Coates Finalizes Wreckair Purchase

March 1, 2002
Coates Hire Limited, Australia's largest equipment rental company, completed its acquisition of Wreckair from its parent company Brambles Australia Ltd.

Coates Hire Limited, Australia's largest equipment rental company, completed its acquisition of Wreckair from its parent company Brambles Australia Ltd.

Coates' chairman Bill Cutbush, said the Wreckair acquisition delivers a number of strategic benefits to Coates, including improved national distribution and infrastructure; expanded representation in servicing of major markets such as industrial, construction, resource and infrastructure development; strengthened position and brand awareness in the Australian general equipment rental industry; and improved fleet utilization and economies of scale.

Coates acquired Wreckair for about U.S. $33 million and expects its annual revenue to grow about 40 percent, from about U.S. $128 million to about U.S. $180 million.

Brambles in January sold its U.S. equipment company, Brambles Equipment Services U.S. to Evanston, Ill.-based National Equipment Services.