The Flannery family has retained a significant ownership stake in the business following the investment, with Patrick and Martin Flannery continuing in their roles as joint chief executives.
The partnership with DWS is intended to support the company’s next phase of expansion as it strengthens its position in the UK’s infrastructure and construction sectors.
Flannery is the UK’s largest operated heavy construction plant hire company, providing specialist machinery alongside experienced equipment operators to contractors working on major projects nationwide.
The business primarily supports large-scale national infrastructure schemes, as well as long-term investment programmes across the regulated water and electricity transmission sectors.
Flannery currently operates a fleet of approximately 7,900 machines from 16 depots located across the UK and Ireland, making it one of the country’s largest construction equipment providers.
Hamish Mackenzie, Global Head of Infrastructure at DWS, said: “This acquisition aligns strongly with our investment thesis of targeting high-quality, asset backed infrastructure companies and the current macro investment theme of supply chain resilience.
“Flannery serves a client base which is benefitting from growing demand for core infrastructure capital investment programmes in transport, energy and utilities in the UK. This demand also stems from secular energy transition and digitalisation trends, which require significant and multi-year capital spend in the UK to drive the economic growth of the country.
“We are particularly impressed by the strategic and operational excellence of the management team led by Patrick Jr and Martin Flannery over the last 20 years. We are pleased to partner with the Flannery family and the current management team, who will be instrumental to further enhance the value of the Company and ensure it continues to deliver the best service to leading Tier 1 contractors focussed on the infrastructure sector.”
Patrick Flannery Junior, Co-CEO of Flannery Plant Hire, said: “Over the past 54 years, we have built Flannery into the business it is today, and we are incredibly proud of what our team has achieved throughout that journey.
“As we looked ahead to the next chapter, it was essential to find the right partner—one that shares our values, understands our long-term vision, and can provide the capital, expertise, and support required to accelerate future growth.
“By partnering with DWS, we are demonstrating our continued confidence in the business and our commitment to supporting its long-term success for many years to come.”