Astley Hire Ltd

What Astley Hire Ltd does

Astley Hire Limited is a family-run, independently owned plant and machinery hire company headquartered in Leigh, Lancashire, serving industrial and commercial customers across North West England. The business operates six core equipment hire divisions — Powered Access (MEWPs including cherry pickers, scissor lifts, mast lifts, low-level access, and aerial work platforms), Cleaning Equipment (scrubber dryers, sweepers, vacuum and carpet cleaners, pressure washers, steam cleaners), Scaffolding Towers (AGR, 3T, Mi Tower and stairway configurations plus podiums and ladders), Cooling (evaporative coolers, portable air conditioners, industrial fans), Heating (gas/diesel space heaters, industrial electric heaters, dehumidifiers), and Maintenance Tools (concrete/compaction, decorating, pumping, site security, surveying, lift-and-shift, and power tools) — and a companion training division delivering IPAF and PASMA accredited courses from the Leigh depot with online booking via a separate training website. The company supplies short-term and long-term usage-based rentals, with equipment collected from the depot or delivered across a 14-town service coverage area, and holds multiple accreditations including HACCP (for food factory and distribution customers), PAS 2060 Carbon Neutral, ISO 14068-1, ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, Ecovadis Silver, IPAF Rental Plus, and SSIP.

Name

Astley Hire Ltd

Legal name

Astley Hire Limited

Website

https://astleyhire.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Family-run North West England plant and machinery hire company operating six equipment divisions — powered access, cleaning, scaffolding, cooling, heating, and maintenance tools — plus IPAF/PASMA training, serving industrial, facilities, and food-sector customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Equipment Hire

NAICS

Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing (5324), Other Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing (53249), Construction, Mining, and Forestry Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing (532412)

SIC

Services-Equipment Rental & Leasing, Nec (7359), Services-Miscellaneous Equipment Rental & Leasing (7350)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Cleaning & Environmental Equipment Rental/Leasing (Vacuum Trucks, Dust Control, Dehumidifiers) (TLABAFAK)

Keywords

• Plant machinery hire
• Industrial equipment rental
• Powered access hire
• Cleaning equipment hire
• Scaffolding tower hire

Headquarters

HQ city

Leigh

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Equipment Hire: Short-term and long-term industrial equipment hire services including access equipment, cleaning machines, scaffolding, cooling/heating units, and maintenance tools

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Astley Hire Ltd rents industrial plant and machinery on short- and long-term hire to commercial customers across North West England, with divisions covering powered access (MEWPs), cleaning equipment, scaffolding towers, cooling and heating units, and maintenance tools. The company also runs an accredited training division offering IPAF and PASMA courses for equipment operators. The business is uniquely positioned as the only independent UK hire company holding HACCP accreditation, enabling food-industry equipment hire under strict hygiene compliance.

Product overview

Astley Hire Ltd is a family-run North West England plant and machinery hire company, founded over sixty years ago from a tool division and expanded through the addition of multiple hire divisions. The portfolio consists of six core product divisions: Powered Access Hire (MEWP including cherry pickers, scissor lifts, mast lifts, and AWPs), Cleaning Equipment Hire (scrubber dryers, sweepers, vacuum cleaners, pressure washers), Scaffolding Towers Hire (AGR, 3T, Mi Tower, stairway towers), Cooling Equipment Hire (evaporative coolers, air conditioners, fans), Heating Equipment Hire (gas/diesel space heaters, electric heaters, dehumidifiers), and Maintenance Tool Hire (concrete/compaction, power tools, lifting/shifting equipment). The company also operates a companion Training division offering IPAF and PASMA accredited courses with online booking. These divisions are available for both short-term and long-term industrial equipment hire to sectors including food manufacturing, warehousing, facilities management, engineering maintenance, and site contracting. The company holds HACCP accreditation and is the only independent hire company in the UK with this credential.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Powered Access Hire (MEWP Hire) Hire of Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (MEWPs) including cherry pickers, scissor lifts, mast lifts, and aerial work platforms (AWP) for working-at-height requirements across warehousing, factory, and industrial sectors in the North West of England.
• Cleaning Equipment Hire Industrial cleaning equipment hire including ride-on and pedestrian scrubber dryers, sweepers, vacuum cleaners, carpet cleaners, pressure washers, and steam cleaners for achieving professional floor finishes and facility hygiene.
• Scaffolding Towers Hire Scaffolding tower rental providing an alternative to powered access for working at height, including AGR single/double width, 3T single/double width, Mi Tower, and stairway tower options, plus podiums and ladders.
• Cooling Equipment Hire Air cooling units for hire including evaporative coolers, portable air conditioners, and industrial fans to maintain comfortable working temperatures in factories and warehouses without permanent air conditioning installations.
• Heating Equipment Hire Industrial heating solutions including gas and diesel space heaters, industrial electric heaters, and dehumidifiers to provide temperature control during winter months in non-residential working environments.
• Maintenance Tool Hire Comprehensive tool hire covering building and maintenance tools (concrete/compaction, decorating, pumping, site security, surveying), lift and shift equipment (cable handling, height safety, material lifts, shifting equipment), and power tools (breaking/drilling, power and lighting, sawing and cutting) across the North West.
• Astley Hire Training Courses IPAF courses running daily and PASMA courses at the Leigh depot for equipment operators, with an online booking system. The training division supports customers with accredited qualifications alongside equipment hire.

Quantifiable outcome

• Carbon Neutral verified 28 years ahead of UK government 2050 target

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Speedy Hire: UK's largest tool and equipment hire company operating nationwide depots offering powered access, cleaning equipment, scaffolding, and tools - directly overlapping Astley's full product range and customer segments but at much greater scale.
• HSS Hire: National UK tool and equipment hire specialist with depots across the country offering access equipment, cleaning machines, heating, and power tools - directly comparable product mix to Astley Hire's six divisions.
• Brandon Hire Station: UK plant and tool hire chain (part of Vp plc) with strong regional coverage including the North West, offering powered access, tools, and cleaning equipment to similar industrial and construction customers as Astley.
• Hewden: UK plant hire specialist with national coverage of powered access, telehandlers, and site equipment - comparable on the powered access and site contractor segments that form a major part of Astley's business.
• Nationwide Platforms: UK's leading powered access platform hire specialist (part of Loxam); directly competes with Astley's MEWP/scissor lift/cherry picker hire business and serves the same industrial end customers.
• AFI Uplift: UK aerial work platform and powered access hire specialist with national depot coverage - closely comparable on Astley's largest product division (powered access) for warehouse, factory, and site use.
• Hirebase: UK tool and equipment hire chain offering a wide range of power tools, access, and site equipment with national depot coverage - comparable generalist hire offering to Astley across similar customer segments.

Broad incumbents

• Sunbelt Rentals UK: UK arm of the largest equipment rental company in North America; offers an extensive industrial and access equipment range nationally - a much larger incumbent competing for the same industrial customer base as Astley.
• Vp plc: UK-listed equipment rental group that owns Brandon Hire Station and other specialist hire businesses; operates a much broader portfolio across multiple UK regions and is a direct comparator on scale, product breadth, and customer base.

Regional players

• Gap Group: Scottish-headquartered plant, tool, and powered access hire company with expanding UK depot network; comparable product portfolio and customer verticals but currently focused on Scotland rather than competing directly in the North West.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php?id=1608598206030824
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/astley-hire-limited

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Astley Hire Ltd