Directorate Change

Ashtead Group PLC
4 March 2002


NEW DIRECTOR

Ashtead Group plc, the international equipment rental specialist, announces the 
appointment today of Sat Dhaiwal, 33, as an executive director of the Company 
and as chief executive of A-Plant, the Company's UK and Ireland plant hire 
subsidiary.

Mr Dhaiwal has spent the whole of his career in the UK plant hire industry.  He
joined A-Plant in 1993 as manager of one of its profit centres.  He was promoted
to trading director in 1995 responsible for a group of profit centres and, since 
1998, has been Managing Director of A-Plant East, one of A-Plant's four 
operational regions.

Mr Dhaiwal replaces Ted Forshaw who retires after nearly twenty-six years 
service with the Group and the Company he worked for previously which Ashtead 
acquired in 1987.  The Board wishes to express its gratitude to Mr Forshaw for 
the substantial contribution he made to A-Plant's growth for many years over 
which time it developed to become the largest company in the UK and Ireland in 
the non-operated plant hire sector.



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