Briggs Equipment is investing a further £2m in its short-term hire (STH) business as part of its strategy to be the UK's leading independent specialist in short-term materials handling solutions.

The company is enhancing its STH fleet with large-capacity trucks while also expanding its specialist equipment range. This year, the company will increase the number of container handlers and reach stackers available on contracts ranging from a single day up to 12 months and will add more JCB telehandlers, JLG boom and scissor lifts and JLG stock pickers.

National rental manager Allan Parsons says: "Despite improvements in the economy, logistics businesses can still be wary on purchasing new equipment, often looking for one- or two-year rentals. This is opening up some interesting new opportunities for short-term hire."

Briggs Equipment is discovering a distinct change in the STH market, as flexible, customer-centric solutions are increasingly becoming the norm. Briggs says the strength of its offering lies in its diverse product portfolio backed by quality servicing, flexible contracts and a fast response - typically, STH machines can be on-site with the customer within 24 hours of an order being placed.

Allan Parsons adds: "Operating as a ‘one-stop' resource is opening up new market opportunities for us, too.  Our ability to supply large-capacity machines supports our port customers, and we're also making significant inroads into the event management sector.

Briggs Equipment has invested around £52.5m since 2010 to build its STR capability.