Axel Johnson International strengthens lifting rental solutions in the UK

5 January 2023

Axel Johnson International’s business group Lifting Solutions has strengthened its presence in the British lifting market through the acquisition of Lifting Gear & Safety, a provider of specialist lifting equipment and marine safety solutions. The company offers equipment for hire as well as product sales and service solutions, such as testing, training and certification.

Founded in 2009, Lifting Gear & Safety has nine depots in the south and south-west of the UK.

“At Lifting Solutions, we aim to be in the forefront in the lifting market but also to find the best sustainable solutions,” said Ralf Wiberg, managing director, Lifting Solutions.

“We want to drive the sustainability transformation in our industry. Our vision is to set the standard for a more sustainable future, and part of that is to develop more circular business models. We believe that rental is one corner stone in our future growth with increased focus on sustainable customer offers. Lifting Gear & Safety is a perfect opportunity to further expand our offering within the lifting rental market in the UK.”

“We are looking forward to working closely with Lifting Solutions,” said Brian Curtin, founding director of Lifting Gear & Safety. “I see an opportunity to strengthen Lifting Gear & Safety and together we will have an excellent platform to grow our rental service operations.”

“Lifting Gear and Safety has a well-established brand throughout UK with highly dedicated co-workers,” added Claes Fredlund, regional director, Lifting Solutions. “Together with our current operations in the British market, we believe Lifting Gear & Safety will contribute significantly to our group and that our joint geographical footprint will allow us to target larger national accounts.”

Lifting Solutions acquired another British business, Lifting Gear UK, which is based in Skelmersdale, at the back end of 2021. It also owns the global Certex brand, which has branches in the UK.

Axel Johnson International, meanwhile, is a global industrial group of 190 companies in more than 30 countries. It acquires and develops firms in strategically selected niche markets, primarily technical components and industrial process solutions. It is part of the Swedish family-owned corporate group Axel Johnson.

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