Acquisition of The Handi Hire Group Ltd

Vibroplant PLC
1 June 2000



                Vibroplant Plc ('Vibroplant' or the 'Company')
                                       
            Acquisition of The Handi Hire Group Ltd ('Handi Hire')
                                       

The  Directors  of  Vibroplant announce the acquisition of the  entire  issued
share  capital  of  Handi Hire for a consideration of  £2.58  million,  to  be
satisfied  by  a  combination of cash and loan notes.   Vibroplant  will  also
assume  the net debt of Handi Hire, which amounted to £2.08 million as  at  31
December  1999.   Handi Hire's turnover in the year to 31  December  1999  was
£6.41  million.   It  is  expected that the  net  assets  of  the  company  at
completion will be approximately £210,000.

Handi  Hire reported a pre-tax loss of £253,000 for the year ended 31 December
1999.   This  loss  is  after vendors remuneration and  benefits.   Management
believe  that,  over a period of time, margins similar to  those  achieved  by
Vibroplant's existing tool hire businesses should be achievable.

The  principal  activities of Handi Hire are the hire and sale  of  tools  and
related  equipment  to industry, construction and homeowners  from  24  depots
throughout  the  East Midlands and South Yorkshire. Handi  Hire  significantly
expands  Vibroplant's current network of 50 tool hire branches,  providing  an
excellent geographical fit and substantially advancing the strategic objective
of providing full national coverage in this sector.  As part of that strategy,
Vibroplant  recently established a national tool hire call  centre,  The  Hire
Station  (October  1999)  and launched Tools and Fixings  Direct,  its  direct
sales,  catalogue and 'e' commerce tool business (toolfixdirect.co.uk) in  May
2000.

This acquisition is in line with the refocusing of the Group on its specialist
rental  activities  and  follows the sale of  its  powered  access  assets  to
Lavendon Plc for £3.76 million in April 2000.


Enquiries :

Jeremy Pilkington, Chairman and Chief Executive
Neil Stothard, Group Finance Director
Vibroplant Plc
Telephone :  [phone]

Peter Otero
Financial Dynamics
Telephone :  [phone]