IPS and APS join forces to create largest UK platform distributor

Telford-based Independent Parts and Service Ltd (IPS) and Huntingdon-based Access Platform Sales Ltd (APS) are to merge their European operations to create the largest independent full service distributor of powered access (aerial work platforms) in the UK.

Since its creation 10 years ago IPS has grown to become the largest independent parts and service provider in the UK, with revenues in excess of £8 million and is the country's official parts and service provider for several major manufacturers including Genie and Snorkel.

APS has an even longer history with a 25 year track record of sales and support for a range of manufacturers which, combined with its used equipment operation, generates similar revenues to IPS.

The newly combined organisation brings together IPS's parts sales experience and APS's strength in used and new machine sales, especially for Genie, Hinowa, Omme, Youngman and Niftylift. This, combined with the mobile service engineer teams of both companies, creates a distribution organisation for powered access with a wide scale and scope.

Tony Jennings, managing director and principal shareholder of IPS, said the opportunity was compelling. "The strengths and attributes of IPS match perfectly with those of APS to create an organisation of huge potential. We firmly believe that the access industry has matured to the stage where manufacturers can no longer afford, or need, to invest heavily in their own support structures in every country. They need strong, reliable and comprehensive sales and support operations - and the combined IPS / APS operation can deliver just that on an independent basis."

APS's chairman and founder Jim Daintith said "For manufacturers seeking significant market penetration, finding and employing sufficient numbers of truly capable individuals for sales and technical roles is extremely challenging, time consuming - and very expensive. We are fortunate to have collected together over the years strong teams in both APS and IPS, and their complementary talents can now provide manufacturers with service levels far in excess of what they could realistically achieve by creating their own local organisation."

In addition to Tony Jennings and Jim Daintith, the directors of the combined organisation will be Kevin Shadbolt of IPS for operations and Richard Tindale (who recently joined APS from Snorkel) for sales and marketing. Initially trading will continue under both the APS and IPS brands from existing locations but over the coming months the two organisations will be fully integrated. Further news on branding and organisation structure will be issued after consultations with employees and trading partners.