Big names win HAE awards

It was honours even for the UK's biggest rental companies in October as A-Plant, Speedy Hire and Hewden each came away from the Hire Association Europe (HAE) annual awards with one success.

A-Plant won the important hire company of the year category (over five outlets), sponsored by IRN; Speedy came top in the health, safety and environment award; and Hewden won the training excellence award.

Other winners at the ceremony - which was held in Cardiff, Wales, and attended by over 220 rental professionals – included Robert Aplin, publisher of UK magazine Executive Hire News, who received the coveted hire person of the year award, and Ben Jones of www.hirecentres.com who was named hire employee of the year

Birchwood Products's PakFlat Podium won the best new product accolade; The Hire Supply Company won hire supplier of the year for a remarkable fourth year in succession; and Quadrant Visual Solutions was hire company of the year for companies with up to five outlets.

The event also saw Terry Douris, HAE chairman and managing director of Stage Two Ltd, hand over the leadership of HAE to incoming chairman Claire Gains of SCH Hire Centres. Mrs Gains paid tribute to Mr Douris' contribution to the association, saying that he had created a clear roadmap for the development of the HAE.