Andrews Sykes pursues growth through continued specialisation

Specialist rental company Andrews Sykes Hire Ltd in the UK continues to broaden and diversify its rental offerings away from pumps and air conditioning. Paul Wood, managing director for the past three years, told IRN that the company is "moving towards more specialist products, to bigger chillers, boilers, and specialist pumps."

One example of new, specialised products is the 1000 kW site boiler, which is integrated with pumps, filters, valves, and manifolds in a portable container. The company began renting boilers a little over three years ago, and sales activity is now about £1 million (€1.25 million) a year.

The Wolverhampton-based company, which has offered Sykes pumps for 150 years, officially opened a new depot in Birmingham in late August. The move into the 7600 m² facility consolidated Andrews Sykes' larger (500 to 1000 kW) boiler and chiller rental operations in the UK. Smaller units are available from its 26 other UK depots.

Mr Wood said the Middle East subsidiary, Khansaheb Sykes LLC, has doubled its business in the past two years. That company, operating throughout the UAE, rents only pumps to support construction activity and now employs about a hundred people. Mr Wood said that he expects the subsidiary to soon double its business again and that growth will be greatest in Abu Dhabi.

The company said its expansion plans on the Continent include a fourth depot for its Dutch subsidiary. That company, as well as the one in Belgium, will continue renting only heating and cooling equipment.