Marsh Plant Hire Ltd

What Marsh Plant Hire Ltd does

Marsh Plant Hire Ltd is a family-run crane and general plant hire company headquartered in Havant, Hampshire, with origins tracing to a building company founded by Leslie Marsh and Frank Wren in the 1930s. The business was formally incorporated as Marsh (Emsworth) Limited in 1951 and created Marsh Plant and Machinery Co. Ltd in the mid-1950s before relocating to its current New Lane site in 1963. Ownership remains with the Marsh family, with Geoffrey Marsh serving as Chairman and Andrew Honeywell as Managing Director; no external institutional or private equity investment is evident.

The company operates a fleet of all-terrain mobile cranes ranging from 40 to 150 tonnes (Liebherr, Tadano, Terex, Faun, Grove) alongside general plant including excavators (0.8-8 tonnes), rough terrain forklifts, telehandlers (6m-18m), dumpers, and rollers (JCB, Kubota, Manitou, Bomag, Thwaites, Atlas Copco). All crane and plant hire is delivered under CPA Model Conditions, with Contract Lift services available to cover BS7121 and LOLER compliance, lift planning, method statements, and risk assessments. The company distributes through five depots in Hampshire, Dorset, Somerset, Buckinghamshire, and Oxfordshire, covering an operational footprint defined by a Brighton–Exeter–Northampton triangle.

Revenue is generated through usage-based rental of cranes and general plant to construction contractors and industrial clients, supplemented by professional services revenue from Contract Lift engagements and hardware sales from ex-hire fleet disposal. The go-to-market is sales-led and depot-driven: customers contact local depot managers and crane sales executives directly, with no online booking, e-commerce, or digital marketing infrastructure evident. Marketing is limited to a company website, direct phone and email contact, and brochure distribution.

Name

Marsh Plant Hire Ltd

Legal name

Marsh Plant Hire Limited

Website

https://marshplant.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1951

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Marsh Plant Hire Ltd is a family-run UK crane and plant hire company operating five depots across the South and Midlands, providing mobile cranes (40-150 tonnes), excavators, telehandlers, and general plant to construction contractors and industrial clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Construction Equipment Hire

NAICS

Overhead Traveling Crane, Hoist, and Monorail System Manufacturing (333923)

SIC

Construction Machinery & Equip (3531)

akta.pro primary industry

Cranes, Hoists & Rigging Equipment MRO (Mobile/Tower Cranes, Winches) (TLAKAHAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Cargo Handling & Lifting Equipment (Cranes, Derricks, Hoists) (IMAJAIAB)

Keywords

• Mobile crane hire
• General plant hire
• Contract lifting services
• Construction equipment rental
• Used plant equipment sales

Headquarters

HQ city

Havant

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Crane Hire: Mobile crane rental services with CPA Model Conditions, ranging from 40 to 150 tonne capacity All Terrain cranes from manufacturers including Liebherr, Tadano, Terex, Faun and Grove
2. General Plant Hire: Contractor's general plant hire including excavators, telehandlers, forklifts, dumpers and rollers. All hire takes place under CPA Model Conditions. Additional equipment such as extension forks, manbaskets, augers, fly jibs, lifting hooks and breakers available
3. Contract Lift Services: Full contracted lifting service where company provides crane, operator, and assumes legal responsibilities for lift planning and execution under CPA Contract Lift Conditions
4. Plant Sales: Sale of ex-hire fleet equipment including mini diggers, excavators, forklifts, telehandlers, dumpers and rollers from manufacturers such as Kubota, JCB, Terex, Manitou

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Marsh Plant Hire Ltd supplies mobile cranes and general construction plant to contractors throughout the South and Midlands of England through a five-depot network. Its fleet includes 40 to 150 tonne all-terrain cranes, excavators, telehandlers, rough-terrain forklifts, dumpers, and rollers. Customers can contract standard hire under CPA Model Conditions or full contract lifting in which Marsh Plant provides the crane and operator and manages planning and compliance responsibilities.

Product overview

Marsh Plant Hire Ltd is a family-run crane and plant hire company offering a modern fleet of high specification mobile cranes (40-150 tonnes) and general plant equipment. The core offering consists of Mobile Crane Hire (operated under CPA Model Conditions or Contract Lift arrangements) alongside General Plant Hire covering excavators (0.8-8 ton), rough terrain forklifts, telehandlers (6m-18m), dumpers, and rollers. The company operates from depots in Hampshire, Dorset, Somerset, Buckinghamshire, and Oxfordshire, serving the South and Midlands regions. They also offer used plant equipment for sale from their ex-hire fleet.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mobile Crane Hire Marsh Plant Hire provides 40 to 150 tonne all-terrain mobile cranes, including 40-ton, 50-60-ton, and 100-150-ton capacity categories from Liebherr, Tadano, Terex, Faun, and Grove. Standard crane hire is available under CPA Model Conditions.
• General Plant Hire General Plant Hire provides contractors with mini diggers through 8-ton excavators, rough-terrain forklifts, telehandlers with 6m to 18m lifting heights, dumpers, and rollers. Equipment is supplied by manufacturers including Bomag, JCB, Kubota, Manitou, Thwaites, Terex, and Atlas Copco.
• Contract Lifting Contract Lifting is a fully contracted crane service under CPA Contract Lift Conditions. Marsh Plant supplies the crane and operator and manages lift planning, method statements, risk assessments, and compliance with BS7121 and LOLER requirements.
• Plant Sales Plant Sales offers used machinery from Marsh Plant Hire's ex-hire fleet, including mini diggers, excavators, forklifts, telehandlers, dumpers, and rollers from manufacturers including Kubota, JCB, Terex, and Manitou.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• GAP Group: UK plant, tool and specialist equipment hire company serving construction and infrastructure customers via a national depot network. Directly comparable to Marsh Plant in telehandler, excavator and general plant rental with similar contractor customer base.
• Hewden: UK plant and tool hire company offering telehandlers, excavators, dumpers and access equipment to construction contractors. Closely comparable to Marsh Plant's general plant hire business with overlapping customer base and product categories, though with broader national coverage.
• Ainscough Crane Hire: UK's largest mobile crane hire company operating a nationwide fleet of mobile cranes from 9 to 750 tonnes with multiple depots. Directly comparable to Marsh Plant in offering mobile crane rental and contract lift services to construction and industrial customers, but at far greater national scale.
• Brandon Hire Station: UK tool and plant hire company with a national depot network serving construction and trade customers. Comparable to Marsh Plant in plant hire activity, particularly around general contractor equipment including excavators and access platforms.
• Lifting Gear Hire (LGH): UK-based lifting equipment hire specialist offering hoists, cranes, rigging gear and lifting solutions to industrial customers. Highly comparable to Marsh Plant's crane hire and contract lift offering, particularly around LOLER compliance and professional lifting services.

Broad incumbents

• Vp plc: Publicly listed UK equipment rental group operating multiple specialist divisions including plant, tool and groundforce equipment hire. Comparable as a broad UK rental incumbent with overlapping plant hire categories, though far larger and more diversified.
• HSS Hire: UK tool and equipment hire company offering a broad range of plant and access equipment to trade and construction customers. Comparable as a broad incumbent in equipment hire with overlapping product categories including telehandlers, though serves a wider range of customers.
• Speedy Hire: Publicly listed UK equipment hire services provider offering tools, plant and specialist equipment through a national depot network. Comparable to Marsh Plant in core plant hire activity but operates as a broad incumbent across many equipment categories and geographies.
• Sunbelt Rentals UK: UK arm of Ashtead Group's Sunbelt Rentals, one of the largest equipment rental companies in the world. Comparable as a broad incumbent across plant, tools and access equipment, with overlapping customers and significantly larger capital base than Marsh Plant.

Emerging players

• Nationwide Platforms: UK specialist in powered access platform hire (scissor lifts, boom lifts), part of the Loxam Group. Tangentially comparable to Marsh Plant's general plant hire offering around site equipment for construction projects, though specialises in access rather than cranes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/marsh-plant-hire-ltd

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

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 Marsh Plant Hire Ltd