Aer Rents acquires Hudson Lifting Ltd

AER Rents, an O’Flaherty Holdings group company, is pleased to announce the acquisition of Hudson Lifting Ltd, a leading independent provider of Hire, Sales, Service and Testing of lifting equipment in the United Kingdom.

Founded by Jeff Hudson & Danny Smalldridge in 2018, the company has grown steadily and is already considered as one of the leading providers of lifting equipment and accessories in the UK. Shortly after its inception Kevin Lewis also joined the team and the business has grown steadily from its base in East Tilbury, with the opening of further depots in Dartford and West Drayton. In addition to hire, Hudson also sells a wide range of lifting equipment and accessories from leading suppliers and is also able to provide bespoke, designed lifting gear solutions for one-off requirements through their in-house design team. This latest acquisition significantly strengthens AER Rents specialist services, allowing the group to offer a widened range of products and services to its customers in tandem with the general rental offerings from Mr Plant Hire, Drogheda Hire & Sales, Mainline & Chippindale Hire & Sales. AER Rents & Hudson Lifting will execute an agreed growth plan which will see Hudson establish a UK-wide network of 12 depots over the next 5 years. O’Flaherty Holdings is an organisation well known in Ireland, primarily through its role in the development of the Irish motor industry. Founded in the 1940s by legendary motor industry entrepreneur, the late Stephen O’Flaherty, the group continues to be owned and managed by members of the O’Flaherty family. Its subsidiaries include Motor Distributors Limited, distributors in Ireland of Mercedes-Benz passenger cars and commercial vehicles and MSL – a network of independent motor dealerships providing sales and after-sales service for Mercedes-Benz, Mazda & Skoda. The group first invested in plant hire in 2014 with the acquisition of Londonbased Mr Plant Hire and in 2020 also acquired Ireland-based Drogheda Hire and Midlands-based Mainline Group. AER Rents will continue to expand its presence in the plant hire market through a combination of strategic acquisitions and organic growth, offering its customers access to a wider offering of modern products and services. The group was advised by KPMG Corporate Finance & Legal Services, Dublin, with legal support from Shoosmiths in Manchester. Hudson Lifting were supported by Nelsons Law LLP, located in Nottingham & Denmark Forrester located in Heybridge in Essex.

When John Killen of Seaforde Metals decided it was time to replace his equipment handler, he made a change from his previous brand and went to Blue Equipment Ireland and their FUCHS range.

Seaforde Scrap Metals is a long-established family business, founded by Peter Killen in 1920. The company specialises in reprocessing ferrous and non-ferrous metals for a wide range of customers from the general public to multi-national companies and its professional, expert services are highly valued and fully accredited. Seaforde Metals is a fully-licensed waste carrier, waste management facility and authorised treatment facility (ATF).

The material handler needed to be up to long hours of work, both on-site processing scrap metals into bales and at Warrenpoint docks, loading bales for freight shipping. “over the years we have tried different management approaches to our machinery,” said John. “We’ve tried driving the machine until it’s totally done but, when you count the repair bill it’s cheaper to change the regularly used machine every four or five years. It was time for a new material handler and the extra tax relief this year was an added incentive to invest.”

Although he had never previously purchased a FUCHS, John was first attracted to the brand in 1995, when a delegation from the Northern Ireland scrap industry was invited out to the FUCHS factory close to Heidelberg in Germany.

“I was very impressed by the factory and, since then periodically the sale people from Blue would pop in for a chat and cup of tea, even though I was using another brand,” continued John.

“When it came time to update our fleet I found Blue Equipment Ireland was

FUCHS ENGINEERED FOR POWER & EFFICIENCY

At A Glance

Outstanding stability for the toughest jobs.

Operating weight without attachments (t) 33.0-35.5

Engine power (kW) 160

Electric engine power (kW) 132

Loading equipment (m) 14.7-16.0 really good coming back with answers to my questions. Our family has been in the scrap metal business for 103 years and I have been working in the business full-time since 1989. I’ve also travelled a lot to the various machinery shows in Europe and the USA I know what I am looking for. Even so, there are always things you don’t know (every day is a school day). I liked the MHL 350F I was very impressed with Blue Equipment Ireland’s response time – possibly the best in my 34 years’ experience. What’s more, if the sales team are fast, the parts department will be efficient and that is important so that maintenance downtime is minimised.”

Operator David Howard enjoying the comfort of the cab in the new Fuchs MHL 350F they recently took delivery of.

THE 350F: A STANDOUT MATERIAL HANDLER

State-of-the-art engine technology paired with pioneering hydraulics make the MHL 350F one of the fastest and most sensitive picking and loading machines in its class. Its robust 36 tonne operating weight, a 16-metre reach and a 3-metre undercarriage, coupled with a powerful 160 kW turbo diesel engine and high-performance hydraulics operating on an efficient dualcircuit make it possible for loads weighing several tons to be moved effortlessly, quickly and precisely. This is an agile machine with smooth high to low manoeuvrability and, utilising the range of grabs available, can collect anything from large single items like a car chassis to mixed small materials. Scrap metal, timber and port handling as well as recycling operations lie at the core of the MHL 350F’s design and it is a genuine multi-tasker.

In the MHL 350F, the stage V diesel engine fully conforms to Tier 4 Final legislation without any compromise on performance. It is more fuel-efficient than earlier models and even features an Eco-Mode option reducing fuel consumption by up to 27% depending on application and loading.

The Fuchs 350F also boasts a maintenance-friendly design and a FUCHS service platform enabling easy access to the main components to minimise downtime, an important factor for Seaforde Metals.

Impressive Machine

The FUCHS MHL 350F ticks all the boxes for Seaforde Metals’ owner, John Killen and it is also a big hit with its operator, David Howard. David operates the handler processing scrap metal alongside co-worker John, who operates the baler/shearer.

David also operates the MHL 350F for loading at Warrenpoint dock. Even though the 350F arrived less than two months ago, he’s had plenty of time in the cab to assess the machine’s comfort and capabilities.

“I have a lot of experience using other brands and some much older machines, but this is the first time I’ve driven a FUCHS and the first time in my working life that I’ve been lucky enough to drive a brand new model, straight from the factory. I’m definitely enjoying it,” says David. “In terms of my job, the 350F does everything I want it to do and it does it well. It can definitely lift the weights I need, even though the grab adds 1.5 to 2 tonnes to the weight. It’s a powerful, well-balanced machine and can handle heavy loads, even with the arm stretched right out. It’s agile too, the outswing design makes it capable of fitting into smaller spaces without taking away from its lifting and manoeuvring capability, the MHL 350F feels so much better, more comfortable, more competent and more easily operated than older handlers I’ve driven in the past. The FUCHS has a six-cylinder engine, so it’s also much quieter than other handlers that I’ve driven.” David spends long hours in the cab so comfort and easy access to controls is important. “The cab is very comfy. It has it all really, DAB radio, USB ports, cameras. We’ve currently got two cameras connected, one at the back and one at the right-hand-side where the arm extends, so my visibility is great,” says David. “Everything in the cab is easily adjustable and the display screen lays out all the controls and information within easy visibility and reach. David concludes: “At times, especially when I’m working on the dock, I can be in the cab for fairly long periods, maybe three hours and this machine is so comfortable to work in and so good at doing what I need it to do that it’s just a great place to go work.”

Ashbourne Truck Centre, Ballymadun, Ashbourne, Co. Meath, Ireland

Tel: 00353 18350573 Josef: 0035387 255 66 77 Sarah J: 0035386 255 66 77

New Faymonville 4-axle hydraulic widening bed low loader, extendable in width from 2.54m to 3.2m at the push of a bu on, also extendable in length, double ip hydraulic ramps, rear steer axles, hydraulic rear legs, full spec. In stock available immediately.

2022 Faymonville 4 axle 9ft wide, heavy duty spec on 19.5” wheels, trough, extendable, double flip ramps, BPW axles, greaser, marker boards, available with immediate delivery IN STOCK

New Schmitz Bulk Tipping Trailer, 70 cubic yard, step frame design, steel galvanised chassis, roll over cover, grain hatch and sock, sealed tail board, front lift axle, ina stock, available immediately.

2022 Schmitz 8.2m tipping trailers, standard size and higher side wall for waste etc, steel body, galvanised steel chassis, front lift axle, auto dump on suspension, manual cover, sealed tail board, fully thermal insulated in stock also. available with immediate delivery IN STOCK

New Schmitz Cargobull insulated tar spec pping trailer, 8.2m, steel body, electric cover, front li axle. In stock available immediately.

New Faymonville 4 axle fixed bed low loader, two rear steer, double flip ramps, marker boards, 9ft wide plus out riggers, coming into stock within 2 weeks. Available on short delivery (same spec as trailer shown)

New Schmitz Cargobull www.ashbournetruckcentre.com www.ashbournetruckcentre.com

Aluminium pping trailer 9.6m, electric cover, rear steer axle, front li axle. In stock available immediately.

New Faymonville MAX 3 axle step frame low loader, double flip ramps (timber or grid floor), in stock available immediately.

2022 Faymonville 4 axle 9ft wide, choice in stock, extendable with trough, or full extension no trough, double flip ramps, hydraulic rear support legs, marker boards, top spec, available with immediate delivery, IN STOCK New Schmitz tipping trailers, in stock & on short delivery times, various specs, 8.2m steel 1460mm side or 1860mm side, manual or electric covers, various other options available.