Brian Jones, President of the Construction Plant-hire Association (CPA), has been recognised for his outstanding contribution to the rental industry at the 2024 European Rental Awards.

He was awarded the European Rental Association (ERA) Lifetime Achievement Award at a prestigious awards ceremony hosted in Lisbon, Portugal, during the ERA’s Annual Convention. 

This prestigious accolade is awarded to an individual whose career achievements have had a profound impact on the rental sector. The awards are jointly organised by the European Rental Association (ERA) and International Rental News (IRN) magazine.

Brian is President of the CPA, the largest trade association for the plant-hire sector in the UK with over 1,900 members, and he has worked in the rental industry for over 50 years. He was elected to the CPA Council over 30 years ago and has been CPA President since 2017.

His career in plant-hire began in 1971 when he joined Stephenson Plant Hire in Ruabon, North Wales as a Hire Desk Clerk. He subsequently worked for Hewden Stuart for 40 years where he held a number of positions including National Sales Manager and Head of Business Development. He has also run his own company Delyn Consultants Limited working predominantly in the utilities sector.

Brian said: “It is an absolute honour to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award and I would like to thank the European Rental Association and International Rental News for hosting a fabulous convention and awards event. I have worked in the industry for over 50 years now and have been involved with the CPA for over 30 years, and I can honestly say that I enjoy working in the industry today as much as the first day I started in the early 1970’s. There have been many developments along the way, but it is the people who make our industry what it is.”

The ERA Awards 2024 were judged by Nina Aasland (CEO, Naboen), Stéphane Hénon, (President, European Rental Association and Managing Director, Loxam), Hervé Rebollo (Director General, DLR), Murray Pollok (Managing Editor, International Rental News), José Cuadrado (Managing Director, Yanmar Compact Equipment - Europe, Middle East and Africa) and non-voting Chair Michel Petitjean (Secretary General, European Rental Association).

When presenting Brian with his Lifetime Achievement Award, Michel Petitjean praised Brian for the significant contribution he has made to the rental industry and the leading role he has played in one of the most respected and oldest rental associations in the world - the CPA.

The shortlisted companies for the ERA Awards were from 11 countries and included representatives of the rental industries in Iceland, France, Germany, Portugal, Spain, the Republic of Ireland and the UK.