Release Date: Construction News 06 September 2007

Scaffolding rivals sign exclusive kit hire deal

Scaffolding and access specialist SGB has signed a landmark agreement with rival firm HAKI UK to become the sole UK hirer of the HAKITEC 750 temporary roof and shelter system.

The deal gives HAKI the benefit of SGB’s nation-wide network of depots while filling a gap in the product line at SGB’s Hire & Sales division. HAKI UK will continue to sell the HAKITEC 750 system from its headquarters in Tamworth, Staffordshire. The company will also provide limited hire services to existing local customers.

HAKI UK managing director Paul Brunt said the two companies had identified “synergies” two or three years ago, shortly after SGB separated the hire and sales arm from its contracts division.

“A tie-up with a national hire network is the natural thing to happen to our business” said Mr Brunt. “It’s not in our business plan to open a depot network, but we realised that our ability to supply the market from one location in Tamworth is limited.”

SGB Hire and Sales managing director David Johnson said that the HAKITEC 750 system fits well into the SGB portfolio, despite the fact that the two companies are rivals in the system scaffold market.

“We are competitors in a number of products, but the key to this agreement is a mutual understanding of each other’s aspirations. We’re not going into this cold” said Mr Johnson. HAKI UK, a subsidiary of Swedish firm HAKI AB, has operated independently in the UK since 1975 and is now one of the country’s leading suppliers of system scaffold and temporary roofing systems. The agreement with SGB allows HAKI UK to concentrate on the design, manufacture and sale of its products.

Staff at HAKI’s Tamworth premises will provide technical backup, training and field support to the SGB hire fleet, said Mr Brunt. “We’ve formed a specialist support team for SGB…there will be no job losses at all as a result of this agreement” he said.

The HAKITEC temporary roofing system has a reputation for safety, ease of erection and speed of installation, says Mr Brunt. The latest version is based on the HAKITEC 750 aluminium beam which is capable of clear spans of more than 30 m.

Mr Johnson said that the HAKITEC 750 system is the ideal complement to the SGB hire fleet: “The HAKI roof has always been in my sights” he said. However, he confirmed that SGB’s Contracts division will continue to use its own Coverspan temporary roof system.

Please contact HAKI on 01827 282525 for SGB contact details.