Atlas Winch & Hoist Services

What Atlas Winch & Hoist Services does

Atlas Winch & Hoist Services is a privately held, family-owned UK specialist supplier of winching, lifting, mooring and cable-pulling equipment, operating from two depots in Biggar, Scotland (head office) and Great Dunmow, Essex. Founded in the mid-1990s and built on more than 30 years of industry experience, the company serves marine, oil & gas, construction, engineering, utilities and renewables customers with both short- and long-term equipment hire and the sale of new and refurbished winches, hoists and rigging. Its core technology stack spans air, diesel, electric and hydraulic winches; hydraulic power units; load monitoring systems including Running Line Monitors; deck, mooring and rigging hardware; cable/pipe pulling winches, capstan winches and cable drum trailers; plus specialist spoolers (up to 300-tonne payload) and hoists ranging from 500 kg to 75 tonnes. The business has expanded its technical envelope through the August 2019 acquisition of James A. Cuthbertson Ltd, which added in-house CAD design, fabrication and machining capabilities on a combined 13-acre site supporting testing and training capacity. The commercial model combines usage-based equipment hire (the primary revenue stream) with one-time equipment sales (new and pre-owned), LOLER-compliant testing and certification revenue, in-house servicing and repairs, and bespoke engineering design services delivered through direct enterprise sales via both depots. Atlas pairs its own hire fleet with channel partnerships with Huchez (France) and Marotechniek B.V. (Netherlands), and holds Full LEEA membership (since November 2016), ISO 9001:2015 accreditation, NQA/UKAS certification, and Living Wage Employer status (2024). The company has demonstrated international project execution capability via the Cobra Interconnector HV subsea cable project in Denmark and the Atlantic Carrier 6 Point Mooring System delivery, and markets through an active content, social media and exhibition presence.

Name

Atlas Winch & Hoist Services

Legal name

Atlas Winch & Hoist Services Limited

Website

https://winchhire.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Atlas Winch & Hoist Services is a family-owned UK specialist in winch hire, lifting, mooring and cable-pulling equipment, serving marine, oil & gas, construction, engineering, utilities and renewables sectors from depots in Scotland and Essex.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Lifting and Winching Equipment Services

NAICS

Construction, Mining, and Forestry Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing (532412), Overhead Traveling Crane, Hoist, and Monorail System Manufacturing (333923), Mining Machinery and Equipment Manufacturing (333131)

SIC

Construction, Mining & Materials Handling Machinery & Equip (3530), Wholesale-Construction & Mining (No Petro) Machinery & Equip (5082)

akta.pro primary industry

Winches & Capstans (IMAHAJAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Lifting & Hoisting Rental & Leasing (IMAHAJAN), Deck Machinery & Mooring Systems (Winches, Windlasses, Capstans) (IMAJAIAA), Hoists (Electric, Manual & Pneumatic) (IMAHAJAG), Cranes, Hoists & Overhead Material Handling (Industrial) (IMAHABAE)

Keywords

• Winch hire services
• Lifting equipment supply
• Mooring systems
• Load monitoring systems
• Cable pulling winches

Headquarters

HQ city

Biggar

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. Equipment Hire: Short-term and long-term winch hire and lifting equipment rental solutions, including flexible arrangements tailored to operational requirements and budget
2. Equipment Sales: Sale of new and refurbished/pre-owned winches, hoists and accessories including rigging equipment, lifting tackle and cable drum trailers
3. Servicing and Repairs: Service, repairs, spares and accessories for all makes and models of winches, hoists, lifting gear and associated rigging. Work carried out by experienced engineers in fully equipped workshops
4. Testing and Certification: LOLER inspection and testing services including load testing, function tests and sea trials with full certification and documentation
5. Bespoke Solutions: Custom design solutions for lifting and pulling requirements, including site visits, consultation, bespoke lifting systems and modification services

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Atlas Winch & Hoist Services hires, sells and services winches, hoists and associated lifting equipment — including air, diesel, electric and hydraulic winches, hydraulic power units, mooring systems, cable-pulling winches, load monitoring systems and rigging gear — to industrial clients in marine, oil and gas, construction, utilities, engineering and renewables. The business combines an equipment hire fleet, new and refurbished sales, LOLER inspection and proof-load testing, in-house servicing/repairs and bespoke engineered lifting solutions, delivered from depots in Scotland and Essex and supported by a team of LEEA-qualified engineers and technicians.

Product overview

Atlas Winch & Hoist Services offers a comprehensive portfolio of lifting, pulling, and winching equipment available for hire or purchase. The core product line includes winches (Air, Diesel, Electric, Hydraulic), Hoists (Air, Electric, Manual Chain), and Mooring Equipment, supported by accessories including Load Monitoring Systems, Rigging Equipment, Deck Equipment, and Cable/Pipe Pulling equipment. The company provides both short-term hire services and long-term equipment solutions, with additional offerings including LOLER inspection/testing services, equipment servicing and refurbishment, bespoke engineering solutions, and operator training. Equipment can be customized with accessories such as the A10 Data-Logging Device for specific applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Air Winches Pneumatic winches powered by compressed air, suitable for continuous operation without fuel concerns. Used by industrial clients in oil and gas, maritime, and chemical facilities.
• Diesel Winches Self-contained heavy-duty winches powered by diesel engines, providing independence from external power sources. Ideal for remote locations, utilities, infrastructure, and construction projects.
• Electric Winches Winches powered by electric motors, offering precision control and ease of use. Commonly used in construction, utilities, and marine applications where stable power is available.
• Hydraulic Winches Heavy-duty winches powered by hydraulic systems, providing constant pull and high torque. Widely used in marine, offshore, construction, and large-scale projects requiring sustained pulling force.
• Hydraulic Power Units Power packs that supply hydraulic fluid and pressure to operate hydraulic winches and other equipment, including DHP230 Diesel HPU models.
• Mooring Equipment Equipment for securing vessels including mooring winches, swivelhead fairleads, and complete mooring systems such as 6 Point Mooring Systems (6 winches with hydraulic power units, deck sheaves, fairleads, running line monitors and bridge control with CCTV).
• Load Monitoring Systems Equipment for monitoring line pull and load during winching operations, including Running Line Monitors (RLMs) and display systems, used to ensure safe controlled pulling.
• Cable and Pipe Pulling Winches Specialist winches designed for pulling cables and pipes in utility infrastructure projects for power, telecoms, gas, and water applications, including high-capacity hydraulic drum winches for long-run and subsea pulls.
• Portable Capstan Winches Mobile capstan winches including 10-Tonne Universal Deck Capstan models for various pulling applications.
• Cable Drum Trailers Trailers designed for transporting and dispensing cable drums, often used in utility and telecommunications projects.
• Cabling Accessories Accessories for cable operations including cable drum jacks, cable rollers, bellmouths, and tensioners.
• Spoolers Equipment for proper winding and spooling of cables and ropes, with specialist spoolers available with up to 300 tonnes payload and 30 tonnes back tension.
• Hoists Lifting equipment including Air, Electric, and Manual Chain hoists with capacities ranging from 500 kg to 75 tonnes. Includes Minifor TR30 (300 kg), Minifor TR50 (500 kg), and Tirak X3050 (3-tonne) models.
• Deck Equipment Equipment for marine deck operations including sheaves, fairleads, and deck hardware to support winching operations on vessels.
• Rigging Equipment Lifting and rigging hardware including shackles, slings, pulleys, snatch blocks, wire rope, and chain sling assemblies for load handling.
• Used and Refurbished Equipment Pre-owned and professionally refurbished winches and hoists offered at discounted prices for clients preferring to purchase rather than hire.
• A10 Data-Logging Device Data-logging device for upgrading obsolete Grundowinches data-logging units, replacing PC110 or PC210 units with the latest PC310 version.
• Winch and Lifting Equipment Hire Short-term and long-term hire of winches, hoists and lifting equipment from Atlas's depots in Scotland and Essex, including flexible rental arrangements tailored to operational requirements and budget, with delivery, installation and operator support as required.
• Servicing and Repairs Service, repairs, spares and accessories for all makes and models of winches, hoists, lifting gear and associated rigging, carried out by experienced engineers in fully equipped workshops.
• LOLER Inspection, Testing and Certification LOLER inspection and testing services including load testing, function tests and sea trials with full certification and documentation, supported by a 100-tonne static test bed, 160-tonne portable test bench, 400-tonne reaction beam, 300-tonne hydraulic test rams and 500 tonnes of site test weights.
• Bespoke Lifting and Pulling Solutions Custom design solutions for lifting and pulling requirements, including site visits, consultation, bespoke lifting systems and modification services, supported by in-house CAD design, fabrication and machining (via acquired James A. Cuthbertson Ltd).

Named customers2 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• James A. Cuthbertson LtdcoreOthers · 1 August 2019Atlas acquired entire business, assets and liabilities in August 2019. Both companies continue to trade independently with existing structures. Acquisition provides access to Cuthbertson's full CAD design, fabrication and machining facilities. Combined 13 acre site enables expansion of testing and winch training facilities.
• Marotechniek B.V.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2017Dutch manufacturer with whom Atlas has worked closely in the specialist field for a number of years. Partnership enables complete package including design, sales, rental, installation, service and testing for winches, controls, HPUs and ancillary equipment. Collaboration for offshore wind energy projects.
• HuchezcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 November 2016Leading partner supplying winch and lifting equipment products. Huchez representatives joined Atlas at LiftEx 2016 exhibition. Atlas exhibits Huchez products as part of their comprehensive winch range offerings.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Habegger AG: Swiss heavy-lifting and winch specialist serving marine, construction and offshore markets with bespoke systems and rental fleet — comparable in scope of engineered mooring and cable-pulling solutions.
• Huchez: French winch and lifting equipment manufacturer; existing Atlas partner supplying similar product lines (air, electric, hydraulic winches) with overlapping end markets in marine, construction and utilities across Europe.
• Apex Winches Ltd: UK-based specialist winch hire and lifting equipment company with a comparable product range (winches, hoists, cable pulling) and similar sales-led GTM serving construction, utilities and marine sectors — directly competitive on hire projects.
• Tracer Group (Winch Hire): UK specialist in winch hire, cable pulling and lifting equipment serving utilities, telecoms and construction — direct competitor on UK cable-pulling and infrastructure project hire.
• Webster Engineering & Manufacturing: UK winch manufacturer and supplier with comparable product portfolio (electric, hydraulic, diesel winches) and similar focus on bespoke and standard winch solutions for industrial and marine applications.
• Marotechniek B.V. Dutch manufacturer of marine winches, HPUs, controls and ancillary deck equipment; existing Atlas strategic partner that supplies comparable products to the same offshore wind and marine customer base.

Broad incumbents

• Goodwin Standen (TWG / Pullmaster): UK / global winch manufacturer with comparable hydraulic and electric winch product lines serving marine, offshore and construction — established incumbent with broader geographic reach.
• Columbus McKinnon: Global publicly-listed manufacturer of hoists, rigging and lifting solutions; much broader portfolio but directly competes on Atlas's hoist product line (electric, air, chain hoists up to 75 tonnes).
• Braden Winch (PACCAR Winch): Established North-American-headquartered winch manufacturer (part of PACCAR) producing industrial and hydraulic winches for oil & gas, marine and construction — broader portfolio but directly overlapping product technology.
• Ingersoll Rand (Lifting Solutions): Global industrial manufacturer with a dedicated lifting portfolio including air, electric and hydraulic hoists and winches — overlapping product categories but at much greater scale and breadth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/AtlasWinchHoist
• Facebookfacebook.com/Atlas-Winch-Hoist-168995406529834
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/atlas-winch-and-hoist-services
• Instagraminstagram.com/atlaswinchhoist

Compliance3 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 Atlas Winch & Hoist Services