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The two companies, who previously competed against each other, have decided to join forces, creating a leading event equipment hire and production company with one of the largest inventories of sound, lighting, and other technical event equipment in the South East of England.
This acquisition marks a significant milestone for The Sound & Light Hire Company as it expands its reach and strengthens its position in the highly competitive event equipment rental and production industry.
With the addition of Sound & Light Hire Surrey's resources and expertise, the company is poised to offer its clients an even more comprehensive range of services and solutions.
The Sound & Light Hire Company Take “Logical” Next Step
For the Sound & Light Hire Company, the outfit took what its leadership team saw as the logical next step in expansion.
“The business case for acquiring Sound & Light Hire Surrey was very straightforward,” commented Steve Wright, Commercial Director of The Sound & Light Hire Company. “We operated very similar patches, with ourselves focusing on clients in the counties of Surrey and Hampshire, while they focused on Surrey and Berkshire.”
“The overlap in patches was relatively small,” continued Steve. “But this acquisition will dramatically increase our local footprint on the equipment rental side of the business, particularly for our domestic customers. It will also allow us to share knowledge, expertise and best practice, which can only benefit our loyal customers.”
The Sound & Light Hire Company is a multi-faceted company offering much more than the company name implies. While the company initially found success renting out PA systems and lighting rigs to private events such as birthday parties and weddings, it has also diversified into providing audio visual equipment to businesses and offering technical services for live concerts, festivals, and corporate events.
The company now has a robust commercial events arm and includes some high-profile festivals, concert venues, conferences, and awards shows on its client list.
That said, the company still relies on the private event market to maintain healthy revenue streams and has added various new equipment lines for hire to keep up with demand, including projector and screen packages, DJ equipment hire, and a range of LED furniture.
Company Founder Pleased to Hand Over Reins to “Right” Buyer
Sound & Light Hire Surrey founder, Geoff Bridges, is delighted that the business has been acquired by a buyer who he believes is “the right fit” to take the company forward.
“It hasn’t been an easy decision for me,” said Geoff. “It’s not an offer we were necessarily expecting, but after giving it a lot of thought, we decided that it was the right thing to do. We feel that my team and I have grown this company as far as we can without outside help, and now is the time to hand over custodianship to an experienced team.”
Geoff and his team will stay in place at the company but will now report to Commercial Director Steve Wright. “I still feel I have a lot to give. We’ve also recently expanded our services to include event furniture and staging, and that's something I'm keen to see through.”
“Once everything is in place and my team is happy, I envisage taking a step back from the business and spending a lot more time with my family.”
According to Bridges, the company taking over the outfit needed to be the right fit. As a larger, more diversified group, the management team at The Sound & Light Hire Company offered the best fit, he said. With a company that is very similar but also ahead in its journey, Bridges said, “It's just a natural progression.”
“While we might have thought that this point would have come a few years down the road, this transaction now allows us to integrate ourselves and become part of what is now a leading supplier to the events industry,” concluded Bridges.
The Sound & Light Hire Company Leverages Acquisition to Enhance Local Market Presence in South East England
The acquisition of Sound & Light Hire Surrey serves as a springboard for The Sound & Light Hire Company to better serve local markets across South East England as the company sets its sights on expanding its customer base and further strengthening its position in the region.
Recognising the importance of the local equipment rental market, The Sound & Light Hire Company is now better equipped to cater to the specific needs and preferences of clients in towns across Surrey, Hampshire, and Berkshire. With its base near Guildford, the company is poised to make a significant impact on nearby Surrey towns, including Woking, Staines, Esher, and Weybridge.
In Hampshire, The Sound & Light Hire Company plans to expand its reach to towns such as Farnborough, Basingstoke, Andover, and Fleet. Furthermore, the acquisition has also opened up new opportunities for the company to serve the Berkshire area, with a focus on key locations like Slough, Maidenhead, Reading, and Wokingham.
By consolidating resources and expertise, The Sound & Light Hire Company is now better positioned to provide a more comprehensive range of equipment rental options and services to both new and existing clients across the region.
This expansion allows the company to tap into the thriving local events market while reinforcing its commitment to delivering exceptional customer service and tailored event solutions to clients.
As The Sound & Light Hire Company continues to grow and adapt to the ever-evolving needs of the local market, this strategic acquisition serves as a testament to the company's dedication to becoming the leading supplier in the event equipment hire and event production industry.
David Homes
Event News Surrey
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