PHL

What PHL does

PHL (UK) Limited is an independent wholesaler and supplier of used warehouse and material handling equipment, headquartered in Basingstoke, Hampshire. Founded in 2003 and operating for over 30 years in the trade, the company runs a 50,000 sq ft warehouse showroom stocking over 1,000 used machines at any time, including counterbalance, warehouse, VNA, big-truck, rough-terrain, and side-loader forklifts sourced from brands such as Linde, BT, Toyota, Hyster, Jungheinrich, Mitsubishi, Crown, Still, and Caterpillar. Core capabilities include forklift refurbishment and restoration (mast inspection, hydraulic testing, battery refurbishment, and a high-tech spray booth), part-exchange purchasing, and in-house PHL Transport for global shipping, with documented deliveries to enterprise customers in India, China, and Peru.

The company's product portfolio centers on used forklift sales and rentals, complemented by Easyramps container ramps, forklift attachments (fork positioners, bale clamps, rotators, sideshifts), lithium-ion and electric forklift offerings, and a parts webshop. Specialist VNA equipment supports high-density warehouse environments, with aisle widths as narrow as 1.7 metres. New trucks are offered through the iLift partner site, extending the addressable market beyond second-hand equipment. Pricing is gated behind a trade-account login, with 30-day payment terms, and the website is localized into six European languages.

PHL serves a diversified customer base across warehousing and distribution, food and seafood (notably cold-storage operations in Peru), international dealers and resellers, and e-commerce and retail logistics. Distribution is direct-to-customer via the warehouse showroom, an online forklift finder with filtering by type, brand, capacity, lift height, and hours, and an in-house transport operation that handles domestic and international containerized shipping. The company is privately held with no disclosed institutional investors, no funding rounds, and 11-50 employees, operating under founder-led management with co-founder Richard Hawkins and Managing Director Dilyan Alexiev.

Name

PHL

Legal name

PHL (UK) Limited

Website

https://phl.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

PHL (UK) Limited is an independent Basingstoke-based wholesaler of used forklifts and warehouse equipment, refurbishing and reselling 1,000+ machines to enterprise and dealer customers across the UK, Europe, Asia, and Latin America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Material Handling Equipment

NAICS

Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (4234), Other Professional Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (423490)

SIC

Wholesale-Industrial Machinery & Equipment (5084), Wholesale-Machinery, Equipment & Supplies (5080), Wholesale-Construction & Mining (No Petro) Machinery & Equip (5082)

akta.pro primary industry

Forklifts & Industrial Trucks (IC & Electric) (IMAHABAA)

Keywords

• Used forklifts
• Material handling equipment
• Warehouse forklifts
• Forklift refurbishment
• VNA forklifts

Headquarters

HQ city

Basingstoke

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Used Forklift Sales: PHL generates revenue primarily through the sale of used warehouse forklifts and industrial plant machinery. They stock over 500-1000 machines at any time, including counterbalance, warehouse, VNA, big trucks, rough terrain, side-loader, and other forklift equipment from various manufacturers.
2. Easyramps Sales: Sale of Easyramps container ramps designed with steel construction, including hydraulic pump & handle, swivel fork clamp attachment, safety chains, one-year manufacturer's warranty, CE mark and compliance with European standards.
3. Forklift Attachments: Sale of forklift attachments including fork positioners, bale clamps, rotators, sideshifts, and specialized attachments for pushing, pulling, lifting, carrying, holding, and rotating tasks.
4. Forklift Rentals: Rental services for forklift trucks to provide flexibility for businesses that do not wish to invest in purchase.
5. Part Exchange: PHL purchases second-hand forklifts and provides part exchange services, allowing customers to trade in existing equipment when purchasing from their stock.
6. PHL Transport: Shipping and delivery services for exporting forklifts worldwide, including to overseas customers in Asia, Europe, and other international destinations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

PHL is an independent wholesaler and supplier of used warehouse forklifts and material handling equipment, operating from a 50,000 sq ft warehouse showroom in Basingstoke, Hampshire, with over 1,000 machines in stock. The company sells and rents second-hand forklifts across multiple types and brands, complemented by Easyramps container ramps, forklift attachments, batteries, spare parts, in-house global transport, and full refurbishment and restoration services.

Product overview

PHL (UK) Limited is an independent wholesaler and supplier of used warehouse and material handling equipment, operating from a massive warehouse showroom in Hampshire with over 500 machines in stock. The core offering centers on used forklifts available for sale and rental, encompassing multiple types (counterbalance, warehouse, VNA, big trucks, rough terrain, side-loader) and numerous brands (Linde, BT, Toyota, Hyster, Jungheinrich, Caterpillar, Mitsubishi, Crown, Still, and others). Related offerings include Easyramps container ramps, forklift attachments (fork positioners, bale clamps, rotators, sideshifts), forklift batteries including lithium-ion options, parts, and PHL Transport for global delivery. New trucks are available through the iLift partner site. Supporting services include forklift truck refurbishment and restoration with full mechanical and cosmetic capabilities, and forklift rentals for flexible needs. The product portfolio is unified by a focus on the used equipment market with global shipping capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Used Forklifts PHL's primary offering: a vast selection of used warehouse forklifts for sale, including counterbalance, warehouse, VNA, big trucks, rough terrain, and side-loader forklifts from multiple leading manufacturers. Targeted at UK, European and global business buyers seeking cost-effective material handling equipment.
• Easyramps Container Ramps Steel container ramps designed for strength and durability, supplied with hydraulic pump and handle, swivel fork clamp attachment, safety chains, one-year manufacturer's warranty, and CE marking compliant with European standards. For businesses loading/unloading containers with forklifts.
• Forklift Attachments A range of attachments for forklifts including fork positioners for spreading tines simultaneously, bale clamps for manipulating bulky loads, rotators for flipping/tilting loads, sideshifts, and other accessories for material handling tasks. For businesses using forklifts for varied load types.
• Forklift Rentals Flexible rental options for forklift trucks to suit various business needs, providing equipment access without capital investment. For businesses needing temporary or seasonal material handling capacity.
• Forklift Batteries Battery solutions for electric forklifts, including lithium-ion battery forklifts and battery maintenance services. For operators of electric forklift fleets.
• Parts Spare parts and components for forklift trucks available through an online webshop. For businesses maintaining and repairing forklift fleets.
• PHL Transport In-house logistics and delivery service handling shipping of forklifts domestically and internationally, including container loading and worldwide export. For global customers purchasing equipment from PHL.
• Forklift Truck Refurbishment and Restoration Full cosmetic and mechanical refurbishment service for second-hand forklifts including mast inspection, hydraulic system testing, steering system overhaul, engine/transmission testing, oil changes, battery refurbishment or replacement, and state-of-the-art painting using a high-tech spray booth to restore forklifts to excellent working condition. For businesses and dealers seeking quality refurbished equipment.

Quantifiable outcome

• Aisle widths reduced to 1.7m enabling 50% more storage compared to conventional racking systems
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• iLiftminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPHL refers customers to iLift (ilift.co.uk) for new trucks. iLift is featured as a recommended source for new forklift purchases, complementing PHL's used equipment offerings.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Jungheinrich UK: German intralogistics OEM with a strong UK presence in new forklifts, warehouse systems and used equipment ('Jungheinrich Used'). A direct competitor for high-density warehouse and VNA customers.
• Hyster-Yale Group: Global OEM of Hyster and Yale forklifts. Competes with PHL across counterbalance and warehouse segments and shapes the trade-in supply pipeline that PHL relies on for its used inventory.
• Crown Equipment: US-based manufacturer of forklifts and warehouse equipment, including VNA and turret trucks. Directly comparable to PHL's VNA heritage in high-density warehouse applications.
• Toyota Material Handling UK: UK arm of the world's largest forklift OEM with a comprehensive dealer network selling new equipment, rentals, parts and services. Competes with PHL for customers needing both new and used forklifts.
• Speedy Services: Major UK equipment-rental company with a material handling division. A comparable listed/established player for forklift rentals, sales and service across UK enterprise customers.
• Linde Material Handling: KION-owned global forklift OEM and one of the brands PHL stocks heavily. Its dealer network and direct-sales push into electric/Li-ion directly overlap with PHL's VNA and electric refurbishment offering.

Direct peers

• Briggs Equipment: Major independent UK dealer/distributor of new and used forklifts, material handling and construction equipment. Overlaps directly with PHL on used forklift sales, rentals and service across the UK and Ireland.
• East Midlands Forklifts: Specialist UK independent dealer of used forklifts and warehouse equipment, supplying counterbalance, reach and VNA machines — a close functional peer to PHL in the second-hand forklift trade.

Others

• iLift: PHL's own partner site offering new forklifts (including EP lithium-ion units). Functions as a complementary channel and adjacent competitor for new-truck customers in the UK.

Emerging players

• Flexi Forklift: Niche articulated forklift specialist focused on VNA and very narrow aisle trucks for high-density warehousing. A focused competitor to PHL's VNA product line and customer segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/PHLUKLimited
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/phlukltd
• Xx.com/PHLUKLtd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 PHL