Sentio Partners has advised the shareholders on the sale of Chippindale Plant Limited, the leading independent provider of construction equipment for hire and sale in the North of England, to AER Rents, an O’Flaherty Holdings group company.
Founded by Wilfred Chippindale in 1949, the Chippindale Plant has grown steadily and is now one of the largest privately owned hire and sales companies in the UK. Since joining the company in the 1980’s Nigel and Peter Chippindale have continued to roll out and improve their customer-focused style, earning multiple awards and building an enviable reputation for quality and customer care.
Chippindale Plant provides the complete hire & sales service for plant, tools, attachments and site accommodation throughout the entire North of England and beyond. Operating from its head office in Leeds it has 8 strategically placed depots in Leeds, Catterick, Huddersfield, Keighley, Newcastle, Manchester, Sheffield and York, employing 120 staff. Following the sale Nigel & Peter will continue in their current leadership roles as joint-MD’s.
The acquisition significantly strengthens AER Rents UK presence, allowing the group to offer a widened range of products and services to its customers, including the option to purchase new equipment through Chippindale’s dealership agreements with Volvo, Bomag, Mecalac, Epiroc, Atlas Copco, Stihl & Belle Group.
AER first invested in plant hire in 2014 with the acquisition of London-based Mr Plant Hire and in 2020 also acquired Ireland-based Drogheda Hire & Sales & Midlands-based Mainline Group. Last year AER Rents also purchased Welfare 4 Hire, the specialist mobile welfare provider. Each business has retained its identity, while capitalising on the strengths of their collective offerings and reach across the UK and Ireland and this will continue with Chippindale Plant.
In a separate comment, Nigel & Peter Chippindale said “We are delighted to be joining the AER Rents fold. It’s a perfect fit not only for Chippindale Plant and its employees, but also for our customers. AER Rents are a forward-thinking organisation with an eye on expansion. The acquisition will allow us access to significant further investment to enhance and expand the range of equipment we offer. We’re really looking forward to working with the AER Rents team and their existing plant hire companies.”
Sentio Partners acted as lead adviser (Will Arnold, Dave Irwin and Charlie Gray) with Gordons providing legal advice (Jonathan Asquez, Lisa Murphy, Lauren Wurzel, James Kimberley) and Buckle Barton (Andrew Marshall) providing tax and accounting support. AER was advised by KPMG Corporate Finance & Legal Services, Dublin, with legal support from Shoosmiths in Manchester.
