What Weldex Holdings does

Weldex Holdings, trading through its legal entity Weldex (International) Offshore Ltd, is a privately held specialist lifting services company headquartered in Inverness, Scotland, founded in 1979 by the McGilvray family and still under family ownership. It self-describes as the largest crawler crane hire company in the UK, operating a fleet of more than 100 crawler cranes with lifting capacities from 5 to 1,350 tonnes (including Liebherr LR11350 and Demag Superlift 3800 units), supplemented by Scheuerle SPMT modular transporters and an in-house rigging workshop (1200-tonne press) that manufactures wire rope slings, spreader beams, chain assemblies, and lifting cradles.

The company serves enterprise and government clients across six core verticals: renewable energy (notably offshore wind), oil and gas, power generation, civils, stadia, and offshore maritime. Named reference projects include the London 2012 Olympic Stadium, Drax Power Station biomass conversion, Thames Water Lee Tunnel TBM installation, Apache Forties oil platform fabrication, and the West of Duddon Sands and Eemshaven offshore wind farms. Weldex operates under LOLER, BS7121, CPCS/CSCS, and IOSH accreditations.

Commercial revenue is generated through three primary streams offered under Construction Plant Hire Association (CPA) terms: crane-only hire (customer-operated), crane and operator hire, and full contract lift service where Weldex assumes method-statement, design, risk-assessment, and insurance responsibility. Additional revenue comes from rigging equipment sale/hire, distribution partnerships with Crosby, Green Pin, Tractel, Enerpac and others, and examination/test/repair services with 50–600 tonne test beds. Pricing is project-specific and quote-based. The company reinvests profits to maintain and expand its fleet, with no external institutional shareholders, funding rounds, or M&A activity disclosed.

Name

Weldex Holdings

Legal name

Weldex (International) Offshore Ltd

Website

https://weldex.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Weldex Holdings is the UK's largest crawler crane hire specialist, operating 100+ crawler cranes (5–1,350 tonnes) from Inverness. It provides contract lift, crane hire, and rigging services to enterprise and government clients in renewable energy, oil and gas, power, civils, stadia, and offshore sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Heavy Equipment Rental and Contract Lifting Services

NAICS

Construction, Mining, and Forestry Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing (532412), Material Handling Equipment Manufacturing (33392)

SIC

Construction, Mining & Materials Handling Machinery & Equip (3530), Construction Machinery & Equip (3531)

akta.pro primary industry

Mobile & Crawler Cranes (IMAHAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cranes & Heavy Lifting Equipment Rental/Leasing (TLABAFAD), Lifting Attachments & Material Handling Accessories (Fork Attachments, Slings, Rigging) (IMAHABAJ), Cranes, Hoists & Rigging Equipment MRO (Mobile/Tower Cranes, Winches) (TLAKAHAE)

Keywords

• Crawler crane hire
• Heavy lift services
• Contract lifting
• Rigging equipment
• SPMT transportation

Headquarters

HQ city

Inverness

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Crane Hire: Cranes and associated equipment hired under Construction Plant Hire Association (CPA) terms and conditions. The customer assumes responsibility for safe operation of the crane and operator welfare.
2. Crane and Operator Hire: Experienced operators supplied with hired cranes. Client responsibility for lift regulation compliance, method statement, lift plan, and risk assessment briefing.
3. Contract Lift Service: Full-service model where Weldex prepares method statements, design calculations, technical drawings, risk assessments, and executes lifts. Under CPA contract lift agreement with equipment, operators, and personnel under Weldex's responsibility and insurance.
4. Rigging Equipment Supply: Supply of rigging accessories from 1 tonne to 1000 tonne capacity on hire or sales basis, including wire rope slings, shackles, hooks, lifting beams, chain assemblies, and personal protective equipment.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Weldex Holdings provides crawler crane hire, contract lift services, and rigging equipment manufacture, supply, and testing for large-scale construction, infrastructure, energy, and offshore projects. The company operates a fleet of over 100 crawler cranes ranging from 5 to 1350 tonnes capacity, complemented by SPMT heavy transport units and in-house fabricated rigging gear, delivering turnkey lifting solutions to public and private sector clients in the UK and internationally.

Product overview

Weldex Holdings operates as a crane hire and lifting solutions company offering a single trusted point of contact for all lifting requirements. The core offering consists of crawler crane hire services (ranging from 5 to 1350 tonnes capacity) and contract lift services, supplemented by rigging equipment manufacture, supply, and examination/test/repair operations. The company provides SPMT transportation units and supplies experienced crane operators. Equipment portfolio includes Liebherr, Demag, Hitachi, Kobelco, and Zoomlion crawler cranes, supported by a large fleet of Scheuerle SPMT units. Weldex reinvests profits to maintain a state-of-the-art fleet serving sectors including renewable energy, oil and gas, power generation, civils, stadia, and offshore maritime operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Crawler Crane Hire Crawler crane rental service providing over 100 cranes ranging from 5 to 1350 tonnes lifting capacity for hire on CPA terms, available to construction, infrastructure, energy, and offshore clients throughout the UK and internationally.
• Contract Lift Service Full-service lifting solution in which Weldex prepares method statements, design calculations, technical drawings, and risk assessments and executes the lift with its own equipment, operators, and personnel under a CPA contract lift agreement.
• Crane Operator Services Supply of experienced, CPCS/CSCS-accredited crane operators with hired equipment, briefed on the client's method statement, lift plan, and risk assessment.
• Rigging Equipment Manufacture In-house fabrication of lifting/spreader beams, wire rope slings (3mm to 52mm diameter) using a 1200 tonne press, chain assemblies, and lifting cradles with bespoke design capability.
• Rigging Equipment Supply Sale and hire of rigging accessories from 1 tonne to 1000 tonne capacity, including wire rope slings, shackles, hooks, lifting beams, chain assemblies, webbing slings, lever hoists, hydraulic jacking equipment, and personal protective equipment.
• Examination, Test and Repair Service Inspection, testing, and repair of lifting and handling equipment with test beds from 50 tonne to 600 tonne capacity, covering wire rope slings, snatch blocks, shackles, and other equipment, with certification issued on completion.
• SPMT Transportation Heavy equipment transportation service using Scheuerle G4, SPMT3000, and InterCombi Self-Propelled Modular Transporter units for moving large and heavy loads to and from lift sites.

Quantifiable outcome

• Single lift of 378 tonne nacelle to 120m height
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• CrosbyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMain distributor for Crosby shackles, hooks, hoist rings, snatch blocks and related rigging hardware.
• TranswebminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMain distributor for webbing slings, polyester round slings, lashing systems and grommets.
• Tirfor (Tractel)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMain distributor for hand-operated winches, chain and lever hoists.
• Green PinminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMain distributor for Green Pin shackles.
• EnerpacminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMain distributor for hydraulic jacking equipment.
• RileyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMain distributor for lifting, securing and stationary clamps.
• Hacketts (William Hackett)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMain distributor for lifting chains, lashing chains, stainless steel pump chains, chain and lever hoists.
• TractelminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMain distributor for personal protective equipment including harnesses, lanyards and lifelines.
• LiebherrcoreTechnology or IntegrationPrimary crane manufacturer supplying Liebherr hydraulic crawler cranes from 60 tonnes to 1350 tonnes including LR11350, LR11000, LR1750, LR1600, LR1500, LR1400, LR1300, LR1250, LTR series models.
• DemagcoreTechnology or IntegrationCrane manufacturer supplying Demag Superlift 3800 (650 tonnes) crawler cranes.
• ScheuerlecoreTechnology or IntegrationSPMT (Self-Propelled Modular Transporter) manufacturer supplying G4, SPMT3000, and InterCombi trailer units for heavy equipment transportation.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sarens: Belgian global leader in crane rental, heavy lifting, and engineered transport. Operates one of the world's largest fleets of crawler cranes (including SGC-140 and similar ultra-large units) and serves the same verticals as Weldex: offshore wind, oil & gas, power generation, and major infrastructure. Directly comparable business model and customer base.
• Mammoet: Dutch-headquartered global heavy lifting and transport specialist with the world's largest crane fleet including crawler cranes above 1350 tonnes. Directly comparable to Weldex in service offering (crane hire, contract lifting, SPMT), target markets (offshore wind, oil & gas, power, civils), and full-stack service model.
• All Erection & Crane Rental Corp: US-based crawler and crane rental specialist serving heavy construction, energy, and industrial markets with one of North America's largest crawler crane fleets. Comparable to Weldex in fleet scale and project portfolio, though geographically concentrated in North America.
• Lampson International: US-based heavy lift and crane rental specialist operating ultra-large crawler cranes (Lampson Transi-Lift LTL series up to 3000 tonnes). Direct peer in the ultra-large crawler crane segment, serving oil & gas, power, and infrastructure projects across North America and internationally.
• Bigge Crane and Rigging Co. US heavy lift crane and rigging company operating crawler cranes up to 1600 tonnes serving power generation, oil & gas, infrastructure, and industrial markets. Direct comparable in fleet capability, contract lift service model, and in-house rigging manufacturing.
• Collett & Sons: UK heavy haulage and crane hire company offering heavy-lift and abnormal load transport services including crawler crane hire, SPMT operations, and contract lifting. Direct competitor in the UK heavy-lift market with overlap on energy and infrastructure projects.
• Ainscough Crane Hire: UK's largest crane hire company by general fleet size, focused primarily on mobile and all-terrain cranes (rather than crawlers). Most direct UK competitor to Weldex with overlapping sectors including infrastructure, energy, and construction; comparable CPA hire and contract lift service offerings.
• Select Plant Hire: UK plant and crane hire company (subsidiary of Select Plant Hire Ltd) offering crawler and mobile crane services to construction, infrastructure, and energy sectors. Direct competitor in UK heavy-lift market with similar CPA hire and contract lift capabilities.

Others

• Liebherr-Werk Ehingen: Primary OEM of the LR11350 and other crawler cranes in Weldex's fleet; operates its own rental division (Liebherr Tower Cranes, mobile cranes) but is primarily a supplier relationship rather than direct competitor. Comparable as a benchmark for fleet value and crawler crane market dynamics.

Regional players

• Burnand Group: New Zealand-based heavy lift and crane rental specialist serving construction, energy, and infrastructure markets in Australasia. Comparable to Weldex in service offering (crawler crane hire, heavy lifting) but geographically separated; useful comp for business model rather than direct market overlap.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Weldex Holdings