LOC Hire

What LOC Hire does

LOC Hire (legal name LOC Hire Ltd) is a privately held UK equipment rental company founded in 2014 by Dan Wharton in Longcroft, Bonnybridge, Scotland. The company specializes in mobile and static welfare cabins (LOC 6 through LOC 15 plus Static 25), tower lights (halogen, LED, solar, and dusk-to-dawn variants), secure storage containers, portable toilets, modular buildings, and events equipment. Its fleet includes approximately 400 welfare cabins, 200 stores, 700 chemical toilets, 250 modular accommodation units, and over 200 tower lights, delivered through five UK depots (Longcroft, Aberdeen, Newcastle, Grantham, Warrington) serving construction, events, rail, and utilities customers. Underlying technology includes a Smart Stability System on tower lights (hydraulic mast with sensors that auto-lower units in volatile weather), solar-powered welfare units from sister company ECOHire, and modular buildings built around the Containex Plus Line and Classic Line platforms.

The business model is a quote-based, project-driven equipment rental operation with Net 30 payment terms. Revenue streams comprise short- and long-term hire of welfare, tower lights, storage, toilets, and event equipment; sale of ex-hire serviced units; bespoke modular building sales and installation; and ancillary services (out-of-hours servicing, fuel management, cleaning, unlimited generator hours, damage waiver). Go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales supported by a dedicated Business Development Manager for modular projects, an account application process requiring trade references and hire-in plant insurance, plus digital marketing (SEO-optimized product pages, newsletter, LinkedIn) and trade shows (ScotPlant, Rail Live). The company holds ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001 certifications and has won the Falkirk Herald Best Growth Award three consecutive years (2017–2019).

Ownership remains with founder Dan Wharton, who moved to Group CEO in 2023 while Mark McGuffog became Managing Director; Avril McWilliams was promoted to General Manager of the Modular Division in 2024. Sister company ECOHire (launched 2022), also owned by Wharton, extends the product line into near-100% solar-powered welfare cabins and was a 2023 HAE Hire Industry Product of the Year finalist. The company reports no external funding rounds, no parent company, and no public financial disclosures.

Name

LOC Hire

Legal name

LOC Hire Ltd

Website

https://lochire.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

LOC Hire is a privately held UK equipment rental company specializing in mobile welfare cabins, tower lights, portable toilets, secure storage, and modular buildings, serving construction, events, rail, and utilities customers through five UK depots.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Construction Equipment Rental

NAICS

Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing (5324), Construction, Mining, and Forestry Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing (532412), General Rental Centers (5323)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Lifting & Hoisting Rental & Leasing (IMAHAJAN)

Keywords

• Welfare unit hire
• Site accommodation
• Tower light rental
• Modular buildings
• Portable toilet hire

Headquarters

HQ city

Bonnybridge

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Equipment Rental: Short-term and long-term hire of welfare cabins, tower lights, modular buildings, toilets, storage containers, and event equipment. Core revenue driver with flexible rental periods.
2. Ex-Hire Unit Sales: Sale of previously hired welfare units and cabins. Units are fully serviced, cleaned, and tested before sale. One-time transaction revenue stream.
3. Modular Building Sales: Sale and installation of Containex modular buildings for permanent or semi-permanent applications. Includes custom specifications, fire-rated features, and bespoke designs.
4. Additional Services: Out of hours servicing, fuel management, cleaning service, unlimited generator hours, and damage waiver options offered as add-on services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

LOC Hire is a UK-wide equipment hire company that rents mobile and static welfare cabins, tower lights, modular buildings, portable toilets, secure storage containers, sleeper pods, and events equipment. The company serves construction, events, rail, and utilities customers from depots in Scotland and Northern/Central England, with flexible short- and long-term hire terms, plus sale of ex-hire units and permanent modular buildings.

Product overview

LOC Hire is a UK-wide hire company offering welfare unit hire (mobile and static cabins), tower lights, secure storage, modular buildings, site accommodation, portable toilets, and events equipment. The core product lines include: Mobile Welfare Units (LOC 6 through LOC 15 and Static 25), Tower Lights (Halogen, LED, Solar, and Dusk-to-Dawn variants), Secure Storage (containers, towable stores, COSHH stores, and Charge Space), Modular Buildings and Site Accommodation (including Sleeper units), Portable Toilets (standard, disabled, luxury loos, and solar options), and Events Equipment (showers, ticket offices, vehicles, tracking mats, barriers). The company also offers ECOHire, a sister company providing solar-powered welfare solutions. All products are available for short or long-term hire throughout the UK from depots in Scotland (Longcroft/Grantham), Aberdeen, Newcastle, and Warrington.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mobile Welfare Units (LOC 6 to LOC 15) Towable mobile welfare cabins ranging from 6-person to 15-person capacity, each with canteen, toilet, and drying room facilities. Manufactured by Boss Cabins with hydraulic axles for easy on-site positioning. Designed for construction, events, and infrastructure projects across the UK.
• Static 25 Welfare Unit Large static welfare cabin accommodating up to 11 people with four distinct areas: 3-person office, 8-person canteen, changing room with lockers, and toilet facilities. Hook-lift transportable, designed for longer-duration sites needing a permanent-feel welfare set-up.
• Welfare Van Transit van converted to mobile welfare unit with seating for up to 7 people, canteen, and private WC. Equipped with VOSA crash-tested M1 seats, reverse bleepers, beacons, and ABS as standard. Designed for rapid deployment on sites needing welfare-on-the-move.
• Tower Lights (Halogen, LED, Solar, LED Dusk to Dawn) Rental fleet of tower lighting products including halogen, LED, solar, and LED Dusk to Dawn variants. Features hydraulic mast extending to 9 metres, Smart Stability system with weather/ground sensors, Shadow Telemetry, and 94-hour continuous run times. For construction sites, events, and infrastructure projects.
• Modular Buildings Modular buildings for hire and sale in various sizes (32'x20', 40'x24', 40'x32', 40'x40') for offices, canteens, welfare facilities, and exhibition spaces. Containex Plus Line and Classic Line ranges with custom specifications, fire-rated materials, and bespoke designs for permanent or semi-permanent applications.
• Sleeper Units Two-bedroom portable accommodation pods launched in 2022 with Smart TVs, fully-equipped kitchen, and shower room. Designed for on-site construction worker accommodation and temporary accommodation for events and festival professionals.
• Portable Toilets Portable toilet hire range including standard Mondo toilets (265L tank, hot/cold wash), disabled-access toilets, luxury loos with multiple configurations, and 14-bay toilet blocks. Plus 1+1 Solar Loo eco-friendly variant. Serves construction, events, and infrastructure projects.

Quantifiable outcome

• Service intervals 8x longer than industry standard (2,000 hour generator service intervals vs 250 hours typical)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ECOHirecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerECOHire is a sister company under the same ownership (Dan Wharton) offering nearly 100% solar-powered welfare units. LOC Hire distributes ECOHire products alongside its own fleet. ECOHire was launched in 2022 and has experienced phenomenal growth, with Dan Wharton shifting focus to ECOHire while remaining as Group CEO of LOC Hire.
• ContainexcoreTechnology or IntegrationContainex is the manufacturer of modular buildings (Plus Line and Classic Line ranges) sold and rented by LOC Hire. LOC Hire has established relationship with Containex for modular building supply and aims to become the go-to partner for Sales and Rental of Containex Modular Buildings.
• Boss CabinscoreTechnology or IntegrationBoss Cabins is the manufacturer of mobile welfare cabins in LOC Hire's fleet. LOC Hire states they believe Boss Cabins offers best-in-class products for welfare cabin manufacturing.
• CubeWrapsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCubeWraps collaborated with LOC Hire and thefingerprint to redesign and update company vehicle designs. Design partnership for fleet vehicle branding.
• thefingerprintminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDigital agency responsible for LOC Hire website design and vehicle branding project with CubeWraps.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Sunbelt Rentals: One of the largest UK equipment rental operators with a broad fleet (welfare, plant, tools, power) and nationwide depot network. Comparable to LOC Hire on welfare and modular offerings but operates at significantly greater scale and as a generalist across many equipment categories.
• Speedy Hire: UK-listed tool and equipment rental company with extensive depot coverage. Overlaps with LOC Hire on welfare, lighting and site-accommodation categories, though Speedy is far broader in product scope and serves larger enterprise accounts.
• Hewden: UK plant and tool hire major with welfare, lighting and site-accommodation offerings. Comparable on tower-light and welfare categories but competes primarily as a generalist plant hirer with broader categories.

Others

• Boss Cabins: UK manufacturer of mobile welfare cabins that supplies the core LOC 6 to LOC 15 fleet. Indirect peer as a supply partner; relevant because Boss Cabins also sells and hires directly, making it a partial competitor on fleet composition.

Emerging players

• Site Equip: UK specialist in welfare unit hire and portable toilets for construction and infrastructure sites. Smaller-scale direct peer with overlapping customer type but narrower geographic footprint than LOC Hire.

Direct peers

• Portakabin: Established UK modular building hire and sale specialist. Directly competes with LOC Hire's Containex modular offering for semi-permanent offices, classrooms and site accommodation across education, construction and commercial buyers.
• GAP Group (Hire): UK-based plant and equipment hire specialist with welfare units, modular buildings, portable toilets and site accommodation offerings directly serving construction. Most directly comparable peer on the welfare/modular/tower-light rental proposition, with a similar multi-depot model.
• Algeco UK: UK modular space provider offering hire and sale of permanent and temporary buildings. Comparable modular fleet and customer overlap with LOC Hire's modular division (construction sites, education, public sector).
• ASL Hire: UK welfare unit and portable toilet hire company serving construction and event clients. Closest comparable by fleet focus (welfare cabins, toilets, tower lights), though smaller and more regionally concentrated than LOC Hire.

Regional players

• Welwyn Components (Welfare / Modular hire): Smaller-scale welfare and modular hire operator focused on the South East of England. Similar offering to LOC Hire (welfare cabins, modular buildings, portable toilets) but operates in a different UK region, making it a regional rather than direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/loc_hire
• Facebookfacebook.com/lochireltd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/loc-hire

Compliance3 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 LOC Hire