by HSS Training and HSS Skips services.

Product overview

HSS DIY is a UK-based tool hire and building materials supplier operating since 1957, offering both equipment rental and product sales through a unified platform. The core offering consists of HSS DIY (retail hire and sales operations) and HSS ProService Marketplace (B2B digital marketplace platform). The Hire & Buy Service enables customers to hire equipment and purchase building materials through a single digital platform. The extensive equipment hire portfolio includes Access Equipment, Breaking & Drilling, Building & Siteworks, Cleaning, Concreting & Compaction, Powered Access, Pumping & Drying, Safety equipment, Power, Lift & Shift, and specialized offerings like Confined Space Equipment and Drying Hire Packs (combining dehumidifiers and air movers). Building materials cover Timber & Joinery, Kitchens, Bathrooms, Gardening & Landscaping, Flooring, Painting & Decorating, Plumbing, and Power Tools. Additional services include HSS Training and HSS Skips for waste removal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Equipment Hire Rental of professional-grade tools and equipment across 20+ categories (access platforms, breakers, drills, diggers, concrete mixers, pressure washers, dehumidifiers, scissor lifts, telehandlers, confined-space equipment, etc.) on daily/weekly terms to DIY homeowners, tradespeople, and contractors across the UK.
• Hire & Buy Service Integrated digital service combining equipment hire and building-materials purchase in one transaction, allowing customers to rent equipment and buy consumables/materials (e.g., timber, landscaping) for the same project.
• Building Materials and DIY Products Sales

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration12 records

AI capability2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• HSS Group (hsshiregroup.com)coreOthersHSS Group (hsshiregroup.com) is the parent/holding company structure. The Group also includes HSS Training (hsstraining.com) for training services and HSS Skips for waste removal services.
• Chadwicks GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHSS Hire operates as part of Chadwicks Group subsidiary in the Republic of Ireland following Grafton Group's acquisition. Chadwicks Group is a leading builders merchant in Ireland, and HSS extends Chadwicks' hire proposition in the Irish market.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Ashtead Group (Sunbelt Rentals): Ashtead Group is the parent of Sunbelt Rentals, the largest equipment rental operator in North America and a growing UK/Europe player. It overlaps with HSS in general tool and equipment hire but at much greater scale and with deeper B2B specialisation, making it a broad incumbent rather than direct head-to-head competitor.
• H&E Equipment Services: H&E Equipment Services is one of the largest integrated equipment rental providers in the US, offering aerial work platforms, earthmoving, and industrial equipment. It is a broad incumbent comparable to HSS in business model (fleet rental + sales + service) and category overlap, but operates only in North America.
• United Rentals: United Rentals is the world's largest equipment rental company, primarily North American but with global reach. It is a broad incumbent benchmark for HSS's category rather than a direct UK competitor, providing a useful comp on rental-fleet operating model and digital platform evolution.

Direct peers

• Aggreko: Aggreko is a UK-listed specialist in temporary power, temperature control, and industrial rental, overlapping directly with HSS's power, cooling, and pumping categories. It serves similar large contractors and events customers and competes on fleet depth in temperature control and generators.
• Travis Perkins: Travis Perkins is a UK builders' merchant group that also offers tool hire services alongside its core materials distribution. Comparable to HSS at the customer-overlap level (tradespeople and contractors) and increasingly in building materials sales through Hire & Buy type propositions.
• Selwood: Selwood is a privately-held UK pump and equipment rental specialist serving construction, utilities, and emergency-response customers. Comparable to HSS in pumping/drying and broader hire categories, with comparable UK footprint and customer base.
• VP plc: VP plc is a UK-listed equipment rental group operating specialist brands (VPS, UK Forks, Groundforce) across construction, infrastructure, and test/hire services. Comparable to HSS in B2B hire focus and UK/Ireland footprint, with deeper category specialisation.
• Speedy Hire: Speedy Hire is one of HSS's closest UK direct competitors, providing tool and equipment hire to trade, construction, and infrastructure customers through a nationwide branch network. Overlap with HSS is near-total across product categories (access, power, pumping) and customer segments.
• Gap Group: Gap Group is a UK equipment rental specialist (powered access, telehandlers, plant) serving construction and events. Comparable to HSS in target customer (B2B contractors) and category overlap (powered access, plant hire), though smaller and more specialised.

Regional players

• Boels Rental: Boels is a large European equipment rental operator (Netherlands-headquartered, privately held) active across Benelux, UK, Germany, and other European markets. Comparable in fleet breadth and product categories to HSS, but primarily continental European with limited overlap in the UK.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hsshire
• Facebookfacebook.com/hsshire
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hss-hire

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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

M&A7 records

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about HSS Hire