A-Plant (Ashtead Plant Hire)
Sunbelt Rentals (A-Plant / Ashtead Plant Hire) is the UK's largest equipment rental provider, operating the largest rental fleet in the UK & Ireland. It serves construction, infrastructure, industrial, events, and film & TV customers through a nationwide depot network and managed-service offerings.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1947
- HeadquartersWalsall Wood, United Kingdom
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What A-Plant (Ashtead Plant Hire) does
Sunbelt Rentals Ltd, operating under the legacy A-Plant / Ashtead Plant Hire identity, is the UK's largest equipment rental provider and operates the largest rental equipment fleet in the UK & Ireland. The company is headquartered in Warrington, United Kingdom, and serves construction, infrastructure, industrial, events, and film & TV customers through a nationwide depot network combining local expertise with national delivery capability.
The core offering spans 15+ equipment categories — heating & cooling, tools, plant & attachments, MEWPs & powered access, safety/communications/security, surveying, lifting & handling, utilities & pipeline, floor preparation, power generation, and welfare facilities — delivered as short-term or long-term rental. The underlying technology layer includes a Live Tracking system for real-time equipment monitoring across sites, online account management for self-serve ordering, and the 360 Solutions managed-service platform that coordinates multi-site, long-term strategic projects from end to end. Live tracking is positioned as a tool for cutting delays, costs, and carbon across sites.
Revenue is generated through usage-based equipment hire pricing, negotiated on a quote basis per project and varying by equipment type, rental duration, and delivery distance. The go-to-market combines enterprise field sales through the depot network, self-service online ordering for standard hire, and specialist consultation for complex projects. The portfolio is differentiated by job-ready certified equipment, integrated project services, and a solutions layer (360 Solutions and sector-specific offerings) that extends beyond transactional hire into coordinated multi-site delivery.
A-Plant (Ashtead Plant Hire) firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- A-Plant (Ashtead Plant Hire)
- Legal name
- Sunbelt Rentals Ltd
- Website
- https://aplant.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1947
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Sunbelt Rentals (A-Plant / Ashtead Plant Hire) is the UK's largest equipment rental provider, operating the largest rental fleet in the UK & Ireland. It serves construction, infrastructure, industrial, events, and film & TV customers through a nationwide depot network and managed-service offerings.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
A-Plant (Ashtead Plant Hire) industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Equipment Rental Services
- NAICS
- Construction, Transportation, Mining, and Forestry Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing (53241), Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing (5324), Other Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing (53249)
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Equipment Rental & Leasing (7350)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Material Handling Equipment Rental/Leasing (Forklifts, Telehandlers, Reach Trucks) (TLABAFAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Site Services & Temporary Infrastructure Rental/Leasing (Portable Toilets, Fencing, Storage Containers) (TLABAFAH), Lifting & Hoisting Rental & Leasing (IMAHAJAN), Surface Preparation & Compaction Equipment Rental/Leasing (Compactors, Rollers, Grinders) (TLABAFAJ), Industrial Cleaning & Environmental Equipment Rental/Leasing (Vacuum Trucks, Dust Control, Dehumidifiers) (TLABAFAK)
Keywords
Where A-Plant (Ashtead Plant Hire) is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Walsall Wood
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
A-Plant (Ashtead Plant Hire) business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Equipment Rental/Hire: Core revenue stream from short-term and long-term rental of specialist equipment including plant, tools, MEWPs, power generation, heating/cooling, and welfare facilities. Pricing is based on rental duration with equipment delivered to customer sites.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Equipment hire pricing based on equipment category, duration, and volume requirements. |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
A-Plant (Ashtead Plant Hire) product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sunbelt Rentals (formerly A-Plant / Ashtead Plant Hire) is the UK and Ireland's largest equipment rental provider, operating a nationwide depot network to hire out specialist plant, tools, MEWPs, power generation, heating/cooling, lifting, surveying, safety, welfare, and utilities equipment to construction, industrial, events, and film/TV customers. The offering combines short- and long-term equipment hire with managed services such as 360 Solutions and integrated project support for complex, multi-site operations.
Product overview
Sunbelt Rentals (A-Plant/Ashtead Plant Hire) operates as a unified equipment rental platform offering a comprehensive portfolio of hire equipment across 15+ distinct product categories including Heating & Cooling, Tools, Plant & Attachments, MEWPs & Powered Access, Safety/Communications/Security, Surveying Equipment, Lifting & Handling, Utilities & Pipeline, and Floor Preparation/Cleaning & Maintenance. The company complements its core equipment hire offering with value-added services including Power Generation, Welfare Facilities & Storage Containers, and specialized Film & TV hire. Strategic solutions including 360 Solutions (fully managed end-to-end service), Sector-specific Solutions, and Integrated Project Services provide coordinated, multi-service support for complex projects. The portfolio is delivered through a nationwide depot network, combining local expertise with national scale.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- Job-ready, compliant equipment arrives ready to work, keeping sites safe and compliant.
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use A-Plant (Ashtead Plant Hire)
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
A-Plant (Ashtead Plant Hire) technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
A-Plant (Ashtead Plant Hire) partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
A-Plant (Ashtead Plant Hire) competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Boels Rental: Major European equipment rental provider offering a comparable range of plant, tools, and specialist equipment. Operates in adjacent geographies but represents the same business model and customer segments as Sunbelt UK.
- Kiloutou: European equipment rental company with a broad fleet across tools, plant, and specialist equipment. Operates in continental Europe rather than the UK, but a comparable player in the same broader equipment rental category.
Broad incumbents
- Herc Rentals: US-based full-line equipment rental provider serving construction, industrial, and infrastructure markets. Comparable in business model and customer segments, with a similar fleet breadth and rental-led approach.
- Travis Perkins: UK's largest distributor of building materials and associated product hire. Competes with Sunbelt in adjacent construction supply and tool hire, particularly for trade and SMB customers.
- Caterpillar (CAT Rental): OEM-backed rental operation through Cat Rental Store dealers. Broader incumbent in the equipment ecosystem, overlapping with Sunbelt in heavy plant and earthmoving rentals through dealer networks.
- Ashtead Group plc: Parent company of Sunbelt Rentals (both UK and US operations) and a broader equipment rental conglomerate. Comparable as the parent entity encompassing the subject business, with global scale and a more diversified geographic footprint.
- United Rentals: World's largest equipment rental company. While primarily US-focused, it competes in the same broader equipment rental category and serves similar construction and industrial end-markets at greater scale.
Direct peers
- HSS Hire: UK-based equipment rental provider offering tools, plant, and specialist equipment hire. Competes directly with Sunbelt in the UK tool and small plant rental segment, particularly with trades and SMB customers.
- Speedy Hire: One of the largest UK equipment rental companies, directly competing with Sunbelt across plant, tools, and powered access hire for construction and infrastructure customers. Overlapping depot network and customer base in the UK market.
- Aggreko: Global provider of temporary power generation and temperature control solutions. Directly comparable to Sunbelt's Power Generation and Heating & Cooling categories, serving overlapping industrial, events, and infrastructure customers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
A-Plant (Ashtead Plant Hire) social profiles
Digital presenceA-Plant (Ashtead Plant Hire) financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
A-Plant (Ashtead Plant Hire) leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
A-Plant (Ashtead Plant Hire) funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
A-Plant (Ashtead Plant Hire) M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A2 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about A-Plant (Ashtead Plant Hire)
What does A-Plant (Ashtead Plant Hire) do?
Sunbelt Rentals (formerly A-Plant / Ashtead Plant Hire) is the UK and Ireland's largest equipment rental provider, operating a nationwide depot network to hire out specialist plant, tools, MEWPs, power generation, heating/cooling, lifting, surveying, safety, welfare, and utilities equipment to construction, industrial, events, and film/TV customers. The offering combines short- and long-term equipment hire with managed services such as 360 Solutions and integrated project support for complex, multi-site operations.
When was A-Plant (Ashtead Plant Hire) founded?
A-Plant (Ashtead Plant Hire) was founded in 1947. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is A-Plant (Ashtead Plant Hire) based?
A-Plant (Ashtead Plant Hire) is headquartered in Walsall Wood, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does A-Plant (Ashtead Plant Hire) make money?
One revenue line is on record: equipment Rental/Hire.
Who are A-Plant (Ashtead Plant Hire)'s main competitors?
Regional players on record are Boels Rental and Kiloutou. Broad incumbents are Herc Rentals, Travis Perkins, Caterpillar (CAT Rental), Ashtead Group plc and United Rentals. Direct peers are HSS Hire, Speedy Hire and Aggreko.
Does A-Plant (Ashtead Plant Hire) have an API?
No public API is recorded for A-Plant (Ashtead Plant Hire).
What industry is A-Plant (Ashtead Plant Hire) in?
A-Plant (Ashtead Plant Hire)'s product category is Equipment Rental Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLABAFAF, Material Handling Equipment Rental/Leasing (Forklifts, Telehandlers, Reach Trucks), with a secondary code of TLABAFAH, Site Services & Temporary Infrastructure Rental/Leasing (Portable Toilets, Fencing, Storage Containers). Its NAICS code is 53241 and its SIC code is 7350.