Since setting up Atlas Winch and Hoist Services in 1994 in Biggar, Scotland, Denis Lavery’s company has grown to become a true specialist in the sale, hire and service of winches and heavy lifting equipment throughout the UK and beyond.
Atlas Winch and Hoist Services has a reputation for delivering unique, innovative solutions to a variety of heavy lifting and pulling situations as well as supplying essentially standard lifting tackle. Atlas products have been used on site during the construction of Olympics 2012 buildings as well as helping to winch Wembley Stadium’s network of support cables into place.
They are also the exclusive UK dealership for the sale of French manufacturer Huchez, which produces a high quality range of hand and electric winches.
Well established in traditional markets such as marine, shipping, oil and gas and construction, Atlas Southerns’ office has diversified to offer a wide range of trailer mounted winches and related products for the utilities industry for various cable and pipe pulling applications. Atlas Southern is run by Denis’s brother Anton Lavery who has carved a niche for the business in supplying winch and associated equipment to the construction and utilities industries.
“We have the largest fleet of cable drum trailers in the UK with drum capacities up to 20tonnes,” says Anton. “ We also have trailer mounted winches up 10tonnes but some of the winches we supply to the marine and offshore industries can be rated in excess of 200tonnes.”
Wind farm construction is a more recent area of business for the firm. Atlas winches are increasingly used for handling turbine equipment in both onshore and offshore situations.
In a highly specialised industry Atlas is a specialist in delivering the largest equipment for the most complex situations. They pride themselves on the thoroughness of their product knowledge and their focus on understanding exactly what their clients’ needs are.
“We don’t simply offer a menu and ask them what they want, we like to work with the client to fully understand their needs to ensure they get exactly they right product. Much of our equipment is available to hire or buy, new or second hand.”
With a combined turnover between the Scottish and Southern locations of between £3 and 4 million, Atlas is easily managing to hold its own, despite these difficult economic times.
