2nd September 2019
DSW’s Corporate Finance team in Yorkshire & the North East has advised AFI-Uplift Limited (“AFI” or “the Group”), one of the UK and Middle East’s leading powered access specialists offering machine rental and sales and industry-accredited training and health & safety courses, on the acquisition of Facelift (GB) Limited (“Facelift”).
Facelift is a long-established powered access rental business with a strong heritage in the truck mounted platform market. Founded in Hickstead in 1986, Facelift has built an enviable market position in its rental business and its complementary training business. Facelift reported revenues of £12m for 2018 and has a total rental fleet of over 700. AFI plans to retain the Facelift brand, with Paul Standing (Facelift’s Managing Director) set to join the AFI board following the acquisition.
The acquisition takes AFI’s UK fleet to 7,500 units and allows AFI to substantially add scale to its existing business. The acquisition of Facelift will particularly strengthen AFI’s offering in the self-drive truck and van mounted platform markets and is an excellent geographic fit to Wilson, AFI’s existing truck mounted business.
AFI was founded just over 20 years ago and has enlarged Group revenues of over £100m.
David McNicholas, Chief Executive Officer of AFI commented:
“We are really pleased to be adding the Facelift business and a strong team of people to the Group. It’s a complementary fit to our existing business, allowing us to consolidate our position in the truck-mounted access market and strengthen our existing self-propelled mobile elevating work platform business.”
The DSW Corporate Finance team comprised Roger Esler, Paul Herriott and Luke Pedley.
