We report this week that Dutch equipment hire specialist Riwal is planning to withdraw from the UK market. The company cites the long-term outlook for the UK rental market and Riwal's limited marketshare.
The announcement comes as the world watches the UK economy, which has been badly shaken in the past few weeks.
Forkliftaction News readers will be aware of another significant factor - consolidation in the UK equipment hire market. We have reported extensively on the acquisition trail of Briggs Equipment which just last month completed the purchase of Galway Plant and Tool Hire. Clearly, as Briggs gets bigger, it must be getting tougher for smaller players which either have to differentiate their offering, drop their rates or get out of the market. That's if they're not snapped up by a larger competitor!