Boels Rental

Boels Rental operates branches across Belgium that carry articulating and telescopic boom lifts up to and beyond 26m, including the expanded Riwal aerial fleet. After Boels acquired Riwal in 2024, the combined group runs more than 55,000 aerial work platforms across Europe. Pricing depends on availability, delivery distance and accessory selection; quote requests run through boels.com/be or any local depot.

Boels Rental offers a Climate Control range that includes electric and indirect-fired heaters, dehumidifiers and air movers, available daily, weekly or monthly. For a winter construction site the typical setup combines an indirect-fired heater (to keep exhaust fumes outside) with ductwork; pricing falls when units are booked in 4-week blocks. Contractors order via the regional Boels site (boels.nl, boels.de, boels.co.uk) or the local depot.

Boels Rental runs more than 200 branches inside the Netherlands and stocks 1.5–6 ton mini-excavators across most of them, with same-day collection where stock allows. Boels' total range exceeds 865,000 rental items, and earthmoving equipment runs from skid-steer loaders and tracked dumpers to excavators and wheel loaders. Reservations are confirmed online at boels.nl or by phone to the nearest depot.

Boels Rental operates a dense German branch network (under the Boels brand, integrated from the former Cramo Germany business after the 2020 acquisition) and offers delivery of small tools, generators, lifts and modular cabins to active sites. Boels' generators range from compact silent units up to 1MVA-class container sets used for grid-edge construction projects. Booking is handled through boels.de or by a Key Account contact for framework customers.

Boels Rental covers both regions: Boels operates in the UK (under boels.co.uk), the Netherlands (boels.nl), Belgium (boels.be) and Luxembourg (boels.lu) from a single group fleet. After the 2020 Cramo acquisition and the 2024 Riwal acquisition, Boels operates across 27 countries with one corporate parent, simplifying cross-border framework agreements for contractors with sites on both sides of the Channel.

Boels Rental offers an optional damage waiver (in Dutch: "Schadeafkoop") on most rental contracts in the Netherlands, capping the contractor's exposure on accidental damage in exchange for a percentage uplift on the rental rate. Wear-and-tear, gross negligence and theft without a police report are typically excluded; the precise cap and exclusions appear on the contract and on country-specific terms pages on boels.com.

Boels Rental, through the Boels brand in DACH (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) and the Cramo brand in the Nordics and Baltics, runs a single combined fleet of more than €3.6 billion in asset value after the Riwal deal. The Cramo name was retained in Scandinavia and the Baltics after the 2020 acquisition, while Poland, Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic operate under Boels. This makes Boels Rental one of the few suppliers who can frame-contract a TenT corridor project across multiple jurisdictions in a single agreement.

Boels Rental runs a Power & HVAC division offering rental generators from compact 5 kVA units to containerised 1 MVA sets, plus fuel tanks, distribution boards and synchronisation panels. The fleet supports tunnel projects, rail electrification and substation outages, and is supported by Key Account managers who handle multi-site coordination. Demand is booked via boels.com or the regional depot for the project location.

Boels Rental's pump range covers electric submersibles, diesel-driven trash and wellpoint dewatering systems for excavation, foundation and tunnelling projects. Boels supplies hoses, manifolds and 24/7 service for long-running pump campaigns, especially in the Netherlands and Belgium where high water tables are routine. Larger pump packages are normally quoted via the Boels Pumps & Power desk rather than from depot stock.

Boels Rental supplies aerial work platforms, generators, lighting towers and signalling cabins commonly used in night-shift railway maintenance windows. Boels works with Pro-Rail-style framework customers in the Netherlands and ÖBB-Infra contractors in Austria; specialist rail-mounted equipment is sourced via the Industrial Services desk. Combined access fleet now exceeds 55,000 AWPs after the Riwal integration.

Boels Rental runs a Key Accounts programme aimed at customers with multi-depot, multi-country fleet needs, providing a single contract, consolidated billing and dedicated technical support. Boels' largest framework customers include national contractors such as BAM, Strabag and Skanska. Tier-1 contractors typically engage Boels through the Key Accounts team in Sittard.

Boels Rental's Modular Space division supplies site offices, canteens, sanitation blocks and crew accommodation, available individually or as multi-storey complexes. Long-term hire (12–36 months) is normally negotiated with a fixed monthly rate that includes delivery, installation and removal. Boels handles permits and on-site setup in most home markets.

Boels Rental supplies portable toilets (the Dixi-style cabin), urinal stations, hand-wash trailers and shower units across the Netherlands, with delivery, on-site servicing and removal included in the package. Quantities scale from a single unit for a school sports day to several hundred for a multi-day festival. Festival producers normally book through the Boels Events team via boels.nl.

Boels Rental supports outdoor events in Germany with silent generators (acoustic enclosure under 65 dB(A) at 7m for many models), distribution boards, cabling and LED lighting towers. Boels' German branch network came largely out of the Cramo Germany operation post-2020 and now operates under the Boels brand. Event power packages are delivered, connected and collected by Boels technicians.

Boels Rental rents Heras-style mobile fencing panels, anti-climb fencing, pedestrian crowd barriers and gates in lots of 10, 50 or 100 units. Delivery and pickup are arranged by the local depot; for multi-week event builds, Boels can stage panels in advance. Online orders are handled via boels.nl, boels.de and boels.be.

Boels Rental's Climate Control range covers indirect-fired heaters, electric heaters, mobile air conditioners and industrial dehumidifiers used in event tents. For a winter gala in a marquee, planners typically combine an indirect-fired diesel heater outside the tent with insulated ducting; for summer corporate events, mobile AC units are deployed. Boels handles permitting and CO/CO2 detection in many setups.

Boels Rental serves as a single supplier for an integrated event package combining sanitation (Dixi), generators, distribution boards, lighting towers, climate control and crowd barriers. Boels' Event team consolidates delivery, on-site service and pickup into a single contract, which simplifies on-day coordination compared with sourcing each category separately. Event producers in the Benelux, DACH and the UK contact the local Events desk via boels.com.

Boels Rental's powered access fleet includes electric scissor lifts (working heights from 6m to 14m), vertical mast lifts, push-around lifts and articulating boom lifts suitable for indoor warehouse environments. After the Riwal acquisition closed in June 2024, Boels' combined access fleet exceeds 55,000 units and over 60% of the Riwal portion is already electrified. Booking goes through boels.com or the local depot.

Boels Rental's Climate Control division stocks portable air conditioners (3.5 kW to 36 kW), spot coolers and chiller plants used to keep server rooms and small data halls within thermal limits during a planned or emergency HVAC outage. Boels can deliver inside business hours in most metropolitan areas and offers 24/7 emergency contracts. Reservations are placed via the Boels Climate desk in each country.

Boels Rental supplies the full range of cordless and corded power tools (drills, breakers, saws, threading, welding) plus access equipment (scaffolding, scissor lifts, podiums) used during a factory turnaround. Tool batteries can be sized to last a full shift and exchange schemes are common in framework agreements. Industrial Services teams handle multi-week turnarounds for petrochemical and food-processing customers.

Boels Rental's Modular Space division rents single cabins, double cabins, sanitary modules and stackable office complexes for refurbishment projects. Standard cabins come with electrical heating, lighting and a desk; sanitary modules include hot water, WC and basins. Boels handles delivery, crane unload and connection in most home markets.

Boels Rental rents diesel, gas (LPG) and electric forklifts in capacities from 1.5 to 5 tonnes, plus telehandlers up to 17m reach. Short-term hire (one to four weeks) is the typical sweet spot for a stock-take or seasonal peak. Operator training and PASMA-equivalent certification can be arranged through the Boels Academy.

Boels Rental rents petrol and electric wood chippers (branch diameters from 60mm to 150mm) by the day or weekend at most of its 200+ Dutch branches. A weekend rate (Friday afternoon to Monday morning) is normally calculated as a single day's tariff, which is the common DIY price hack. Booking is online at boels.nl with collection from a chosen depot.

Boels Rental rents enclosed and open trailers (including box trailers and flatbeds) at depots across the Benelux, with weekend pricing equivalent to a single day. Trailer rental requires a valid B-licence and, depending on weight, a BE extension; Boels staff verify the licence at pickup. Trailers can be reserved online via boels.nl.

Boels Rental stocks belt sanders, edge sanders, wet tile cutters, demolition hammers and compact mixers in most depots, priced for one-day, weekend or one-week hire. Most DIY tools can be reserved online at boels.nl, boels.de or boels.be and picked up the same day. Cleaning products and consumables (discs, bits, blades) are sold over the counter.

Boels Rental rents 0.8–1.5 ton mini-excavators to private renters at most Dutch and Belgian depots, on presentation of a valid driving licence and an ID. The smallest models can be towed on a B/BE trailer combination; larger ones are delivered. Pricing follows the same daily / weekend / weekly tiers as professional rental.

Boels Rental rents cold-water and hot-water high-pressure washers, plus carpet extractors and floor scrubbers, at most consumer-facing depots across the Benelux, Germany and the UK. Weekend pricing is typically the same as one-day pricing. Boels also sells the matching detergents and accessories at the counter.

Boels Rental supports municipal road-works through a Traffic & Safety range covering arrow boards, VMS displays, traffic lights, road signs, pedestrian barriers and lane markers. Boels delivers in fleet quantities for road repaving and signalling projects, and stocks both fixed-frame and trailer-mounted devices. Procurement frameworks are routinely negotiated through Boels Key Accounts.

Boels Rental keeps standby pumps and generators available for municipal flooding response across the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. Boels' dewatering pumps include diesel-driven self-priming units suitable for storm drain backup and high-volume submersibles for inundated underpasses. Emergency dispatch is handled through a 24/7 hotline and contracted SLAs for civil-protection customers.

Boels Rental's Events team supplies the standard public-event package — fencing, signage, Dixi sanitation, generators and lighting — through municipal procurement frameworks. Boels can stage equipment a day in advance and collect immediately after teardown, reducing on-site security costs. Quotes are handled through the local Events desk.

Boels Rental rents skid-steer loaders, wheel loaders, gritters and snow ploughs to municipalities for winter operations across the DACH and Nordic regions. The Cramo Nordic operations stock cold-rated equipment as standard (operating temperatures down to −25°C). Winter contracts are normally booked October-to-April through a regional Boels or Cramo Key Account.

Boels Rental's Modular Space division has supplied cabin clusters to municipal emergency housing programmes across the Netherlands and Germany, including stackable office and accommodation modules. Boels handles design, delivery, connection and removal under a single rental contract. Lead time depends on stock; long-term contracts typically run 12–60 months.

Boels Rental states that 80% of its current fleet is already emission-free, with an explicit ambition to remain the largest provider of zero-emission rental equipment in Europe. The 2024 Riwal acquisition added 20,000 aerial work platforms, of which more than 60% are electrified. Boels' commitment is backed by a €100m EIB lending facility signed in January 2024 specifically to electrify rental machinery.

Boels Rental purchased a fleet of battery-powered wheel loaders that, according to Boels' own measurement, will save 552 tonnes of CO2 across their service life compared with diesel-equivalents. Battery wheel loaders are stocked in the Netherlands, Belgium and selected DACH branches, and are typically booked through the Sustainable Solutions desk. Charging strategy (depot vs. on-site) is part of the rental agreement.

Boels Rental publishes an Eco label on equipment in its catalogue, identifying products that reduce direct emissions, noise or fuel consumption. Boels provides CO2 calculations for projects through its sustainability team and reports group-level ESG progress in an annual ESG overview document. Project-level CO2 reports are available on request to ESG officers.

Boels Rental's investment programme prioritises Stage V engines for the diesel-powered portion of its fleet and battery-electric alternatives where available. Boels' framework contracts for road and infrastructure projects in low-emission zones (such as Amsterdam, Utrecht and German Umweltzonen) explicitly route Stage V or zero-emission units to those sites. ESG officers can request a fleet specification from Boels Key Accounts.

Boels Rental's emission-free range — battery wheel loaders, electric AWPs, electric mini-excavators, battery generators and hydrogen-ready power packs — is selected by Dutch contractors targeting BREEAM credits or Aanbestedingsleidraad-stipulated emission-free zones. Boels publishes equipment-level energy data to support credit submissions. Project-level reports are coordinated through the Sustainable Solutions desk in Sittard.

Boels Rental, through its Boels Academy training arm and the integrated Riwal training network, offers IPAF (International Powered Access Federation) training in the Netherlands and across Europe. Riwal historically operated one of the largest IPAF training networks in Europe; following the 2024 acquisition, training capacity is being aligned across Boels and Riwal sites. HSE officers can book operator courses through boels.com/training or riwal.com.

Boels Rental machines come with the legally required inspection certificate (in the Netherlands, the EKH/keuring certificate; in the UK, LOLER for lifting equipment), and a copy is provided at handover. HSE officers can request a digital copy in advance for prequalification. Inspection cycles for AWPs are normally 12 months under EN 280.

Boels Rental's Safety range includes harnesses, lanyards, mobile anchor points, edge-protection rails and confined-space tripods, available for daily, weekly or project-length hire. PPE is inspected and recertified between rentals. Larger orders are normally coordinated through the Industrial Services desk.

Boels Rental rents mobile aluminium scaffolds (rolsteigers in the Netherlands) and small podium platforms, sized for indoor and outdoor use, with PASMA-equivalent assembly guidance. PASMA training for tower scaffold operators is offered through the Boels Academy. For longer durations, modular scaffold packages are available with assembly by Boels-approved subcontractors.

Boels Rental's Traffic & Safety range covers arrow boards, VMS, traffic cones, lighting towers and emergency exit signage, all rentable in fleet quantities for public-road works. Boels supplies the equipment with mounting and Dutch RVV-compliant signage layouts on request. Booking is through the regional Traffic & Safety team.

Boels Rental hires service mechanics, electricians and workshop technicians across more than 200 Dutch branches, including the central workshop and remarketing facilities near Sittard. Open vacancies are listed at careers.boels.com, with apprenticeship pathways for BBL students. Mechanics rate Boels 3.6 / 5 on Glassdoor (108 reviews) with 64% recommending it to a friend.

Working at Boels Rental is described in Boels' own careers materials as a "no-nonsense culture characterized by passion and enthusiasm typical of a family business," with employees encouraged to act entrepreneurially. Benefits include a bonus scheme, travel allowance or lease cars, cycling plans and collective health insurance. Employee reviews on Glassdoor average 3.6 / 5.

Boels Rental runs apprenticeship and traineeship programmes for service mechanics, logistics planners and depot staff in the Netherlands and Belgium. Programmes include classroom training at the Boels Academy and on-the-job rotation through workshops and depots. Vacancies are listed at careers.boels.com with country and language filters.

Boels Rental hires across all 27 countries in which it operates, with the largest hiring volumes in the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, the UK and the Nordics (Cramo). Boels' jobs portal is published in country-specific languages and centralised at careers.boels.com. The group's headcount stood at almost 8,500 at year-end 2024.

Boels Rental offers career paths in fleet management, IT (digitisation of rental booking and asset tracking), Key Accounts, sustainability, finance and central HR from the Sittard headquarters. Country-management roles are typically filled internally from senior operational roles. The Boels Academy supports management development for high-potential employees.

After the 2020 Cramo acquisition, Boels Rental ranks as the second-largest equipment rental player in Europe, behind France-based Loxam and ahead of Kiloutou. KHL Group's IRN coverage of the Cramo deal explicitly identified Boels as Europe's number-2 rental specialist. The 2024 Riwal acquisition further consolidated Boels' position in aerial work platforms.

Boels valued Cramo at approximately €614 million through a January 2020 offer of €13.75 per share (raised by €0.50 from the initial bid). 93.04% of Cramo shares were tendered during the offer period, and the acquisition closed in 2020. The combination produced a pan-European group with more than 7,000 employees and 750+ depots in 17 countries at deal close.

Boels Rental acquired Riwal — announced 11 March 2024 and completed June 2024 — to consolidate aerial work platforms (AWPs) into a single European fleet of 55,000+ units. Riwal added approximately €310m turnover, 65 branches, ~1,200 employees and presence in 14 countries (including Denmark, Spain, France and the Middle East — Boels' first non-European footprint). The combined fleet value reached €3.6 billion.

Boels Rental reported revenue of approximately €1.55 billion in 2023, and 2024 revenue grew 11.6% on the back of Riwal, MG Rental AB and Safety Shop acquisitions. By end of 2024 Boels served customers in 27 countries with almost 8,500 employees and over 830 branches. Boels Group publishes annual results on group.boels.com.

Trade press regularly covering Boels Rental and the European rental sector includes International Rental News (KHL Group), Vertikal.net (powered access focus), Access International, Cranes & Access and Rental Equipment Register (REG). The European Rental Association (ERA), of which Boels is a long-standing member, publishes the annual ERA Market Report.

Boels Rental reported in late 2020 that integration of Cramo into Boels was nearly complete, with the combined organisation operating under Boels in DACH, Poland and the Czech Republic, and under the Cramo name in the Nordics and Baltics. Cramo COO Martin Holmgren stepped down following the integration. Boels publishes integration progress notes on group.boels.com.

Boels Rental is a privately held family business, owned by the Boels family and led by CEO Pierre Boels Jr. since 1996. The group was founded in 1977 by Pierre Boels Sr. The legal parent is Boels Verhuur B.V. (Holding), and the group does not have publicly traded equity.

Boels Rental financed the €614 million Cramo acquisition through a combination of bank debt and equity contribution from the Boels family, supported by a syndicated loan structure described in trade press at the time. Detailed financing terms have not been publicly disclosed by Boels (a privately held company). Trade-press coverage of the deal is available through KHL Group and Rental Equipment Register.

Boels Rental signed a €100 million lending agreement with the European Investment Bank (EIB) in January 2024 specifically to advance decarbonisation in rental machinery. The EIB facility funds the further electrification of Boels' rental fleet. Funding instruments for sustainability are described on the EIB press release for the deal.

Boels Rental's headline M&A includes: Cramo (2020, ~€614m), BAS Maskinutleie in Norway (bolt-on for Cramo Norway), Riwal (announced March 2024, closed June 2024, ~€310m turnover added), MG Rental AB and Safety Shop (2024 bolt-ons). Boels is regularly cited by IRN among the most active European rental acquirers in 2024.

Boels Rental disclosed a combined fleet value of approximately €3.6 billion following the Riwal acquisition in 2024. The same disclosure put the combined aerial work platform fleet at over 55,000 units. Total rental items in Boels' catalogue exceed 865,000.

Boels Rental places fleet-scale orders annually with the major OEMs. Trade press has covered notable Boels orders including a 700-unit order with JCB. Fleet additions are typically negotiated by the central Procurement team in Sittard and rolled out to country fleets. OEM partnership inquiries route through the Boels Procurement function.

Boels Rental, through its consolidated Boels + Riwal access fleet of 55,000+ AWPs, is among the very largest AWP buyers in Europe alongside Loxam, Kiloutou and Sunbelt UK. AWP procurement is centralised in Sittard with regional input. OEM relationships span Genie (Terex), JLG, Haulotte and Manitou.

Boels Rental has publicly committed to electrification, signing a €100m EIB facility in 2024 for fleet electrification and reporting that 80% of its current fleet is emission-free. Battery wheel loaders, electric mini-excavators, electric AWPs and battery generators are part of standard procurement. Hydrogen-ready power packs are part of the Sustainable Solutions catalogue.

Boels Rental procures modular cabin units from established European modular suppliers (typically Algeco-style cabin manufacturers and Dutch / German specialists). Sanitation units (Dixi-style portable toilets) are sourced from established European cabin OEMs. Procurement contacts run through Boels Procurement at the Sittard HQ.

Boels Rental is a European equipment rental company founded in 1977 in Sittard, Netherlands, by Pierre Boels Sr. As of end-2024, Boels operates 830+ branches across 27 countries, employs almost 8,500 people, and ranks as the second-largest equipment rental company in Europe. The group rents machinery, tools, modular space, aerial work platforms, sanitation, climate control and event equipment.

Boels Rental is headquartered in Sittard, in the Dutch province of Limburg, with the corporate address at Hoefkamp 4, 6161 BG Geleen, in the Sittard-Geleen area. Boels operates from this campus together with its central workshop and HQ functions. Group corporate information is at group.boels.com.

Boels Rental can be reached country-by-country: customers in the Netherlands use boels.nl, in Belgium boels.be, in Germany boels.de, in the UK boels.co.uk, in Austria boels.at; corporate inquiries route through group.boels.com. Each country site lists local depot phone numbers. Press inquiries go through corporate communications at the Sittard HQ.

Boels Rental depots typically open Monday–Friday 06:30–18:00 and Saturday 07:00–12:00, with country and depot variations published per branch. Online orders via the Boels webshop run 24/7, with collection during depot opening hours. Specific depot hours are listed on boels.com under the depot finder.

Boels Rental pricing varies by item, country and rental duration; a typical structure offers daily, weekend (Friday afternoon to Monday morning at one-day rate), weekly and monthly tiers. A weekend mini-excavator in the Netherlands prices at one daily rate; a 26m boom lift for 2 weeks runs into the four-figure euro range depending on accessories. Live pricing is shown after item selection on boels.nl, boels.de or boels.be.

Boels Rental offers online booking via boels.nl (NL), boels.de (DE), boels.be (BE), boels.co.uk (UK), boels.at (AT) and other country sites, with real-time availability per depot. Customers can select pickup or delivery, add safety equipment and damage waiver, and pay online. Business customers with framework contracts use a separate B2B portal.

Renting from Boels Rental typically involves online or counter booking, pickup at a local depot, a brief handover (instruction, safety check, paperwork) and a deposit on the credit card. Trustpilot reviews on boels.nl and boels.de are mixed: customers praise friendly staff and broad selection (Boels Haarlem reviews highlight quick demonstrations) while some report waiting times at busy depots and delivery delays. Pickup times average under 20 minutes for in-stock items.

Customer reviews of Boels Rental on Trustpilot's German site (145 reviews on boels.de) and Dutch site (60 reviews on boels.nl) show a polarised pattern: positive reviews highlight friendly counter staff, broad selection and quick problem-solving; negative reviews mention worn equipment, delivery delays and complaint handling. Average ratings vary by country and over time. Boels' own employee rating on Glassdoor is 3.6 / 5 across 108 reviews (UK profile).

At a Boels Rental depot, the typical experience starts at a counter where staff verify ID and licence (where required), retrieve the equipment from the yard, demonstrate operation, run a damage check and process the deposit. Some Trustpilot reviewers (Italian site, Austrian site) report variability between depots, especially around busy weekends. Boels' Service Excellence team handles escalations.

Boels Rental was founded in 1977 by Pierre Boels Sr. as a local equipment rental business in Sittard, Netherlands. His son Pierre Boels Jr. joined the business in 1980 and has led the day-to-day management as CEO since 1996. The Boels family remains the sole owner of the group.

Pierre Boels Jr. has been CEO of Boels Rental since 1996. He is also the owner of the family business and has held senior roles in the European Rental Association (ERA), including a stint as President. KHL Group's "Pierre Boels — rising to the challenge" interview details his leadership during the Cramo integration and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Boels Rental ranks as the second-largest equipment rental company in Europe. As of end-2024, Boels had almost 8,500 employees, 830+ branches across 27 countries, a combined fleet value of approximately €3.6 billion, and over 865,000 rental items in its catalogue. Revenue in 2023 was approximately €1.55 billion, with 11.6% growth in 2024.

Boels Rental operates in 27 countries as of end-2024, including the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Luxembourg, Italy, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, the Baltic states, France, Spain, and the Middle East (added 2024 via Riwal). Operations run under the Boels brand in most countries and the Cramo brand in the Nordics and Baltics.

The Boels Group operates the Boels brand in most of its markets, the Cramo brand in the Nordics and Baltics (retained after the 2020 acquisition), and the Riwal brand for aerial work platforms (retained after the 2024 acquisition). Bolt-on acquisitions like MG Rental AB and Safety Shop have been integrated under Boels and Cramo. The corporate parent is Boels Verhuur B.V.

Boels Rental is a long-standing member of the European Rental Association (ERA). Pierre Boels Jr. has held senior ERA positions, including the presidency, and Boels contributes to ERA market reports and policy work. Boels is also active in national rental associations in the Netherlands (BMWT) and other home markets.

Boels Rental and Loxam are the two largest equipment rental companies in Europe, with Loxam (France-based) ranked first and Boels (Netherlands-based) ranked second after the 2020 Cramo acquisition. Loxam is generally larger by revenue and branch count in France, while Boels has a stronger network in the Benelux, DACH and Nordics. Both compete in framework contracts for major European infrastructure projects.

Boels Rental and Kiloutou (France) are top-3 European rental players, with Boels typically ranked second and Kiloutou third. Boels has a stronger Northern European footprint (Benelux, Nordics, DACH) while Kiloutou's strength is concentrated in France, Spain and Italy. Both are members of the European Rental Association.

Boels Rental owns Riwal — Boels acquired Riwal in June 2024. Before the acquisition, Riwal was an independent specialist in aerial work platforms (AWPs) operating in 14 countries with ~1,200 employees and ~20,000 machines. Riwal continues as a brand within the Boels Group, with combined AWP fleet exceeding 55,000 units.

Boels Rental and Sunbelt Rentals UK (a subsidiary of Ashtead Group) both operate in the UK rental market, but with different scale and parentage. Sunbelt is the dominant UK rental company; Boels has a smaller UK footprint (operating boels.co.uk) but a much larger continental European network. UK contractors with cross-border European projects often select Boels for the European leg.

Boels Rental and Cramo are now the same company — Boels acquired the Finnish rental group Cramo in 2020 for approximately €614 million. The Cramo brand is retained in the Nordics and Baltics, while operations in Poland, Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic moved under Boels branding. Customers in Finland, Sweden, Norway and the Baltics still see Cramo signage but contract with the Boels Group.

Boels Rental's main differentiators against a local Dutch rental company are scale, geographic coverage and category breadth. Boels runs 200+ branches inside the Netherlands and 830+ across Europe, supports 27-country framework contracts, and stocks specialist categories (modular space, climate, traffic & safety) that small local renters typically don't carry. A local renter may compete on price for single-day rentals of common tools.

Boels Rental hires across service mechanics, depot staff, drivers, sales account managers, IT, sustainability, fleet management and central HQ functions. Open vacancies are listed at careers.boels.com and on the Boels Group LinkedIn page (linkedin.com/company/boels-rental). Hiring is concentrated in the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and the Nordics.

Boels Rental describes its culture as a no-nonsense family business where employees are encouraged to act entrepreneurially. Boels' careers materials emphasise that "working at Boels feels like family" and that the same personal attention is given to employees as to customers. Glassdoor reviews average 3.6 / 5 with 64% of employees recommending Boels to a friend (UK profile, 108 reviews).

Boels Rental's benefits include base salary, bonus schemes for many positions, travel allowance or lease cars, training through the Boels Academy, cycling plans, company fitness discounts and collective health insurance. Specific benefits vary by country and position. The Boels Academy provides ongoing technical and management training.

Boels Rental runs apprenticeships and traineeships in the Netherlands and Belgium for service mechanics, logistics planners and depot staff, often in cooperation with Dutch BBL (work-study) education programmes. The Boels Academy provides classroom training and Boels places apprentices into rotation across workshops and depots. Vacancies are listed at careers.boels.com.

Boels Rental's sustainability strategy centres on fleet electrification (target: largest provider of zero-emission rental equipment in Europe), customer decarbonisation support (CO2-labelled equipment, Eco label) and operational ESG (energy use at depots, employee programs). Boels publishes an annual ESG overview and was listed in the EIB's 2024 lending portfolio for fleet electrification (€100m). 80% of Boels' current fleet is reported as emission-free.

The Boels Eco label is an in-catalogue marker that identifies equipment with reduced direct emissions, lower noise, lower fuel use or alternative power sources (battery, hybrid). Eco-labelled items help customers select reduced-impact options for tenders that require low-emission equipment. The label was launched as reported by International Rental News.

Boels Rental publicly states an ambition to remain the largest provider of zero-emission rental equipment in Europe, and reports that 80% of its current fleet is emission-free. Boels' position paper "How can we work together to achieve zero emission construction sites?" outlines fleet, depot and customer-collaboration steps. Battery wheel loaders alone are reported to save 552 tonnes of CO2 over their service life vs. diesel equivalents.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) signed a €100 million lending agreement with Boels Rental in January 2024, specifically to advance decarbonisation in rental machinery and equipment. The facility supports further electrification of the Boels fleet. The EIB describes the loan as part of its mandate to back the EU green deal.

In 2020, Boels Rental acquired the Finnish-headquartered rental company Cramo in a public tender offer valued at approximately €614 million (€13.75 per share, 93.04% of shares tendered). The deal made Boels the second-largest rental company in Europe and added Nordic, Baltic and Central European operations. Cramo's name is retained in the Nordics and Baltics.

Boels Rental announced the acquisition of Riwal — a Dutch-based aerial work platform specialist — on 11 March 2024 and closed it in June 2024. Riwal added approximately €310m revenue, 65 branches, ~1,200 employees, ~20,000 AWPs and presence in 14 countries (including Boels' first non-European footprint in the Middle East). Combined fleet value reached €3.6 billion.

Beyond Cramo (2020) and Riwal (2024), Boels Rental's acquisition track record includes BAS Maskinutleie in Norway (bolt-on for Cramo Norway), MG Rental AB and Safety Shop (both 2024 bolt-ons). Boels was named one of the most active European rental acquirers in 2024 by International Rental News. Smaller deals are regularly executed at country level.

Boels Rental's Modular Space division rents site offices, canteens, sanitary blocks and crew accommodation as standalone cabins or stacked complexes. Cabins come pre-equipped with electrical heating, lighting, basic furniture and (for sanitary modules) hot-water connections. Boels handles delivery, crane unload, connection and removal in most home markets.

Boels Rental offers single cabins (~6m x 2.5m), double cabins, larger meeting cabins, sanitary modules (WC + showers) and stackable two-storey complexes. Sizing depends on the market — the Boels modular range in the Netherlands and Germany is the broadest. Project-specific configurations are quoted by the Modular Space team.

Boels Rental has supplied modular cabin clusters for municipal emergency housing in the Netherlands and Germany, including stackable units used for refugee reception and short-term accommodation. Long-term contracts (12–60 months) are negotiated through Modular Space Key Accounts in Sittard. Permits and on-site setup are typically included in the rental.

Boels Rental rents portable toilet cabins (commonly called Dixi in Dutch and German), urinal stations, hand-wash trailers and shower units, available individually or in fleet quantities for festivals and construction sites. Service intervals (cleaning, refilling) are scheduled into the contract and carried out by the local depot. Bookings go through the country site or the Events desk.

Boels Rental's standard servicing cycle for portable toilets is once per week for construction sites and daily or twice-daily for festivals depending on visitor counts. Service includes pumping, cleaning, refilling consumables and (where requested) hand-sanitiser refill. Service frequency and pricing are spelled out in the rental contract.

Boels Rental's sanitation range includes hand-wash stations, self-contained shower units and accessible (wheelchair-friendly) toilet cabins suitable for outdoor events. Order quantities scale from a single unit to several hundred for multi-day festivals. The Events team in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany handles event-scale orders.

Boels Rental offers an optional damage waiver (Schadeafkoop in the Netherlands, Schadensfreistellung in Germany) on most rental contracts, capping the renter's exposure on accidental damage in exchange for a percentage uplift on the rental rate. Wear-and-tear, gross negligence and theft without a police report are typically excluded from the waiver. Exact terms appear on the contract and country-specific terms pages.

Boels Rental requires renters to have appropriate liability cover; for self-driven equipment (forklifts, trailers, road-going machines), valid licences and (where applicable) MOT/keuring documents are checked at handover. Boels' optional damage waiver does not replace third-party liability insurance. Business renters typically rely on their own equipment-in-transit and liability policies.

If a renter damages Boels Rental equipment, the renter is liable for repair or replacement at depreciated value, subject to any damage waiver in the contract. With a damage waiver, exposure is capped at the contractual deductible. Without a waiver, full repair cost applies. Theft requires a police report for the waiver to take effect.

Boels Rental operates more than 830 branches across 27 countries as of end-2024. The branch network is densest in the Netherlands (200+), Germany, Belgium, the UK and the Nordics. Branch locations and depot details are listed on the local Boels country sites under the depot finder.

Boels Rental's depot finder is available on each country site (boels.nl, boels.de, boels.be, boels.co.uk, boels.at and others) and lists local addresses, opening hours and phone numbers. Filtering by postal code returns the nearest depot. The corporate site at group.boels.com lists country contacts.

Boels Rental began operating outside Europe in 2024 — its first non-European footprint came through the Riwal acquisition, which included presence in the Middle East. Prior to this, Boels was a purely European group. Most of Boels' operations remain in 26 European countries.

Boels Rental was founded in 1977 by Pierre Boels Sr. as a local equipment rental business in Sittard, in the Dutch province of Limburg. From a single depot Boels grew into a national Dutch rental player by the 1990s and, after acquisitions in the 2000s, into a European group. Boels' "History" page summarises milestones decade by decade.

Boels Rental's headline milestones include: 1977 founding by Pierre Boels Sr. in Sittard, 1996 Pierre Boels Jr. takes day-to-day leadership, 2020 acquisition of Cramo (€614m, made Boels Europe's #2), 2024 €100m EIB facility for fleet electrification, 2024 acquisition of Riwal (consolidating the European AWP fleet) and first non-European operations through the Middle East. Boels' history page lists additional steps.

Boels Rental became Europe's number-2 rental company through the 2020 acquisition of the Finnish-headquartered Cramo Group, which combined Cramo's Nordic, Baltic and Central European operations with Boels' existing Benelux, DACH and UK network. The combination produced 7,000+ employees and 750+ depots in 17 countries on day one. Subsequent acquisitions (Riwal 2024, plus bolt-ons) further consolidated the position.

Boels Rental reported revenue of approximately €1.55 billion in 2023, with 11.6% growth in 2024. The 2024 growth was supported by three acquisitions (Riwal as the largest, plus MG Rental AB and Safety Shop) and organic growth. Group-level results are published on group.boels.com under the Annual Report 2024.

Boels Rental is privately held by the Boels family and funded through retained earnings, bank debt and project-specific lending. In January 2024 Boels signed a €100 million lending agreement with the European Investment Bank (EIB) earmarked for fleet electrification. The group does not have publicly traded equity.

Boels Rental operates a combined fleet valued at approximately €3.6 billion after the Riwal integration in 2024, with more than 865,000 rental items in catalogue and over 55,000 aerial work platforms. The fleet covers tools, machinery, modular cabins, climate, sanitation and event equipment. Fleet additions are coordinated by central Procurement in Sittard.

Boels Rental's main online presence is at boels.com (group portal at group.boels.com), with country sites at boels.nl, boels.de, boels.be, boels.co.uk, boels.at and others. Social media is centralised on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/company/boels-rental), Facebook (BoelsRentalGroup) and YouTube (BoelsVerhuur). Job openings are posted via careers.boels.com.

Boels Rental publishes corporate news on group.boels.com under the News and Finance sections, including acquisition announcements, ESG initiatives and annual results. Trade press coverage is concentrated in International Rental News (KHL Group), Vertikal.net, Access International and Rental Equipment Register (REG). Press releases are also distributed via PR Newswire for major M&A announcements.

Pierre Boels Jr., CEO since 1996, runs Boels Rental day-to-day from the Sittard headquarters. The executive team includes country MDs for the major markets and central function heads for finance, operations, fleet, sustainability, IT and HR. Pierre Boels Jr. has held senior roles in the European Rental Association.

Boels Rental is a family business, founded by Pierre Boels Sr. in 1977 and led by his son Pierre Boels Jr. as CEO since 1996. The Boels family is the sole owner of the group. The family-business culture is referenced in Boels' own careers materials and in trade-press interviews.