We are delighted to announce the sale of our Bristol and South Wales depots, together with around 1,000 plant and equipment assets, to Thomas Plant Hire Ltd. We are especially pleased that our GB operation has gone to another family-run business, and we wish them all the best for the future.
The acquisition marks an important step in the continued growth of Thomas Plant Hire’s national depot network, strengthening its presence across South West England and South Wales. Customers at both depots will now benefit from the capacity and support of a larger national operator.
The experienced teams at Bristol and Port Talbot have transferred to Thomas Plant Hire as part of the sale. We would like to thank every one of them for their hard work and loyalty. They played an important part in making the sale a success, and their knowledge and expertise will be central to the next chapter for both depots.
We would also like to thank the team at Thomas Plant Hire. The transition was smooth and well managed throughout, and we are delighted with the outcome.
Our GB story
CP Hire (GB) Ltd opened its first depot at Taff’s Well, Cardiff, in 2012. The business grew quickly, opening larger depots in Cardiff, Bristol and Swansea before expanding into Birmingham and Newbury. In 2019, CP Hire GB was ranked 47th in the Sunday Times Fast Track 100.
Growth at that pace brought its challenges. In December 2023, we changed the leadership of the GB business, and a management team from Northern Ireland took over. We put an enormous amount of time, effort and experience into restructuring the operation.
We right-sized the fleet and workforce, purchased a 12-acre site in Port Talbot and brought our Cardiff and Swansea depots together on one site.
Through a lot of hard work, persistence, and experience, we returned the business to profitability and made it an attractive proposition for a national operator such as Thomas Plant Hire.
Looking ahead
The strength and consistency of our Northern Ireland business made the GB turnaround possible. We have an amazing team, and together with the continued support of our customers and suppliers, they keep driving the business from strength to strength.
After nearly three years focused heavily on GB, we can now turn our full attention back to Northern Ireland. We have gained a huge amount of experience along the way and have big plans for the future.
With our powered access and plant fleet continuing to expand, and major infrastructure projects such as the A5 on the horizon, we are well placed for the next stage of growth. We will continue investing in the business and raising the standard of service we provide to our customers.
CP Hire has served customers across Northern Ireland since 1971 and now operates from seven depots. Our focus remains firmly on our fleet, our people and our customers at home.
“We are incredibly proud of what we have achieved with this business in GB. Bringing it up to the standards we set in Northern Ireland, returning it to profitability and completing this sale is a remarkable achievement, particularly when we look back at the position the business was in when we took over.”