The United Kingdom’s largest tool hire company Speedy Hire was named “Hire Company of the Year” at the recent Hire Association Europe Awards. The company also received the award for “Best Contribution to Environmental Issues” at HAE’s May 10 awards ceremony at the Landmark Hotel in London.

The judges cited Speedy’s “Safety From the Ground Up” initiative, which demonstrated the company’s commitment to health, safety and environmental issues, as well as its commitment to promoting environmental best practices and work to support customers’ environmental programs.

Speedy has a new range of generators running on bio-fuels, energy-efficient lighting systems and maintenance programs designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Speedy was also the first U.K. rental company to introduce electric vehicles to its delivery fleet in some urban areas.

“The HAE Awards recognize outstanding achievements in the hire industry, celebrating the success of independent and national plant hire companies,” said Steve Corcoran, chief executive of Speedy Hire. “It’s fantastic that the effort and success of the thousands of staff at Speedy has been recognized with these prestigious awards. We’ve raised the bar by identifying new products and services that can help our customers reduce their environmental impact. The behaviors, tools, equipment and skills people need to help deliver the sustainability agenda are a critical piece of the green jigsaw. Which is why we’re focusing harder then ever on our own commitment.”

“This year’s judging panel had a sizeable task on their hands as the competition in each category was very high,” said Graham Arundell, managing director of HAE. “Speedy Hire’s two awards are very well deserved. The company has made significant advances over the last 12 months, as is rapidly deepening its green credentials.”