The UK’s Construction Plant-hire Association (CPA) and the Hire Association Europe (HAE) have abandoned merger talks after a second meeting, held in Birmingham in February.
CPA members, as the organisation’s name suggests, serve the construction industry while HAE members have a more diverse customer base, including conference and show organisers.
CPA president Tony Chapman said: “By mutual agreement both parties have decided that no further talks are to take place. The exploratory discussions were conducted under carefully agreed agendas and in a pleasant and amicable manner.
“There were, of course, obvious synergies such as some hire shops offering fleets of mini excavators and dumpers up to 6 tonnes, and large plant hire companies buying up tool hire shops. Common ground – yes, but the CPA works within the parameters of the construction and allied industries only, with the relevant equipment, and intends to stay that way.
“Despite the synergies it quickly became clear there were fundamental problems which would in time make a merger difficult to sustain.”
