DC Advisory advised Rutland Partners on the acquisition of AFI-Uplift, Access Rental Gulf and Hi-Reach

• AFI-Uplift (“AFI”), owned by its management team and Equistone, is a leading provider of powered access equipment rental with 3,700 machines operating from 18 depots across the UK
• Access Rental Gulf (“ARG”), based in the United Arab Emirates, is owned by its management team and is a leading powered access equipment rental business in the Middle East with a fleet of 400 machines
• Hi-Reach is a privately owned, UK based, powered access equipment rental business with eight depots and a rental fleet of 1,500 machines
• Rutland Partners completed the triple acquisition of AFI, ARG and Hi-Reach for a combined enterprise value of circa £85m, creating a leading powered access equipment provider in both the UK and the Middle East
• DC Advisory acted as financial adviser to Rutland on the three simultaneous acquisitions
• Rutland is investing alongside AFI Chairman David Shipman and the management team. David currently leads the teams in both AFI and ARG and will remain as Executive Chairman of the enlarged operating group

This complex and simultaneous combination of three businesses, and their planned integration and development, is a prime example of a Rutland deal.  We are grateful for all of the hard work put in over many months by all of the advisers on this transaction, and we look forward to working with AFI’s team to take the business forward into its next phase of development.

We are delighted to have advised Rutland on their investment in AFI, ARG and Hi-Reach. The transaction creates a business of genuine scale and reach with some very exciting growth opportunities. We look forward to working with the business in the future