The combination of Essential and Go Plant creates a group with sales of 拢80m, more than 500 staff and 35 depots and service centres across the UK.
Essential acquired Go Plant from the Davidsons Homes group, the Midlands-based construction firm owned by the David Wilson family of house-builders.
Essential Fleet Services began life as Translinc in 1998 and was acquired by May Gurney in 2011. When Kier took over May Gurney in 2013 it was renamed Kier Fleet & Passenger Services. It was subject to an 拢18m management buyout in 2016, with backing from venture capital firm Endless LLP.
Leicestershire-based Go Plant supplies operated, self-drive specialist road sweepers, refuse vehicles and plant hire equipment based.
Essential chairman Andrew Cope said: 鈥淥ur combined business is now the UK leader in the provision of specialist and commercial vehicle contract hire, maintenance, rental and driver operated vehicles, delivering a consistent UK-wide service powered by our network of dedicated workshops and knowledgeable teams.
鈥淭he combination of Essential with Go Plant is strategically and geographically complementary, and we鈥檙e excited about the benefits we can bring to all of our customers through this transaction.鈥�
Go Plant chairman Vaughan McLeod said: 鈥淗aving worked with the Wilson family for a number of years and with their strong support, we have been able to turn Go Plant into one of the largest and most successful providers of operated and self-drive specialist vehicles in the industry, and I am delighted that Essential has recognised this and this transaction creates a great opportunity for both companies to grow and deliver a wider range of vehicles and be a leader in this sector.鈥�
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