What GAP Group does

GAP Group is the UK's largest family-owned independent equipment hire company, operating as GAP Hire Solutions across 12 specialist divisions spanning plant hire, tool hire, lifting and TIC (Testing, Inspection & Certification), non-mechanical site equipment, trenching and shoring, survey and safety, welfare services, tanker services, pump services, event services, and access equipment. Founded in 1970 and headquartered in Glasgow with a registered office in Gateshead, the company serves construction, infrastructure, utilities, nuclear, events, and government customers through a nationwide depot network and self-service digital channels, including a customer extranet and online enquiry basket. Named enterprise customers include Travis Perkins, Morgan Sindall Infrastructure, Scottish Water, SGN, Kier, Holcim UK, and Durham County Council, alongside mid-market firms such as Wyvis Roofing, George Leslie, and PMK Civil Engineering.

The company generates revenue through equipment rental on daily, weekly, and monthly periods, with quote-based pricing that varies by equipment type, hire duration, and volume; an account-based system serves larger customers while website and extranet channels support self-serve orders. Underlying technology includes the GAP one integrated hire management platform, GAP Digital for customer engagement, and GAP Track Telematics for fleet tracking. Strategic partnerships span OEMs and distributors (JCB, Kubota, Leica Geosystems, Instagrid, AJC Easycabin, Eave) and channel partners (Travis Perkins), with a recently appointed Chief Technology Officer overseeing the technology stack.

Beyond UK equipment hire, GAP Group has operated the Akhilam Township mixed-use real estate development in India's Dholera Special Investment Region since 2014. Recent strategic emphasis is on fleet electrification, digital tooling, ESG positioning (five-year WaterAid partnership signed March 2025; Supply Chain School Gold 2023), and continued UK depot expansion including a new Carnforth PP&E depot in June 2026. The company reported turnover exceeding £200M with record profits in 2023 and has continued expansion activities through 2025-2026, supported by family ownership with no external funding rounds disclosed.

Name

GAP Group

Legal name

GAP Group Limited

Website

https://gap-group.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

GAP Group is the UK's largest family-owned independent equipment hire company, operating 12 specialist divisions and a nationwide depot network serving construction, infrastructure, utilities, nuclear, events, and government customers with rental of plant, tools, lifting, pumping, welfare, and survey equipment.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Construction Equipment Rental

NAICS

Construction, Mining, and Forestry Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing (532412), Other Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing (53249)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Equipment Rental & Leasing (7350), Construction Machinery & Equip (3531)

akta.pro primary industry

Lifting & Hoisting Rental & Leasing (IMAHAJAN)

Keywords

• Equipment hire services
• Construction equipment rental
• Plant and tool hire
• Pump and power rental
• Site welfare solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Glasgow

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Equipment Hire: Rental of construction equipment including plant, tools, lifting equipment, pumps, welfare units, and specialist equipment. Revenue is generated through daily, weekly, and monthly rental periods with pricing based on equipment type and duration.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

GAP Group, operating through GAP Hire Solutions, is the UK's largest family-owned equipment hire company, renting construction plant, tools, lifting gear, pumps, power generation, welfare units, survey equipment, trenching systems, tanker, event, and access equipment to contractors and infrastructure operators. The offering is organized across 12 specialist divisions, supported by digital platforms including GAP one, GAP Digital, and GAP Track Telematics for fleet management and customer account handling, and is fulfilled through a nationwide depot network with quote-based and account-based pricing on daily, weekly, and monthly rental terms.

Product overview

GAP Group (operating as GAP Hire Solutions) is the UK's largest family-owned equipment hire company, offering a comprehensive portfolio of 12 specialist divisions under a unified platform model. The core offering spans Plant Hire (dumpers, excavators, rollers, telehandlers, trailers, compressors), Tool Hire (cordless tools, demolition, drilling, cutting, dust management, lighting, welding, compaction, concreting), Lifting & TIC (access safety, cable handling, materials handling, construction hoists), Non-Mechanical (barriers, ground protection, staging), Trenching & Shoring (box systems, hydraulic systems, trench sheets), Survey & Safety (total stations, GNSS, drones, 3D scanners), Welfare Services (toilets, welfare units, solar generators), Tanker Services (waste/water tanks, disposal), Pump Services (drainage, sewage, environmental), Event Services, and Access Equipment. These divisions are supported by digital solutions including GAP one (hire management), GAP Digital (customer engagement), GAP Track Telematics (fleet tracking), and online tools such as the Eco Savings Estimator and Hand Arm Vibration Calculator. The company also operates international real estate development through the Akhilam Township project in Dholera, India.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Plant Hire Rental of powered construction plant including dumpers, excavators, rollers, telehandlers, trailers, and compressors for construction, civil engineering, and infrastructure projects across the UK.
• Tool Hire Rental of cordless and powered tools including breaking and demolition, drilling and direct fixing, sawing/cutting/grinding, dust management, lighting, power and welding, air tools, compaction, and concreting equipment for construction sites.
• Lifting & TIC Services Lifting equipment hire and Testing, Inspection & Certification services covering access and safety gear, cable handling, concrete skips, conveyors, cylinders and jacks, materials handling, stone handling, trucks and trolleys, lifting accessories, and construction hoists.
• Non-Mechanical Equipment Hire Rental of non-powered site equipment including barriers and fencing, ground protection products (trench covers, timber bog mats, road plates, track mats, kerb ramps), and trestles and staging.
• Trenching & Shoring Rental of excavation support equipment including trench boxes, manhole boxes, hydraulic shoring systems, trench sheets and ancillaries, and modular bracing systems for safe trenching operations.
• Survey & Safety Rental of survey and safety monitoring equipment including total stations, GNSS equipment, field controllers, construction lasers, levels, underground detection equipment, rebar detectors, inspection equipment, environmental monitoring, machine control, 3D scanners, and drones.
• Welfare Services Rental of on-site welfare facilities including portable toilets, welfare units (eco-hybrid, zero welfare, solar welfare, fusion pulse units), and solar pod hybrid generators for construction sites and events.
• Tanker Services Liquid waste management and water delivery services including waste tanks, water tanks, waste disposal, water delivery, water and waste emptying, and tanker accessories.
• Pump Services Pump rental and environmental services including drainage pumps (diesel/HVO, electric, hydraulic submersible), sewage pumps, environmental services (silt settlement, chemical dosing, aeration, oil-water separation), bentonite pumps, and power generation equipment.
• Event Services Equipment hire for events and festivals including fencing and barriers, trackway and flooring, plant and equipment, power and lighting, event welfare, lifting equipment, and tools and accessories.
• Access Equipment Rental of access and elevation equipment including Deltadeck aluminium platforms, solo one-man towers, podium steps, anti-surf podium steps, glass fibre platform steps, combination/pole/telescopic/extension/step/multi-purpose/roof ladders, GRP and alloy scaffold towers, and access lifts.
• GAP one Unified digital hire management platform providing integrated equipment rental operations management for customers and GAP internal teams.
• GAP Digital Digital platform supporting equipment hire management operations and customer account engagement for GAP Hire Solutions customers.
• GAP Track Telematics Fleet telematics solution for tracking, monitoring, and managing hired equipment across construction and infrastructure sites.

Quantifiable outcome

• Turnover exceeding £200M with record profits
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, core, major and minor.

• WaterAidstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 March 2025Five-year partnership to tackle global water crisis. GAP Giving has partnered with WaterAid in a significant charitable initiative.
• Travis PerkinscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor15+ year trusted partnership between GAP Hire Solutions and Travis Perkins in the UK construction industry, combining people-led service, shared values, and local innovation to deliver exceptional hire solutions.
• Morgan Sindall InfrastructurecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrusted partnership in nuclear infrastructure projects at Sellafield, transforming nuclear infrastructure through innovation, efficiency, and sustainability.
• JCBmajorTechnology or IntegrationSubstantial investment in plant hire fleet through JCB partnership. GAP has strengthened its lifting division with appointed person certifications.
• Leica GeosystemsmajorTechnology or IntegrationAuthorized distribution partner for Leica survey and safety equipment. GAP survey depots have achieved flawless scores in Leica Geosystems audit.
• KubotamajorTechnology or IntegrationPartnership with Kubota for golden donation to construction charity. Major fleet expansion with 723 new Kubota excavators.
• Lighthouse CharitystrategicOthersPartnership with the Lighthouse Charity which provides specialist mental health and wellbeing support to the construction industry and its workforce.
• Gujarat Institute of Civil Engineers and Architects (GICEA)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner35-member delegation from GICEA visited Dholera SIR to examine infrastructure opportunities, touring GAP Group's Akhilam Township project.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• United Rentals: Largest equipment rental company in the world, US-listed with operations primarily in North America. Industry benchmark for equipment rental scale, fleet utilisation, and digital tools; informs expectations for what GAP's platform could become at maturity.
• Ashtead Group (Sunbelt Rentals): UK-listed parent of Sunbelt Rentals, the largest equipment rental company in the UK and North America. Directly comparable business model — plant, tool, and specialty equipment hire to construction and infrastructure — but operates at much greater scale and is publicly traded.

Emerging players

• Riwal: European aerial work platform and access equipment rental specialist. Overlaps with GAP's access equipment division but operates primarily outside the UK; a useful reference for specialty access hire economics.

Direct peers

• Speedy Hire: UK-listed equipment rental company offering plant, tool, and specialist hire to construction, infrastructure, and industrial customers. Closest direct UK competitor to GAP with overlapping depot network, similar customer segments, and comparable product breadth.
• Vp plc: UK-listed equipment rental group operating through UK Forks, Hire Station, and specialist divisions. Competes with GAP across tool, plant, and specialty hire with a similar UK depot-based model.
• Hirebase: UK tool and equipment hire specialist with nationwide branches offering tools, plant, and access equipment. Comparable product set to GAP's tool and plant divisions with a similar SME-construction customer base.
• Briggs Equipment: UK-based materials handling and equipment rental provider serving construction, warehousing, and industrial customers. Overlaps with GAP's plant, lifting, and materials handling offerings.
• Nationwide Platforms: UK's leading powered access rental specialist, part of the Lavendon Group (Loxam). Directly comparable to GAP's access and lifting equipment divisions in serving construction and facilities management customers.
• Hewden: UK plant and tool hire company serving construction customers across the UK. Direct competitor to GAP in plant hire with overlapping service lines and customer base.

Regional players

• Boels Rental: Major European equipment rental company headquartered in the Netherlands with operations across multiple European countries. Comparable in scale and product breadth to GAP, but primarily serves continental Europe rather than the UK.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/gapgrouphire
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC0_aOP_KLwznKEW78Co_7zA
• Facebookfacebook.com/gapgroupcareers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gap-group-limited
• Instagraminstagram.com/gapgrouphire

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 GAP Group