Hawks

What Hawks does

Hawks Crane Hire Ltd is a UK-based private limited company headquartered in Dartford, Kent, specialising in crawler crane hire for the construction sector. Founded in 2014, the company maintains a modern fleet of telescopic (25t-220t) and lattice (70t-300t) crawler cranes sourced from Liebherr and Kobelco, deployed exclusively with in-house operators. Operations are supported by a regional depot in Norwich, extending service coverage into East Anglia. The company operates solely within the United Kingdom and runs a B2B, sales-led go-to-market with quote-based pricing driven through website enquiries, phone, and email.

The business is organised around five revenue streams: usage-based crane rental (daily/weekly/monthly), professional services contract lifting solutions (consultation, planning, execution, monitoring), CPCS-accredited training delivered through Hawks Training Centre (established 2018), one-time used crane sales from the hire fleet, and ancillary lifting accessories and Ekki matt hire. Two wholly-owned service extensions broaden the platform: Hawks Training Centre, which provides CPCS-certified courses (A40A Slinger Signaller, A02 Crawler Crane, A62 Crane Supervisor) with a 70% discount through CITB Employer Networks; and Hawks Agency, a staffing service powered by UpRate providing access to 10,000+ vetted construction workers.

The company's primary competitive advantage is its tight control over labour quality. All operators are vetted and familiarised through the in-house CPCS training academy in Dartford before deployment, which the company describes as its biggest advantage over rivals. The company is privately held with no identified external institutional investment, and is led by founder Elliot Hawkins as Managing Director. Customer concentration is undisclosed, but the served market spans civil infrastructure, piling, steel erection, marine, new nuclear, bridges, stadia, rail, and renewable energy projects.

Name

Hawks

Legal name

Hawks Crane Hire Ltd

Website

https://hawkshire.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hawks Crane Hire Ltd is a UK-based crawler crane hire company (Dartford-headquartered) offering 25t-300t telescopic and lattice cranes with in-house operators, contract lifting services, CPCS-accredited training, and construction staffing for UK construction projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Crane Hire and Contract Lifting Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Equipment Rental & Leasing (7350), Construction Machinery & Equip (3531)

akta.pro primary industry

Cranes & Heavy Lifting Equipment Rental/Leasing (TLABAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mobile & Crawler Cranes (IMAHAJAA), Lifting & Hoisting Rental & Leasing (IMAHAJAN)

Keywords

• Crawler crane hire
• Contract lifting services
• Crane operator training
• Lifting accessories rental
• Used crane sales

Headquarters

HQ city

Dartford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Crane Rental: Rental of crawler cranes ranging from 25t to 300t capacity with in-house operators. Revenue generated through daily/weekly/monthly rental rates based on crane type and duration.
2. Contract Lifting Services: Full-service contract lift solutions including consultation, planning, execution, and monitoring. Bespoke solutions tailored to specific project requirements.
3. Crane Training: CPCS-accredited training courses for crane operators, slinger/signallers, and lifting supervisors. Courses offered include A40A, A02, and A62 certifications.
4. Used Crane Sales: Sale of used crawler cranes from the hire fleet after rigorous servicing and maintenance. Cranes include Liebherr and Kobelco models ranging from 25t to 300t capacity.
5. Lifting Accessories and Matt Hire: Rental of lifting accessories including Ekki matts (4m and 6m) and container handlers for crane operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Hawks Crane Hire Ltd provides crawler crane rental (25t–300t capacity) with in-house CPCS-trained operators, full-service contract lifting solutions, used crawler crane sales, and accredited CPCS training courses for crane operators, slinger/signallers, and lifting supervisors. The company serves UK construction and infrastructure projects including piling, steel erection, rail, marine, renewables, bridges, and new nuclear builds.

Product overview

Hawks Crane Hire Ltd is a UK-based crane hire company offering a unified fleet of crawler cranes for hire with in-house operators. The core portfolio consists of telescopic crawler cranes (25t-220t), lattice crawler cranes (70t-300t), and crawler crane sales. Supporting services include lifting accessories hire (container handlers), matt hire (Ekki matts), contract lifting services, Hawks Agency staffing (via UpRate), and Hawks Training Centre (CPCS-accredited training). All crane operations are handled by vetted in-house operators trained at the company's own Dartford-based academy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Crawler Crane Hire Rental of meticulously maintained telescopic (25t–220t) and lattice (70t–300t) crawler cranes operated only by in-house, CPCS-vetted operators. Targeted at UK construction firms needing reliable lifting capacity ranging from tight access work to large civil infrastructure projects.
• Contract Lift Services Bespoke contract lifting solutions including consultation, planning, execution, and real-time monitoring for complex projects across data centres, civil infrastructure, new nuclear builds, bridges, tunnels, and renewables. Targeted at clients needing turnkey project support beyond pure equipment hire.
• Crawler Crane Sales Sale of used crawler cranes from Hawks' hire fleet, including Liebherr (LR 1300.1 SX, LR 1160, LTR 1150, LTR 1100, LTR 1060) and Kobelco (CKE2500G, CKE900G-4) models ranging from 25t to 300t capacity, with detailed servicing records. Targeted at construction firms looking to acquire well-maintained pre-owned crawler cranes.
• Lifting Accessories Hire Rental of construction lifting-related items including 40ft autolock container handlers. Targeted at contractors needing supplementary equipment alongside crane hire to execute lifting operations.
• Matt Hire Rental of timber Ekki matts in 4m and 6m sizes for load distribution and ground protection on construction sites. Targeted at contractors needing ground stability solutions for crane and heavy equipment operations.
• Hawks Training Centre CPCS-accredited training centre delivering A40A Slinger Signaller (3 days + testing), A02 Crawler Crane (6 days + testing), and A62 Crane Supervisor (3 days + testing) courses at the Dartford-based Hawks Lifting Academy. CITB Employer Networks participants can access 70% off training value. Targeted at construction workers pursuing CPCS certification and employers sponsoring workforce training.
• Hawks Agency Construction labour supply service powered by UpRate, providing access to a database of 10,000+ vetted workers who have been screened through UpRate's profiling system. Targeted at construction firms needing qualified labour for lifting and general site operations.

Quantifiable outcome

• CPCS accreditation through CITB Employer Networks provides 70% training discount for participating companies

Segments2 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

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CPCS (Construction Plant Competency Scheme)coreOthersHawks Training Centre is an accredited CPCS training centre providing certification for crane operators, slinger/signallers, and lifting supervisors.
• CITB (Construction Industry Training Board)minorOthersHawks is part of the CITB Employer Networks, allowing participating companies to receive 70% off the value of their training.
• LiebherrminorOthersSupply chain manufacturer partnership for Liebherr crawler cranes including LR 1300.1 SX, LR 1160, LTR 1150, LTR 1100, and LTR 1060 models.
• KobelcominorOthersSupply chain manufacturer partnership for Kobelco crawler cranes including CKE2500G and CKE900G-4 models.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Liebherr: Liebherr is a major OEM supplier of crawler cranes (including LR and LTR series) that Hawks purchases for its hire fleet. While not a direct competitor, Liebherr is a key supply chain partner and comparable in product category, making it a relevant adjacent peer for fleet and market benchmarking.
• CITB (Construction Industry Training Board) affiliated training centres: CITB-affiliated CPCS training centres provide the same accredited crane operator, slinger/signaller, and supervisor certifications that Hawks Training Centre offers. They are ecosystem peers rather than direct competitors, as Hawks differentiates via in-house operator pipeline feeding its hire fleet.

Broad incumbents

• Mammoet: Mammoet is a global leader in heavy lifting and transport with extensive UK presence serving civil, energy, and offshore projects. It overlaps Hawks on contract lifting for large infrastructure and renewables but operates at materially larger scale and broader geographic reach.
• Sarens: Sarens is a global heavy-lift and crane rental incumbent with significant UK operations serving infrastructure, energy, and industrial projects. While Hawks focuses narrowly on crawler cranes, Sarens overlaps on high-capacity contract lifting for similar end markets and represents the scale ceiling Hawks may face on larger tenders.

Regional players

• HTC Plant Hire: HTC is a regional UK crane and plant hire operator providing crane hire, contract lifting, and operator provision across construction sectors. Its service mix and mid-market positioning closely parallel Hawks' Dartford-based model, though with different geographic focus.

Direct peers

• King Lifting: King Lifting is a UK crane hire and contract lifting specialist with a fleet spanning mobile and crawler cranes serving infrastructure and construction clients. It competes with Hawks directly for crawler crane hire and contract lifting engagements across the UK.
• Ainscough Crane Hire: Ainscough is the UK's largest crane hire company, offering a nationwide depot network and a fleet spanning mobile, crawler, and tower cranes for construction and infrastructure projects. It is the most direct UK peer to Hawks given the same B2B crane hire model and overlapping customer base in civil infrastructure and construction.
• Emerson Crane Hire: Emerson Crane Hire is a UK-based mobile and crawler crane rental company serving construction and infrastructure markets. Its B2B hire model and focus on operator-supplied cranes for civil and commercial projects make it a directly comparable peer to Hawks.
• Select Plant Hire: Select Plant Hire is a UK plant and crane rental company serving construction, infrastructure, and industrial clients. While Select has broader plant hire scope, it overlaps Hawks directly on crawler crane hire and contract lifting for major UK infrastructure projects.
• Quinto Crane & Plant Hire: Quinto is a UK-based crane and plant hire specialist serving construction and infrastructure projects, comparable in size and service model to Hawks. It offers mobile and crawler crane hire with contract lifting services, making it a directly comparable mid-sized UK competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hawkshirecranes
• Facebookfacebook.com/HawksCraneHireLtd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hawks-hire

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 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 Hawks