Kennards acquires in Victoria

Australian rental company Kennards Hire has announced the acquisition of Bendigo Hire, a move that marks its first entry into regional Victoria.

Founded in 1972 by Gerald McKenzie, Bendigo’s equipment fleet includes earthmoving equipment, garden power tools, scissor lifts and portable heating units.

According to Kennards, Bendigo will now benefit from an enhancement of its existing product catalogue with several new additions, including an 8 tonne excavator, concrete grinders and planers, 2 tonne and 5 tonne tipper trucks and large tracked skid steer loader.

Its customers will also benefit from access to the entire branch network, according to Kennards, which says that it plans to acquire further sites “in the coming months.”

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Steven Jovanovic will act as branch manager, while Kennards says that all existing employees “have chosen to stay on with the company following the exciting next step in its journey.”

In a statement released on its social channels in July, Bendigo said that it was “excited to have most of our staff included in the change which brings a progressive extensive and upgraded inventory.”

Paul Rockes, former owner of Bedigo said, “There’s hardly a job that’s been done in Bendigo, and I don’t think there’s been a backyard, or a garden landscaped in Bendigo, without equipment from Bendigo Hire.

“As a family-owned and operated business, we know Kennards Hire will do a good job of continuing our legacy by helping to make our customers’ jobs easy.”

Lance Hawes, Kennards Hire Victorian general manager, added, “We look forward to being able to support the local community by adding our breadth of experience and resources to a team that knows and understands its customers.

“The most exciting thing for us is that all of the existing Bendigo Hire staff will be joining the Kennards Hire family. With their local knowledge and product expertise, along with an increased product range and ability for customers to access our entire branch network, we will continue to build on the exceptional work Bendigo Hire has done serving the community for more than 50 years.”