Businesses the size and shape of the GAP group might be forgiven for becoming a bit comfortable with their lot, but not a bit of it for the company, which invested £13.5 million in the last year, upgrading and expanding its premises and fleet.
Putting such a gargantuan sum into perspective, the GAP estate covers more than 160 acres of land, while its fleet of 997 vehicles reaches nationwide. The overall value of GAP’s fleet now totals £500 million.
Delving into the detail, in 2020 GAP invested across all divisions, with acquisitions including Kubota excavators, Wacker Neuson Dual View dumpers (very nice!) and AJC EasyCabin welfare units. Collectively, GAP’s depots will receive numerous cabbed dumpers, rollers, compressors, excavators and welfare units by the first quarter of 2021. The new Kubota U50-5 5t excavator and KX080-4a2 8t excavator are also included in this roster, along with two-tool compressors from Atlas Copco.
GAP has also continued to invest in its Technical and Environmental Services divisions, which offer lifting & TIC, survey & safety, trenching & shoring, event and tanker services. The latter was launched in 2020 and, by the end of June 2021, GAP will have 30 26t effluent and water tankers.
Rounding off what has plainly been a busy and expensive year, in March 2020, GAP opened its biggest site and depot project to date – spending £9 million on a purpose-built depot sitting on six acres of land in Tilbury, which now houses seven of the hire firm’s 10 divisions. While in December it relocated its St Austell depot to a new site in Bodmin.
The final word belongs to Chris Parr, GAP Group’s COO, who said: “We are still investing in equipment to meet customer demand and despite the pandemic capex most definitely has not stopped. If demand and utilisation levels support it, we will invest. Construction and infrastructure will be areas specifically targeted by the Government to stimulate the economy and it is vital that we are fully prepared and able to respond to resultant increased levels of demand.”
www.gap-group.co.uk