CP Hire

What CP Hire does

CP Hire is a privately held, family-run plant and equipment hire company founded in 1971 in Coleraine, Northern Ireland, and now operating 13 depots across the UK and Northern Ireland — seven in Northern Ireland (Coleraine HQ, Ballymena, Banbridge, Belfast, Derry/Londonderry, Dungannon, Magherafelt) and six in England and Wales (Cardiff, Port Talbot, Swansea, Birmingham, Bristol, Newbury). The company rents a 2,000+ unit fleet spanning excavators (0.8 to 21 tonnes), dumpers (1 to 10 tonnes), telehandlers (4m to 18m), compaction rollers, generators, compressors, welfare units, and a growing attachments inventory (Engcon tilt rotators, Epiroc grabs and compactors, land rakes) sourced from premium OEMs including Caterpillar, JCB, Komatsu, Kubota, Manitou, Wacker Neuson, Yanmar, Bomag, Hitachi, Mecalac, Doosan, and Kaeser. The fleet is maintained at an average age of approximately 2 years, and selected machines carry telematics for fuel-economy, hours-worked and fault reporting to customer-facing fleet reports.

CP Hire's go-to-market is sales-led through its depot network and dedicated Area Sales Managers covering England and Wales (e.g., Andy Smart in the Southwest, David Morgan in South East Wales). Pricing is quote-based and usage-based on daily/weekly hire rates, with operated plant hire (equipment plus trained operator, including nationwide coverage) sold as a separate professional-services line, and hire insurance offered as an add-on. Distribution is exclusively direct via physical depots rather than third-party aggregators. The firm has accumulated sector accreditations — FORS Bronze, RISQS, SafeHire (HAE), SafeContractor, SafePQQ — enabling work on rail, infrastructure, and large regulated construction tenders.

The customer base is enterprise-led in construction, civil engineering, housing development, and landscaping/agriculture; named customers include Knights Brown (preferred supplier on a Cardiff canal restoration project) and Kier Group (Gloucestershire Royal Hospital remembrance garden). The company recognises revenue primarily from equipment rental, operated plant hire services, and ancillary insurance; CP Hire GB recorded £12.7m of sales in 2019 (Sunday Times Fast Track 100 #47) with growth subsequently supported by 170+ new plant items in H1 2022, an expanded GB depot count (including the new Port Talbot depot opened March 2025), and a continued cadence of fleet reinvestment and attachment launches through 2025–2026.

Name

CP Hire

Legal name

CP Hire Ltd

Website

https://cphire.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

CP Hire is a family-run UK plant and equipment hire company founded in 1971, operating 13 depots across Northern Ireland and Great Britain and renting a 2,000+ unit fleet of excavators, dumpers, telehandlers, and attachments to construction, civil engineering, housing, and infrastructure contractors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Construction Equipment Rental

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Equipment Rental & Leasing, Nec (7359), Construction Machinery & Equip (3531)

akta.pro primary industry

Material Handling Equipment Rental/Leasing (Forklifts, Telehandlers, Reach Trucks) (TLABAFAF)

Keywords

• Plant equipment hire
• Construction equipment rental
• Operated plant hire
• Tool hire services
• Site cabin hire

Headquarters

HQ city

Coleraine

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices13 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Equipment Hire: Rental of construction plant equipment including excavators, dumpers, telehandlers, rollers, compressors and accessories. Both self-drive and operated plant hire options available.
2. Operated Plant Hire: Full-service hire including trained operators for construction projects
3. Equipment Insurance: Hire insurance services for customers' equipment protection

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CP Hire is a UK-based plant and equipment rental company operating for over 50 years, founded in 1971. They rent excavators, dumpers, telehandlers, rollers, and compressors from premium manufacturers through 13 depots across Northern Ireland and Great Britain. They offer both self-drive and operated plant hire, along with tool hire, powered access, and site cabin hire services for construction and infrastructure projects.

Product overview

CP Hire operates as a plant and equipment hire company offering a comprehensive fleet of construction equipment for rent across Northern Ireland (7 depots) and Great Britain (6 depots). The core offering centers on plant hire, tool hire, powered access hire, and site cabin hire across 25+ equipment categories. The equipment portfolio spans dumpers (1-10 tonnes), excavators (micro to 21-tonne), telehandlers (4-18m reach), compaction rollers, generators, compressors, welfare units, and specialized attachments including tilt rotators and hydraulic grabs. Equipment comes from premium brands such as Bomag, Hitachi, JCB, Komatsu, Kubota, Manitou, Wacker Neuson, Yanmar, and Caterpillar. The company differentiates through operated plant hire services with trained engineers, modern fleet averaging under 2 years old, and nationwide depot coverage. Ancillary services include equipment insurance, account management, and special promotional offers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CP Safe: Health and safety culture initiative that brings together Health and Safety, Training, Behaviours and Quality of Service.

Products and services

• Self-Drive Plant Hire
• Operated Plant Hire
• Tool Hire
• Powered Access Hire
• Site Cabin Hire
• Hire Insurance

Quantifiable outcome

• 65% annual sales growth over 3-year period
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• KaesercoreTechnology or Integration · 1 February 2026Supplier of M65PE mobile air compressors delivering up to 230 cfm for construction and civil engineering projects.
• YanmarcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 September 2025Supplier of tracked dumpers including C30R-3, C30R-3TV, C50R-5A and C50R-5ATV models for soft terrain operations.
• EpiroccoreTechnology or Integration · 1 August 2025Supplier of hydraulic grabs (MG400, MG800) and excavator compactors (HC350R, HC850R) for 8-14 ton excavators.
• EngconcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 March 2025Tilt rotator technology provider. EC209 tilt rotator fitted to Kubota KX085-5 excavators with EC-Oil automatic quick coupler system.
• Finning (CAT)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2022Secured up to 80 brand new CAT excavators to be distributed across 5 GB depots. Major fleet investment in 2022.
• TBF ThompsoncoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2019Historic supplier of trucks and excavators to CP Hire in both UK and Northern Ireland. Supplied DAF trucks and excavators package worth over £3m as part of fleet investment.
• MecalaccoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2019Multi-million pound deal for supply of Mecalac site dumpers. Second year running agreement covers entire range of 4-wheel drive units from 1 tonne hi-tip to 9-10 tonne machines.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• GAP Hire Solutions: Large UK-wide plant, tools, powered access, and welfare hire company with similar depot-based distribution model serving construction and infrastructure customers. Comparable in breadth of categories (excavators, telehandlers, dumpers, welfare) and customer segmentation.
• Speedy Hire: UK's largest tool and equipment hire company with national depot network and broad plant hire offering. Directly comparable in customer base (construction contractors), fleet composition, and operated/self-drive model, but at vastly larger scale (~£400m+ revenue).
• Sunbelt Rentals UK: UK arm of Ashtead/Sunbelt Rentals, formed from A-Plant acquisition. Directly competes with CP Hire in plant hire, tool hire, and operated services across the UK construction market; comparable fleet mix and customer segments but national scale.
• HSS Hire: UK tool and equipment hire specialist with national presence serving trade, construction, and DIY customers. Overlaps with CP Hire on small tool hire, powered access, and selected plant categories; comparable operated-hire and self-drive offering.
• Morris Leslie Plant Hire: Scotland-based plant hire specialist with fleet of ~5,000+ machines across excavators, telehandlers, dumpers, and platforms. Closest scale-comparable peer to CP Hire in regional UK plant hire with similar family/private ownership origins and operated plant offering.
• Brigg's Equipment Services: Northern Ireland-based equipment sales, service, and hire company. Direct local competitor to CP Hire's NI operations with overlapping territory (NI depots), comparable construction customer base, and similar brand partnerships with leading OEMs.

Broad incumbents

• Boels Rental (UK): European plant, tool, and modular space hire leader with growing UK footprint (former Boels/Coates Hire). Comparable on plant hire categories, customer base, and digital telematics/integration; operates in the same geographies and competes for similar framework agreements.
• Vp plc (Brandon Hire Station / Toolstation Hire): Diversified UK equipment rental group operating Brandon Hire Station (tool hire), ESS Safeforce, and other rental brands. Comparable categories to CP Hire (tool hire, safety equipment, welfare) but operates as an investment group of multiple brands rather than a single depot network.
• Travis Perkins (Tool Hire): UK's largest builders' merchant with embedded tool hire operation across its branch network. Comparable tool hire categories and trade-construction customer base, but operating as an ancillary service within a much broader building materials business.

Emerging players

• MGB Plant Hire: UK excavator and plant hire specialist with focus on smaller/tighter machines and strong digital booking platform. Comparable in excavator-focused category and trade-construction customer base; differentiated by smaller geographic footprint and direct-to-customer digital channel.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cphireltd
• Facebookfacebook.com/CP-Hire-Ltd-1902969359965507
• Instagraminstagram.com/cphire
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cphireltd

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 CP Hire