Chippindale Plant has joined a group that includes Mr Plant Hire, Drogheda Hire & Sales, Mainline Group and Welfare 4 Hire.
Chippindale Plant turned over £19.5m in the year to 30th April 2021 and made a pre-tax profit of 2.2m. Its accounts show net assets of £11.3m. The purchase price was not disclosed.
Nigel and Peter Chippindale, grandsons of Wilfred Chippindale who founded the company in 1949, will continue to jointly manage the business. “AER Rents are a forward-thinking organisation with an eye on expansion,” they said. “The acquisition will allow us access to significant further investment to enhance and expand the range of equipment we offer.”
Chippindale Plant has its head office in Leeds, with depots in Leeds, Catterick, Huddersfield, Keighley, Newcastle, Manchester, Sheffield and York. It has 120 staff.
It also has a sales operation as well as hire, with dealerships for Volvo, Bomag, Mecalac, Epiroc, Atlas Copco, Stihl and Belle Group.
O’Flaherty Holdings was founded in the 1940s by motor industry entrepreneur Stephen O’Flaherty and is still owned and managed by his family. Subsidiaries include Motor Distributors, Ireland dealer for Mercedes-Benz cars and commercial vehicles, and MSL, a network of independent motor dealerships providing sales and after-sales service for Mercedes-Benz, Mazda and Skoda.
O’Flaherty moved into plant hire in 2014 with the acquisition of London-based Mr Plant Hire and in 2020 also acquired Ireland-based Drogheda Hire & Sales and Midlands-based Mainline Group. Last year AER Rents also purchased Welfare 4 Hire, a specialist mobile welfare provider. The identity of each business has been retained under O’Flaherty ownership, as will Chippindale Plant.
Got a story? Email news@theconstructionindex.co.uk
