Finning buys John F Hunt Power Group: temporary power implications for UK project teams
Reviewed by Tom Sullivan
First reported on The Construction Index
30 Second Briefing
Finning UK & Ireland has acquired generator rental specialist John F Hunt Power Group and equipment dealer Morris Machinery, adding a UK-wide fleet of Stage V, Super Silent and Ultra Quiet generators from 20kVA to 1250kVA plus Sync, Hybrid Battery Units, Flybrid and trailer-mounted sets. Morris Machinery brings 6kVA to 500kVA generators, ArcGen welder generators, Hilta pressure washers and pumps, ItalTower lighting towers and pressure testing kits across construction, infrastructure and utilities. Existing depots, contracts, pricing and account teams remain in place, limiting disruption to ongoing temporary power and site support arrangements.
Technical Brief
- John F Hunt’s temporary power capability originated from supplying tower cranes on 1990s tower-block demolition projects.
- Early operations involved dismantling “dozens” of large-panel residential tower blocks, implying high cranage power demand.
- Generator sets were originally imported from Italy and Japan, then progressively modified to client-specific duty requirements.
- Existing operational structures, contracts, pricing and account management remain unchanged during the transition phase.
Our Take
Finning UK & Ireland already features heavily in our Infrastructure coverage through equipment supply deals – such as Cat pavers for BDS Plant Hire and battery-electric excavators for Flannery – so acquiring John F Hunt Power Group shifts it further from pure OEM dealership into owning a sizeable temporary power rental platform in the UK and Ireland.
The 20–1,250 kVA John F Hunt Power fleet, combined with the 6–500 kVA range associated with Morris Machinery, positions Finning to cover most site power needs from small welfare units to large construction compounds, which is likely to make it a single-source provider for contractors standardising on Cat machinery and power solutions.
Finning’s recent investment in Instagrid portable battery power stations suggests it is hedging between conventional diesel generator hire and emerging low‑emission site power; integrating John F Hunt Power’s depots gives it a ready-made network where hybrid or battery-backed offerings could be rolled out as clients face tighter UK emissions rules on temporary plant.
Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.
