Ashtead was founded in 1947, in the village of Ashtead, Surrey, as Ashtead Plant and Tool Hire.[5] In 1986, it was first listed on the London Stock Exchange.[5]
In September 2018, Ashtead appointed Paul Walker as non-executive chairman of its board.[6][7]
In November 2018, it was announced that Geoff Drabble would retire as CEO after twelve years on 1 May 2019, and would be succeeded by Brendan Horgan, the Group Chief Operations Officer and chief executive of Sunbelt Rentals, Ashtead's North American business.[8]
In June 2022, Sunbelt Rentals, Ashtead's main operating subsidiary, was announced as an investor in lithium-ion battery developer Britishvolt.[9] After Britishvolt went into administration in January 2023, Ashtead later revealed it took a £35m hit from its collapse.[10]
Operations
The company operates internationally, servicing customers in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom.[11] Approximately 85% of its revenue is generated in the United States through the subsidiary Sunbelt Rentals, currently present in over 1,000 locations across the United States and Canada.[11]
The company's non-executive directors are Paul Walker, Angus Cockburn, Jill Easterbrook, Tanya Fratto, Reneta Ribeiro, Lucinda Riches and Lindsley Ruth.[7]
British operations
Sunbelt Rentals, formerly known as A-Plant, is present in over 185 locations throughout the United Kingdom, and has the following divisions:[11]
A-Plant, Plant
A-Plant, Accommodation
Astra Site Services, Excavator Attachments
Brightlights
FLG Services, Lifting and Handling Specialists
Hoist-It LTD
GB Access
Hewden Industrial, equipment hire to the petrochemical industry
