Netherlands: more to come

The Netherlands already has a relatively mature equipment rental industry – valued a around €480 millio annually – but ther is still enormo potential for grow according to one of the major rental firms in the country.

Arno de Nooij (pictured), managing director of the general rental division of fast growing and acquisitive Jaston Groep – now known as Workx – tells IRN that one of the long term aims of the company is to encourage more of the major contractors in the Netherlands to outsource their equipment fleets to rental suppliers.

“The building and construction market in the Netherlands is quite concentrated, and the major contractors have internal rental companies which are not a part of the rental market as we see it”, says Mr de Nooij, “The outsourcing arrangements are not here in Holland. There are a few small deals, but its nothing.”

Mr de Nooij says Workx will this year start a campaign promoting such outsourcing agreements to contractors. “Offering outsourcing with 10 depots is no good”, he says, “But now we have 45, we can offer the outsourcing solution.” The initial target will be medium sized contractors, those with annual sales of less than €500 million, “to show the bigger ones that we can do it.”

“It will come”, says Mr de Nooij, “I'm positive about it, but it will take a lot of work persuading the contractors.”

The growth and strategy of Workx is itself a symbol of the growth of the Netherlands rental market. Backed by Amsterdam-based private equity company H2 Equity Partners, it has been expanding dramatically in the last year, with recent acquisitions including Huurland and Cramo Nederland.

It is Workx's strategy to further consolidate the fragmented Netherlands rental market, with a long-term target of having around 75 rental locations nationwide.