Boels Rental

What Boels Rental does

Boels Rental is a privately held Dutch equipment rental company founded in 1926 and headquartered in Sittard, Netherlands. It rents construction equipment, machines, and tools through a network of more than 830 branches across 27 countries, with a fleet of over 860,000 hire items spanning scissor lifts, excavators, battery tools, lighting towers, and — following the 2024 Riwal acquisition — aerial work platforms. Its customer base is broad: large construction companies are the primary segment, with independent contractors, private individuals, and specialized sectors (offshore, industrial, infrastructure, events) forming the remainder.

The business operates a usage-based rental model with quote-based pricing that varies by equipment type, duration, and customer requirement. Customer engagement runs through a digital website (branch locator and product catalog) and the OneCall service, a single-point-of-contact channel aimed at enterprise customers managing multi-equipment projects. There is no disclosed proprietary software platform, mobile application, or public API; the technology footprint is described as a digital platform and website for customer engagement and rental management, and pricing is not publicly disclosed.

In June 2024 Boels completed its acquisition of Riwal, a Dutch aerial work platform specialist (announced March 2024). The deal added €314 million in annual revenue, took the combined fleet valuation to approximately €3.6 billion, and established Boels as the second-largest aerial platform rental fleet in Europe and the sixth largest globally. The acquisition extended the geographic footprint into the Middle East and South Asia. No standalone Boels revenue figure is disclosed.

Name

Boels Rental

Legal name

Boels Rental Ltd.

Website

https://boels.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1926

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Boels Rental is a Dutch equipment rental company operating 830+ branches across 27 countries with a fleet of 860,000+ hire items. It serves construction, industrial, infrastructure, and event customers with usage-based rental of machines, tools, and aerial work platforms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Equipment Rental Services

NAICS

Construction, Mining, and Forestry Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing (532412), Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing (5324)

SIC

Construction Machinery & Equip (3531), Construction, Mining & Materials Handling Machinery & Equip (3530), Services-Miscellaneous Equipment Rental & Leasing (7350)

akta.pro primary industry

Lifting & Hoisting Rental & Leasing (IMAHAJAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cranes & Heavy Lifting Equipment Rental/Leasing (TLABAFAD), Industrial Power & Energy Equipment Rental/Leasing (Generators, Light Towers, Compressors) (TLABAFAG)

Keywords

• Equipment rental services
• Construction equipment hire
• Machine rental
• Tool hire
• Aerial platform rental

Headquarters

HQ city

Sittard

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Equipment Rental: Boels generates revenue through rental of construction equipment, machines, and tools. The company offers over 860,000 hire items across various categories including scissor lifts, excavators, battery tools, lighting towers, and specialized equipment for construction, industrial, offshore, and event sectors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Boels Rental rents construction equipment, machines, and tools through a network of more than 830 branches across 27 countries, offering over 860,000 hire items including scissor lifts, excavators, battery tools, lighting towers, and aerial work platforms. The company provides professional advice, 24/7 service, certified well-maintained equipment, ECO label machines for sustainability compliance, and the OneCall service as a single point of contact for comprehensive project support.

Product overview

Boels Rental is a single-platform equipment and tool rental company offering over 860,000 hire items across multiple categories. The product portfolio includes core equipment rentals such as scissor lifts, battery tools, lighting towers, and excavators, complemented by the OneCall service for unified customer contact. The acquisition of Riwal added aerial work platforms (AWP) to their fleet, establishing Boels as a leading European equipment rental provider with approximately €3.6 billion in combined fleet value. The company serves diverse sectors including construction, offshore, industrial, and logistics, with over 830 branches across 27 countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Scissor Lifts Aerial work platform equipment enabling elevated working positions for construction and maintenance tasks, rented to construction firms, contractors, and industrial operators.
• Battery Tools Cordless power tools for construction and industrial applications, part of the eco-friendly ECO label equipment range offered to contractors and trade users.
• Lighting Towers Mobile lighting equipment for construction sites, events, and industrial applications requiring temporary illumination, rented to construction, event, and industrial customers.
• Excavators Earth-moving excavation equipment for construction, mining, and infrastructure projects, rented to construction firms and infrastructure operators.
• OneCall Service Single-point-of-contact service providing one call, one contact, one solution for all rental needs, offering consolidated customer support and personalised assistance primarily to enterprise customers.
• Aerial Work Platforms (AWP) Specialised elevated work platform equipment for aerial access, made available to customers following Boels' 2024 acquisition of Riwal, establishing Boels as the second-largest aerial platform rental fleet in Europe and sixth globally.

Quantifiable outcome

• Second-largest aerial platform rental fleet in Europe and sixth globally following Riwal acquisition
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• RiwalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 March 2024Boels Rental announced the acquisition of Riwal, a Dutch aerial platform rental company. The acquisition adds €314 million in annual revenue, expands Boels' presence across Europe, Middle East, and South Asia, and establishes Boels as the second-largest aerial platform rental fleet in Europe and sixth globally. The combined fleet is valued at approximately €3.6 billion.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Nishio Rent All: Nishio Rent All is Japan's largest equipment rental company, offering construction machinery, aerial platforms, and event equipment. Comparable in business model and product breadth, though it operates almost exclusively in Japan.
• Kennards Hire: Kennards Hire is an Australia and New Zealand equipment rental specialist offering a similar mix of construction, DIY, and trade equipment via a branch network. It is comparable in business model and customer segments but operates in a different geography.
• HSS Hire Group: HSS is a UK-focused tool and equipment hire company serving construction, industrial, and retail customers. It is comparable in tool hire and small/medium contractor segment, though smaller in fleet and aerial platform exposure than Boels.

Direct peers

• Loxam: Loxam is the largest equipment rental company in Europe and Boels' closest direct competitor, offering a comparable mix of construction, aerial, and tool rental across multiple European countries with a similar branch-based model.

Others

• Algeco (Modulaire Group): Algeco is a European leader in modular space and portable storage rental. It is not a direct equipment rental competitor but is highly adjacent, often co-serving the same construction and infrastructure customers on large projects.

Broad incumbents

• Ashtead Group (Sunbelt Rentals): Ashtead owns Sunbelt Rentals, the second-largest rental company in North America with growing UK/European exposure through Sunbelt UK. It directly competes in aerial platforms and general construction equipment rental with similar scale ambitions.
• United Rentals: United Rentals is the world's largest equipment rental company. While US-centric, it operates broadly in the same categories (aerial platforms, earthmoving, tools) and competes with Boels on multinational accounts and best-practice benchmarks for fleet utilization and digital.
• H&E Equipment Services: H&E is one of the largest independent equipment rental providers in the US, with a portfolio spanning aerial platforms, earthmoving, and material handling. Comparable in fleet mix and customer mix to Boels' non-European operations.
• Herc Rentals: Herc Rentals is a large North American equipment rental provider offering aerial platforms, earthmoving, and industrial equipment. It is comparable in fleet mix and customer profile, though geographically focused on the US and Canada.
• Ahern Rentals: Ahern Rentals is a privately held US equipment rental company with a large fleet of aerial platforms and construction equipment. Comparable in fleet composition, particularly aerial work platforms, and in operating as a family-controlled private business.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/boelsrental

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A2 records

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Boels Rental