What PIER does

PIER (UK) Ltd is a privately held UK specialist in vacuum excavation (suction excavation) hire, founded in 2001 and headquartered in Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside. The company operates the UK's largest and most modern vacuum excavation fleet, scaling from 30 units in December 2016 to a 100th truck milestone reached in December 2023, and positions itself as the UK market leader (since 2015) and the largest operator in Europe (since the February 2016 acquisition of U-Mole's assets from VP Plc). It serves civil engineering, construction, utilities (gas, water, electric, telecoms), highways, rail, water treatment, airport, and local government customers across the UK on a 24/7 nationwide basis.

The core technology is vacuum (suction) excavation: high-pressure air combined with a powerful vacuum system removes soil and debris non-destructively around buried utilities, using either a remote-controlled power arm or a manually controlled floppy arm, with spoil stored in an onboard debris tank. The fleet comprises five distinct units - Dino Standard (26-tonne), City Sucker (16-tonne compact), Tracked Vac (20-tonne all-terrain), VC70 Vacuum Crawler (2.5-tonne compact tracked), and Brokk (1.23-tonne remote-controlled) - alongside Ground Penetrating Radar surveys and vacuum excavation training. Proprietary features include the bespoke Tracked Vac chassis, the 300-metre extension pipework system, a 7-step suction process with 42 polymer filters, and an in-house maintenance workshop with manufacturer-trained technicians.

PIER generates revenue through three streams: operated equipment hire (with certified operators), self-hire (with optional training), and training services. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Customers are reached via a direct sales motion - website quote requests and telephone enquiries - supplemented by content marketing, social channels, industry association engagement (UKSTT), and exhibition presence (No-Dig Live). The company holds comprehensive industry accreditations (FORS, Achilles BuildingConfidence, CHAS, SafeContractor, SMAS Worksafe, CLOCS Champion) and reports 11-50 employees, indicating a capital-intensive, leanly-staffed hire operation.

Name

PIER

Legal name

Pier (UK) Ltd

Website

https://pier-uk.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

PIER (UK) Ltd is a privately held UK vacuum excavation hire specialist operating the country's largest suction excavator fleet (100+ trucks). Founded in 2001, it serves civil engineering, utility, rail, highways, and construction customers nationwide on a 24/7 operated or self-hire basis.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Newton-le-willows

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Vacuum Excavation Equipment Hire (Operated): Hire of vacuum excavation equipment with a trained operator provided by PIER. Operators hold CSCS, EUSR and other certifications to safely work on customer sites. Available 24/7, 7 days a week across the UK. Revenue generated through daily or weekly hire rates.
2. Vacuum Excavation Equipment Hire (Self-Hire): Self-drive hire of vacuum excavation equipment for customers who have their own trained operatives. For long-term hires, PIER provides full training for customer operatives to self-operate the equipment. Flexible hire periods from single day to multiple weeks.
3. Vacuum Excavation Training: Training services for customer operatives covering correct use of vacuum excavation equipment, health and safety best practices, working around live utilities and confined spaces, risk assessment and site preparation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

PIER (UK) Ltd hires out a fleet of vacuum excavation (suction excavation) trucks and crawlers to civil engineering, construction, utility, rail, highways, telecoms and water-sector customers across the UK. Services are offered on an operated basis (with PIER's CSCS/EUSR-certified operator) or on a self-hire basis (with optional training), available 24/7 nationwide, complemented by Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) surveys and vacuum excavation training.

Product overview

PIER (UK) Ltd offers a comprehensive fleet of vacuum excavation equipment as a service (hire). The core offering consists of five distinct vacuum excavator models: the Dino Standard (26-tonne standard unit for general excavation), City Sucker (16-tonne compact unit for urban environments), Tracked Vac (20-tonne all-terrain tracked unit), VC70 Vacuum Crawler (2.5-tonne compact tracked unit for confined spaces), and Brokk (1.23-tonne remote-controlled unit for high-risk confined spaces). All units use high-pressure air combined with powerful vacuum systems to safely excavate soil without damaging underground utilities. Services are available 24/7 on an operated or self-hire basis across the UK. The company also offers Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) surveys to locate underground services before excavation, and vacuum excavation training programs. The product portfolio is complemented by in-house maintenance teams and dedicated Health & Safety support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dino Standard Vacuum Excavator 26-tonne standard vacuum excavator for medium to larger scale excavation jobs; 8m³ onboard capacity, 4.5m³/min air compressor at 8 bar, with a remote-controlled boom for non-destructive excavation around buried services. Hired to civil engineering and construction contractors.
• City Sucker Vacuum Excavator 16-tonne compact vacuum excavator designed for busy urban and high-traffic environments; 2m³ capacity, 3.5m³/min air compressor at 8 bar; over 4 metres shorter than standard models, ideal for navigating restricted-access city sites.
• Tracked Vac Vacuum Excavator 20-tonne all-terrain tracked vacuum excavator designed for unstable or uneven ground; 4.5m³ capacity, 4.5m³/min air compressor at 8 bar; unique tracked design allows operation on soft ground, slopes, rail corridors and sensitive infrastructure sites where wheeled units struggle.
• VC70 Vacuum Crawler Compact 2.5-tonne tracked vacuum crawler for confined and urban environments; 350L capacity, 2.66m²/min air compressor at 10 bar; enables safe excavation in restricted spaces, residential areas and high-traffic zones with minimal disruption.
• Brokk Vacuum Excavator 1.23-tonne remote-controlled precision vacuum excavator for high-risk, confined-space and restricted-access industrial, rail and urban sites; allows operators to work at safe distance while maintaining accuracy around live utilities and critical assets.
• Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) Surveys Ground Penetrating Radar survey service that scans underneath surfaces using radar technology to identify underground cables, pipes and other assets at multiple depths, using dual antennas for shallow and deep scan ranges with real-time detailed scan drawings. For construction, utility and infrastructure projects requiring pre-excavation utility location.
• Vacuum Excavation Training Training service covering correct use of vacuum excavation equipment, health and safety best practices, working around live utilities and confined spaces, risk assessment and site preparation. Provided to customer operatives hiring equipment on a self-hire basis or looking to upskill on-site safety.
• Mini Vac Ex Compact mini vacuum excavator added to the PIER hire fleet for applications requiring compact power and maximum precision.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 2m³ spoil removed per hour per unit, with onboard skip capacity of 8-10m³
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• United Kingdom Society for Trenchless Technology (UKSTT)minorOthersPIER (UK) Ltd holds an annual membership with the United Kingdom Society for Trenchless Technology (UKSTT). The organisation focuses on promoting, educating and researching the use of trenchless/no-dig technology across the UK. PIER participates in UKSTT events and promotes its services alongside complementary technologies such as Ground Penetrating Radar surveys.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Vp plc: UK-listed equipment rental group that previously owned U-Mole (acquired by PIER in 2016). Operates multiple equipment hire brands across construction, infrastructure, and specialist segments including trenchless technology, making it a direct comparable for fleet scale, end-market exposure, and capital allocation strategy.
• Speedy Hire: Major UK tool and equipment hire company serving construction, infrastructure, and industrial clients with nationwide branches. Competes with PIER in the broader equipment rental market and could expand into specialised vacuum excavation as the category matures.
• Boels Rental: Pan-European equipment rental group with extensive UK presence across construction, infrastructure, and specialist segments. Comparable for fleet scale, branch density, and cross-border equipment deployment; potential acquirer or competitor in UK vacuum excavation.
• Vactor Manufacturing: US-based manufacturer of vacuum excavation and sewer cleaning equipment with a strong presence in North American utility and infrastructure markets. Comparable as the OEM whose equipment PIER operates and as a benchmark for technology direction in the category.
• Ashtead Group (Sunbelt Rentals): FTSE-listed parent of Sunbelt Rentals, one of the largest equipment rental groups globally with material UK operations. Comparable for capital intensity, fleet management, and ability to enter specialised niches like vacuum excavation at scale.
• HSS Hire: UK tool and equipment hire business serving construction, infrastructure, and events. Comparable for nationwide branch coverage and end-market exposure to UK infrastructure spending cycles.

Direct peers

• Gap Group: UK equipment hire company operating a vacuum excavation fleet alongside plant, powered access, and non-mechanical plant. Direct head-to-head competitor for operated and self-hire vacuum excavation contracts across UK infrastructure projects.
• Nixon Hire: UK equipment hire company with vacuum excavation units and a focus on infrastructure and construction customers. Direct competitor in operated hire across civil engineering and utility projects in the UK.
• RSP Suction Excavators: UK-based suction excavation hire company operating a fleet of vacuum excavators for utilities, construction, and infrastructure customers. Direct head-to-head peer for operated hire of vacuum excavation equipment in the UK.

Regional players

• Reesink Industrial Equipment: Dutch equipment dealer and rental operator representing vacuum excavation brands across Benelux and parts of Northern Europe. Comparable as a regional vacuum excavation specialist with a similar mix of equipment sales, hire, and service.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/pierukltd
• Facebookfacebook.com/PierUKLtd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pier-uk-limited

Compliance10 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 PIER