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History

1977

Speedy opens its first depot in Wigan – to be followed by a further 350

John Brown forms Livesey Hire in Wigan

1982

John Brown purchases Speedy Fixings Power Tools Ltd

1987

First Speedy depot opens in London, with Graham Neave, Ian Gibson, Kevin Everett and Shane Coll joining the company

1993

Speedy buys Hire-A-Tool

Speedy buys Kendrick Hire, including first depot in Wales, and splits the two companies to form Speedy Northern and Speedy Southern

1995

Speedy launches its ‘one-call’ national service, Hire Direct – the first centralised call centre operation in the hire sector

1996

Acquisition of Tidy Hire to create Speedy Midlands

2001

Name change to Speedy Hire plc

2002

Speedy celebrates 25 years in hire

Speedy makes biggest acquisition to date, acquiring Jewson’s 37 standalone depots

2005

Speedy launches its land-mark apprenticeship scheme

Speedy launches its Safety from the ground Up (SFTGU) initiative to help tackle the construction industry’s poor health and safety record at site level. The first campaign targets deaths and injuries caused by falls from height

2006

Speedy launches its second SFTGU campaign to raise awareness of hand Arm vibration Syndrome (white finger) – an occupational disease affecting thousands of workers

Speedy launches its Corporate responsibility report

Speedy contracts with the royal navy to provide an on-site depot and full asset management support services at the Mod dockyard in Portsmouth

Ground-breaking agreement reached with OPERC requiring all tools supplied to Speedy to be independently tested

2007

Speedy becomes the only UK hire company to offer bio-fuel generators

Speedy opens its first true on-site facility, providing ‘on the ground’ access to essential tools, equipment and consumables to operatives while minimising deliveries to and from site. Customers now include Carillion, Bovis, Costain and Balfour Beatty

Speedy becomes the first company to trial and use electric vehicles for deliveries

2008

Speedy wins the hire Association Europe award for ‘Best Contribution to Environmental Issues’

Speedy launches its first Multi Service Centre (MSC) – an eight-acre logistics and distribution centre – to bring the group’s entire products and services under one roof

Speedy works with equipment manufacturers and customers to develop and launch a new range of environmentally-friendly site accommodation (EnviroCabin)

Speedy delivers its 100,000th ‘Toolbox Talk’ – training sessions run on construction sites to help raise awareness and understanding of health and safety best practice

2008

Speedy launches its third SFTGU campaign to raise awareness of dust pollution

Speedy is ranked no. 1 in The observer’s good Companies guide (FTSE 350) of ethical companies

Speedy signs a five-year contract with Exxon Mobil to install and operate an on site facility providing hire products and other asset maintenance and support services

Speedy forms the Construction Site Solutions consortium and successfully bids to provide the on-site tool and materials facility at the Olympic Park (north) in Stratford

2009

Speedy launches its greener from the ground Up programme – a package of measures and innovations designed to help customers reduce waste and improve energy efficiency

Winner of the Green Apple Award for Environmental Best Practice

Speedy as part of the Construction Site Solutions ("CSS") consortium won the contract with the Olympic Delivery Authority ("ODA") to provide rental equipment, building supplies and training to firms working on the 2012 Olympic Games.

2009

Southern Electric Contracting ("SEC"), one of the country's largest mechanical and electrical contractors, signed a £6 million sole supplier agreement, building on a successful five-year relationship.

Winner of the British Safety Council - International Safety Award

2010

Winner of the Hire Association Europe - Environmental Initiative Award

Winner of a Green Apple Award by the Green Organisation and awarded Green Hero status

Three-year sole supply agreement with WysePower, a leading provider of site enabling services, for generators and associated fuel

Two-year sole supply agreement with Tube Lines, the company upgrading three of the busiest lines on the London Underground

2010

Three-year contract extensions with ExxonMobil and Osborne and the renewal of a five-year preferred supplier agreement with Galliford Try

Three-year sole supply agreement with Works Infrastructure UK, a leading engineering group operating in the infrastructure, facilities management, civil engineering and rail sectors

2011