Australia's Onsite Rental aims to fill 'big gap' in market

Australia's Onsite Rental Group aims to seriously challenge market leader Coates Hire and has set itself an ambitious three year growth plan.

Onsite's managing director, Mark Rich, told International Rental News (IRN) that "consolidation at the top has left a big gap in the market. Customers are looking for an alternative."

Mr Rich, who joined Onsite early in 2011 after a 30 year career in rental which has includes length spells with both Wreckair and Coates Hire, told IRN that the company would more than double the size of its fleet in the coming three years and also double its branch network in the same period.

"The strategy is around growing our product groups and geographic growth - we have a blueprint for the next three years", says Mr Rich.

Onsite has focused on powered access, portable buildings, toilets, power and air, but is now adding earthmoving and compaction equipment to its range following the acquisition late last year of Statewide Equipment.

In Onsite's favour is a buoyant Australian economy. Investment in mining and other natural resources is providing the engine for growth; "That leads into a lot of infrastructure and other projects - processing plants, refineries or something else, plus roads and rail", said Mr Rich, "A lot of the activity we're enjoying is led off the back of resources and mining."

Onsite is owned by Australian private equity company Next Capital, which is also owner of Hirepool, New Zealand's biggest rental business. Mr Rich was executive director of Hirepool before joining Onsite.

See the November-December issue of IRN for the full interview with Mark Rich.