Winners of European Rental Awards celebrate in Maastricht

Renta Group, Key-Tec and Hilti were among the winners of the 2023 European Rental Awards, respectively taking the Large Rental Company, Small Rental Company and Product of the Year accolades at the ceremony in Maastricht in front of an audience of more than 400 industry guests.

The Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Max Rossi, formerly of Multirent, Avesco Rent and currently CGT Edilizia, for a lifetime of dedication and success in Europe’s rental sector. Mr Rossi was unable to be in Maastricht, but was informed of the award and said he was “delighted and honoured”.

Winners at the 2023 European Rental Awards, including representatives from Renta Group, Key-Tec, Zeppelin Rental, Boels Rental and Hilti. (Photo: IRN)

Guy Cremer, chief procurement officer at Boels Rental, won the Person of the Year award for his continued championing of eco-friendly machines and his impact on the discipline of fleet management.

Skyjack, Boels Rental and Zeppelin Rental were winners in the two ERA Committee awards for sustainability and training.

The awards, which were held during the ERA Convention and the IRE and APEX shows, began with a tribute to Aleksandr Shapovalov, the CEO and co-owner of Ukrainian rental company Novarent, who passed away in November.

The full list of winners, plus the shortlisted companies, is as follows:

Large Rental Company of the Year (revenues more than €15 million)
WINNER: Renta Group (Finland)

The judges said: “Renta successfully navigated the many business challenges of 2022 and still managed remarkable growth and improved margins. It entered the Baltic States and launched a pump division. 2022 was a remarkable year for the business.”

Shortlisted
Boels Group (The Netherlands)
Kiloutou (France)
Nixon Hire (UK)

Small Rental Company of the Year (revenues less than €15 million)
WINNER: Key-Tec (Belgium)

The judges said; “As a family-owned business, Key-Tec has carved out a niche renting larger, technically complex machines and offering specialist knowledge and service. The company’s growth last year shows that it has been a successful approach.”

Shortlisted
Bergerat Rent (Belgium)
Dromad Hire (Republic of Ireland)
Kallioinen (Finland)

Rental Product of the Year
WINNER: Hilti – Nuron range

The judges said: “In a year of fantastic new products, Hilti stood out. It has a vision for a completely cordless jobsite, and the Nuron range is a big step towards that goal.”

Shortlisted
Hinowa - Lightlift 40.18 Performance IIIS
Niftylift - HeightRider 17 All-Electric (HR17E)
Trime – X-Solar lighting tower
Wacker Neuson - Battery One

Lifetime Achievement Award
Max Rossi, CGT Edilizia

ERA/IRN Rental Person of the Year
Guy Cremer, Boels Rental

Guy Cremer of Boels Rental with his Rental Person of the Year award at the 2023 European Rental Awards in Maastricht. (Photo: IRN)

ERA Sustainability Committee Award Best initiative in people
JOINT WINNERS: Boels Group (The Netherlands) and Zeppelin Rental (Germany)

The ERA’s Technical Committee said: “All three shortlisted companies are doing phenomenal work. We really liked the different approaches being adopted by Boels and Zeppelin.”

Shortlisted
Klickrent (Germany)

ERA Technical Committee Award: Best training materials adapted for rental
WINNER: Skyjack

The ERA Technical Committee said: “We congratulate Skyjack on its genuine commitment to providing clear training materials for its rental customers.”

Shortlisted
Doosan Bobcat EMEA
Kohler

Stéphane Hénon, ERA President & Managing Director, Loxam, speaking at the end of the ceremony, said; “It is highly rewarding to see how many innovative companies and dynamic colleagues we have in our industry.

“Congratulations to all of the winners but also to the shortlisted companies and everyone else who entered the European Rental Awards.

“I would like to thank all of you in this audience. It has been a great pleasure to spend this evening with you and to feel the energy of our industry!”

The judges were:

• Paul Bramhall, Director – Electrification & Rental, EMEA, Briggs & Stratton
• Jeremy Fish, Chief Executive, Ardent Hire Solutions
• Stéphane Hénon, ERA President & Managing Director, Loxam
• Murray Pollok, Managing Editor, International Rental News
• Pedro Torres, CEO, Riwal Holding Group
• Non-voting chair: Michel Petitjean, Secretary General, European Rental Association

As last year, two of the awards were judged not by the judging panel but by relevant ERA committees: these are the ERA Technical Committee Award and the ERA Sustainability Committee Award.

The award Gold sponsors were Caterpillar and the Cat Rental Stores, Perkins and The Toro Company. Supporting sponsors were inspHire, Rock Zone and Trackunit.