As the 360 rental house opens a new facility in Ghent, Belgium, Co-Owner and Operations Director Will Bennett explains the thinking behind the expansion.
In recent years, there have been numerous stories of rental houses gaining a stronger international footprint, such as North American companies acquiring UK-based businesses. And, of course, since Brexit, several logistics companies have set up shop in Ireland and mainland Europe. However, few UK-based rental houses have established new operations in Europe. Enter: ATC, a 360 rental and dry-hire company founded in the Midlands, with a second operation in London, and now a new office in Ghent, Belgium.
Formed more than 35 years ago, the company has established itself as a dominant player in the corporate events market and is also involved in several live events, including Bloodstock Festival.
The company manages an inventory of more than 100,000 items spanning audio, video, lighting, staging, rigging and power. Key technology partners include industry-leading brands such as Unilumin, ROE Visual, d&b audiotechnik, L-Acoustics and Barco.
The goal of the European office is to bring the ATC’s service-led approach to its European audience. According to Operations Director Will Bennett, the company’s 360 setup has always been essential. “If you can’t provide everything, a full 360 solution for projects such as car launches, they simply will not use you,” he stated. “Many people know us mainly from our video offering – especially from our work in the dry hire market – but we also have a huge stock of lighting as well as arena levels of audio.”
The conversation then turned to what finally triggered the decision to establish a presence in Europe. “There was an inevitable drop-off in the work in Europe. We had clients who were unable to work with us to service an event in the UK due to sustainability or financial restrictions, as well as due to the administration of the carnet. We spoke among ourselves, and we opted to try to replicate what we did when we opened a London branch.”
Ultimately, opening a European office proved somewhat more complicated, involving “a lot of red tape”, according to Bennett. However, ATC can now offer a more seamless service for events in both the UK and Europe. The central Ghent location means the office can easily access Belgium, France, the Netherlands and Germany, providing local access to equipment, preparation and technical support for projects across the region.
The facility operates as a fully functional warehouse and logistics hub, enabling equipment to be stored, prepared and deployed locally for dry hire, cross-hire and full project delivery. It also connects directly with ATC’s UK operations, giving European customers access to the company’s wider technical capabilities and extensive inventory. Operations in Belgium will be led by Jarno Boucquez, Belgium Operations Manager, who will oversee ATC’s expansion in the region and support customers across Europe.
“It’s true that not many companies are doing what we are doing,” admitted Bennett, describing the decision of a UK rental house to open a new branch in Europe. “There are lots of European and American companies opening up bases in the UK, but I feel it can just as easily work the other way.” On that note, Bennett commented that he would never rule out opening a second European location, or perhaps even expanding further afield.
