What ESS does

ESS is a specialist equipment hire company operating in the United Kingdom as a division of VP plc, a diversified equipment hire group. Founded in 1993, the company rents Safety, Survey, Communications, and Test & Measurement equipment to more than 7,000 customers, supported by a UK-wide branch network and a dedicated fleet of satellite-tracked delivery vehicles that enable next-day delivery of core range products. Its safety equipment catalogue covers breathing apparatus, confined space access, gas detection, hazardous area (ATEX) lighting, utility detection, and working-at-height solutions; the survey catalogue spans levels, laser levels, total stations, GNSS smart antennas, and terrestrial laser scanners; the communications line includes POC/LTE radios, two-way and ATEX radios, full duplex systems, body-worn cameras, and site networking solutions; and the test & measurement line covers cable, electrical, environmental, network, power analysis, process control, rail, and sub-station testing. The company does not develop proprietary equipment; instead it partners with tier-one OEMs such as Leica Geosystems, Trimble, Fluke, Draeger, MSA, Megger, Motorola, Crowcon, Beamex, Radiodetection, Wolf Safety, Scott Safety, and Omicron to offer calibrated, certified hire units.

ESS generates revenue through short- and long-term rental of specialist equipment at weekly rates that range from £13 to £477 per item depending on complexity (for example, a Primayer Primelog+1P 20 Bar pressure logger at £13/week versus a Jofra PTC125 DBC temperature calibrator at £477/week). Pricing excludes VAT and Damage Waiver, and minimum hire periods apply. Customers can transact online via an ESS Web Account linked to an ESS Credit Account, through branch visits, or via dedicated internal and external account managers. Adjacent revenue streams include Reconditioned Products, Ex-Rental asset sales, Stock Clearance, a Training Centre network, and Specialist Site Services for hazardous environments. The company is privately held as part of VP plc, with no independent public listing, no disclosed funding rounds, and no disclosed revenue or headcount figures.

Name

ESS

Legal name

ESS

Website

https://vp-ess.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

ESS is a UK specialist equipment hire company and division of VP plc that rents Safety, Survey, Communications, and Test & Measurement equipment to more than 7,000 customers via a nationwide branch network, satellite-tracked delivery fleet, and online accounts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Long Eaton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Equipment Hire and Rental: ESS generates revenue through short-term and long-term rental of specialist equipment including safety equipment, survey instruments, communication devices, and test & measurement tools. Pricing is typically quoted on a weekly basis with minimum hire periods, and customers can hire online via linked web and credit accounts or through branch visits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

ESS is a UK specialist equipment hire company providing short-term and long-term rental of safety, survey, communications, and test & measurement equipment to over 7,000 customers nationwide. The company complements its rental fleet with training services, specialist on-site support, reconditioned equipment sales, and ex-rental equipment sales. Pricing is typically quoted on a weekly basis with minimum hire periods, and customers can transact via online accounts, branch visits, or through dedicated account managers.

Product overview

ESS (Essentials / Vp ESS) is an equipment hire company and part of the VP plc group, offering specialized equipment rental, training, and associated services. The company operates as a single unified hire platform offering four main equipment categories: (1) Safety Equipment for hazardous environments including Breathing Apparatus (SCBA, EEBD, PAPR), Confined Space Access systems (Davit Arms, Fall Arrest, Tripods, Winches), Gas Detection (Personal, Area), Hazardous Area Solutions (ATEX Lighting, Ventilation), and Utility Detection; (2) Survey Equipment including Leica Total Stations (TS20, TS16, TS13, TS07, TS06, TS03), Laser Scanners (Leica RTC360, BLK360, Trimble X7), GNSS systems, and levels; (3) Communications Equipment including POC/LTE radios, Two Way Radios, ATEX radios, CCTV, and site solutions; (4) Test & Measurement equipment including Cable Testing, Electrical Testing (Fluke multimeters), Environmental monitoring, Inspection tools, Network Testing, Power Analysis, Process & Control equipment (Pressure calibrators including Beamex MC6, Druck DPI610IS, Temperature calibrators including Jofra PTC125), and Sub Station testing. Additional offerings include Reconditioned Products, Ex-Rental equipment for purchase, Training Services, and Specialist Site Services. The company partners with manufacturers including Leica Geosystems, Trimble, Fluke, Megger, Draeger, MSA, Crowcon, and Wolf Safety.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Safety Equipment Hire

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Leica GeosystemscoreTechnology or IntegrationESS partners with Leica Geosystems for survey equipment including total stations, GNSS, laser scanners, and levels. ESS is committed to working closely with Leica to offer customers precision technology for surveying applications.
• TrimblecoreTechnology or IntegrationESS partners with Trimble for survey equipment including robotic total stations and GNSS receivers, providing precision technology for surveying field applications.
• FlukecoreTechnology or IntegrationESS stocks Fluke test and measurement equipment including multimeters, clamp meters, insulation testers, and power quality analyzers for electrical testing applications.
• DraegercoreTechnology or IntegrationESS provides Draeger safety equipment including breathing apparatus, gas detectors, and personal protective equipment for hazardous environment applications.
• Wolf SafetycoreTechnology or IntegrationESS offers Wolf Safety ATEX lighting, worklights, and hazardous area lighting solutions for use in potentially explosive atmospheres.
• MSAcoreTechnology or IntegrationESS provides MSA safety equipment including gas detectors, fall protection, and breathing apparatus for worker safety in hazardous environments.
• RadiodetectioncoreTechnology or IntegrationESS partners with Radiodetection for cable avoidance tools, locators, and signal generators for utility detection and prevention of cable strikes.
• MeggercoreTechnology or IntegrationESS stocks Megger equipment for electrical testing including insulation testers, earth resistance testers, cable fault locators, and power analysis tools.
• OmicroncoreTechnology or IntegrationESS provides Omicron test equipment for protection relay testing, circuit breaker analysis, and substation testing applications.
• BeamexcoreTechnology or IntegrationESS offers Beamex calibrators and process instrumentation for pressure, temperature, and multi-parameter measurement applications.
• CrowconcoreTechnology or IntegrationESS provides Crowcon gas detection equipment including personal gas detectors and area monitors for detecting hazardous gases.
• Scott SafetycoreTechnology or IntegrationESS offers Scott Safety breathing apparatus and respiratory protection equipment for hazardous environment applications.
• MotorolacoreTechnology or IntegrationESS provides Motorola two-way radios, POC devices, and ATEX radios for site communications solutions.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights10 records

Direct peers

• HSS Hire: UK tool and equipment hire specialist with national branch coverage serving trade and industrial customers. Comparable in target customer base, weekly rental pricing model and broad-equipment category mix including test & measurement.
• Brandon Hire Station: Sister division under VP plc offering UK tool and small plant hire. Directly comparable operating model, UK branch network and customer overlap; the most immediate internal benchmark for ESS's economics and go-to-market.
• Groundforce (VP plc): Sister VP plc division specialising in excavation support and temporary works equipment hire. Operates the same parent-group platform and UK customer base, with comparable horizontal-rental go-to-market and fleet economics.
• GAP Hire Solutions: UK plant, tool and equipment hire group with national coverage across multiple specialist divisions. Comparable business model of horizontal equipment rental with multi-category offering and UK branch network.
• Speedy Hire: UK-listed specialist equipment rental company serving construction, infrastructure and industrial markets with tools, plant and powered access. Closest publicly traded peer for UK equipment hire economics, fleet utilisation and pricing dynamics.
• Nationwide Platforms: UK specialist in powered access and working-at-height equipment rental. Comparable in equipment-rental model, target customer segments (construction, infrastructure) and safety/compliance-driven demand profile relevant to ESS's working-at-height category.

Broad incumbents

• Ashtead Group (Sunbelt Rentals): FTSE-listed global equipment rental giant operating Sunbelt Rentals primarily in North America and the UK. Larger, more diversified broadline incumbent; benchmark for fleet economics, capital allocation and category expansion strategy in the UK equipment rental market.
• Boels Rental: European specialist equipment rental group with broad category coverage. Comparable in equipment-rental business model and target customer segments; useful benchmark for multi-country European expansion optionality from a UK base.
• Aggreko: FTSE-listed global specialist in temporary power, temperature control and modular space rental. Adjacent equipment-rental business model serving industrial, infrastructure and event customers; benchmark for specialist-rental unit economics and recurring-revenue profile.

Regional players

• Riwal: European aerial work platform and telescopic handler rental specialist. Comparable in equipment-rental operating model and customer segments (construction, infrastructure) but primarily serving continental Europe rather than the UK market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vp-ess

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 ESS