Introducing Hoist UK Partner

Hoist UK was founded in 2006 by Tony Dickson and Paul Jordan, beginning life as an approved distributor bringing lifting equipment from the French brand Verlinde into the UK market. Today it ranks among the country's largest designers, distributors and manufacturers of lifting and handling equipment, installing lifting solutions for customers across the UK and abroad.

Interview with co-founder Paul Jordan

Could you introduce Hoist UK to us?

Hoist UK has represented Verlinde SAS in the United Kingdom ever since the company was formed in 2006. Both Tony and I had worked with Verlinde before setting up Hoist UK, so we already knew the products and the standard of quality and service.

The company began with a joint investment of £200 and a rented office, and has grown steadily every year since, moving from that rented office to a multi-million-pound turnover today. We are based at a manufacturing site in Wirral, centrally located in the UK and close to all the main motorway networks, with two further regional offices in the south of the UK and in Northern Ireland.
We've always held to strict commercial and financial principles, which have served us well throughout our journey and given us a stable foundation to build the business on, allowing continuous growth from day one.

Could you describe what you do?

Hoist UK is a full-service provider covering a broad range of services to meet any industrial or entertainment lifting or handling need.
We're a market-leading source for everything a project might require, from overhead crane systems and electric chain hoists through to performer winches and loose lifting tackle.

We built our range of services with our clients' needs in mind, so we can deliver a complete, end-to-end service. Our portfolio has grown around what our customers require, meaning we can now offer them a full spectrum of services. This starts with a problem assessment and advice from our technical sales team.

Wherever possible we supply commercial, off-the-shelf products, though we can also provide tailor-made and bespoke lifting and handling equipment built to the client's specification, in line with the relevant British/European Standards and carrying CE or UKCA marking.
We also provide pre-planned servicing and inspections under LOLER and PUWER for our entertainment and industrial clients.
Hoist UK also holds UKAS accreditation from NQA for ISO 9001: Quality Management, ISO 14001: Environmental Management and ISO 45001: Occupational Health and Safety Management, reflecting our commitment to our company motto of "Safety Above All."

How is your work spread across England?

Hoist UK works across every region of the UK, having supplied and fitted equipment in all industry sectors, including specialist areas like the space industry, pharmaceuticals, aerospace and food preparation.
We run a modern workshop equipped with MIG and TIG welding, a CNC machine shop, and a team of skilled electro-mechanical engineers who design, supply, manufacture, install, test and commission industrial lifting equipment and handling solutions throughout the United Kingdom.

And your organization?

The business has two Directors, its original founders, who lead a management team overseeing the day-to-day running of every department in the organisation.

Hoist UK maintains its own in-house teams covering design, supply, manufacture, installation, testing, commissioning, examination and servicing of cranes and lifting equipment for both the industrial and entertainment sectors.

Our installation engineers travel across the length and breadth of the UK every week, delivering installation, servicing and inspection work for customers in every sector.

We have strong technical capabilities, able to work with clients who already know what they want, while also guiding those who need extra help choosing the right equipment for their lifting operation.

Hoist UK belongs to several professional associations, please describe us which ones.
Hoist UK is a full member of LEEA (Lifting Equipment Engineers Association), recognised worldwide as the respected, authoritative body representing everyone working in the lifting industry.
Hoist UK also belongs to PLASA (Professional Lighting and Sound Association), the leading body for suppliers of technology and services to the event, entertainment and installation industries, dedicated to supporting the sector's future growth.

Hoist UK holds Bronze membership of the ABTT (Association of British Theatre Technicians), a charity that campaigns on the theatre industry's behalf to keep legislation suited to the sector's needs and to ensure regulations are properly drafted and enforced. These associations have recognised us with several awards:

• 2006 : ABTT Product of the Year winner.

• 2011 : ABTT Stand of the Year winner.

• Back in 2013, our team picked up the LEEA Most Innovative Application of an Existing Product Award for its work.

• 2017 : recognised as Wirral Chamber Business of the Year.

• Back in 2019, we were named Wirral Chamber of Commerce Business Person of the Year for our achievements.

• In 2021, the LEEA Kevin Holmes Award for Excellence in People Development recognised our work.

How would you describe your customer strategy?

Our motto is Safety Above All, and we aim to deliver technically sound products and services that are fit for purpose.
Hoist UK works hard to listen to customers, understand what matters most to them, and partner with them to find the best-value product for the job. The level of service we provide sets us apart from competitors, many of whom aren't able to offer the same advice.

As a company, we don't spread ourselves across multiple brands; instead we work with good-quality products and brands that give us and our customers the best options for their lifting and handling needs. This approach means we have thorough technical knowledge and understanding of everything we sell.

Where do you see growth opportunities in the UK market?

With Brexit and the arrival of the new UKCA product marking, Hoist UK sits in a strong market position to keep doing what it already does well - promoting and supplying quality, value-for-money products alongside other complementary fabricated items, whether sourced from our European suppliers or made in-house, giving UK customers the option to Buy British, something several of our customers value highly.