From UK Roots to Global Leadership: An Interview with Don Wilkinson of LGH

Move It Magazine recently sat down with Don Wilkinson, Group European Sales Director at LGH, to discuss the company's impressive journey from its roots in the UK to becoming one of the global leaders in lifting and rigging equipment rental. In this exclusive interview, Don shares insights into the company's mission, the challenges of expanding into new markets, and the future of lifting technology. 
 
Move It Magazine: LGH (Lifting Gear Hire) has built a strong reputation over more than five decades. How would you describe the company’s mission today compared to when it was founded in 1970? 
 
Don Wilkinson: Our mission remains remarkably consistent with what it was back in 1970. LGH’s purpose is to support customers across the globe with the safest and most reliable lifting and rigging gear. We achieve this through continuous investment in our people, our equipment, and our IT systems. Throughout our history, we have always competed on the quality of service. Across the entire Group, our goal is to meet — and ideally exceed — customer expectations. When we focus on delivering excellence, commercial success naturally follows. 
 
Move It Magazine: When LGH expanded from the UK to the U.S., what were the biggest challenges you faced? 
 
Don Wilkinson: Entering a new market is always a challenge, particularly when you’re relatively unknown. Our success didn’t happen overnight. It was the result of consistency and a relentless focus on delivering quality service. A strong leadership team, who fully embraced our values and mission, was key. 
Initially, much of our U.S. growth came from shutdown work in coal power station maintenance. However, as the energy market shifted toward lower-maintenance, cleaner power plants, we had to be resourceful and diversify into new sectors and regions. What’s important is that throughout our expansion, we maintained a tight focus on lifting gear rental — never diluting our expertise by branching into unrelated product lines. That’s been critical to our success across both continents. 
 
Move It Magazine: Following the success in North America, how has LGH’s international presence evolved? 
 
Don Wilkinson: Building on the U.S. success, we have expanded across Europe, opening branches in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany — with two more country expansions planned for this year. It's an exciting time of growth for LGH. 
 
Move It Magazine: LGH serves a broad range of industries. Can you tell us more about the primary sectors you support and how your solutions vary between them? 
 
Don Wilkinson: Absolutely. We serve industries such as construction, infrastructure, marine and offshore, pharmaceuticals, petrochemicals, nuclear, waste management, energy, and utilities. 
 
Each sector has its own unique demands, so we tailor our solutions accordingly. For example, offshore and marine projects often require specialized, high-capacity, corrosion-resistant equipment with strict certification standards like ATEX ratings. 
 
Move It Magazine: In your experience, which sectors currently show the strongest demand for lifting and rigging rentals? Are you targeting any emerging markets? 
 
Don Wilkinson: We often see across our many markets as one sector weakens, another one grows, this depends highly on government spending and capital investment. Additionally, we're seeing strong growth driven by sustainability initiatives and the digitization of infrastructure, which are opening up new opportunities.

There is growth in the renewables sector—especially offshore wind—as well as data center construction, where modular build approaches and tight lifting tolerances are critical. These emerging markets increasingly require lifting equipment, such as modular spreader beams and precision hoists, to safely manage heavy or awkward loads in confined spaces. 
 
As part of our growth strategy, we’re actively targeting sectors embracing sustainability and modularity, where renting aligns with project agility, capital efficiency, and ESG goals. 
 
 
Move It Magazine: How do LGH’s offerings differ between the UK and U.S. markets, especially regarding product range and customer expectations? 
 
Don Wilkinson: Our core focus — being the best partner for quality lifting gear rentals — is consistent worldwide. Many of our equipment suppliers support us across all locations, and we align our IT systems and service standards globally. 
Of course, market conditions differ: rental vs. buying habits, competitive landscapes, funding environments, and cultural expectations all vary by country. But the commitment to quality and service is universal. 
 
Move It Magazine: Marine and offshore projects typically have very specific requirements. How does LGH adapt its rental fleet and services for this sector? 
 
Don Wilkinson: Marine and offshore (M&O) work demands a lot. Environmental conditions, certification needs, capacity, and equipment volume must all be considered. 
At LGH, we’re one of the few rental providers capable of quickly mobilizing a large number of high-tonnage, quality air hoists - which is critical in the offshore sector. 
 
Move It Magazine: What are some common rigging challenges contractors face in offshore or shipyard projects? 
 
Don Wilkinson: The operating environments are extremely tough, and contractors often work under tight deadlines. They need partners who deliver reliably, safely, and without delay. At LGH, we understand that trust is critical. 
 
Move It Magazine: Can you share a project where LGH’s equipment made a real difference in the offshore or shipbuilding sector? 
 
Don Wilkinson: A great example is an order for hand chain hoists that needed to be utilised for shutdown work on an offshore platform in the North Sea. The catch... the customer needed over 420 mobilised quickly! With the combined and well-executed efforts of the workshop, hire desk, sales, and asset teams, we achieved a remarkable feat of testing, certifying, and mobilising this huge quantity of chain blocks from Atherton, London, Essen, Ridderkerk, and Antwerpen, for delivery to Aberdeen before heading out to the customer. Due to our network across Europe, we were uniquely positioned to meet the requirements of the customer. No other lifting provider would be capable of achieving such a monumental task within the required timeframe. 
 
We have also been involved in some impressive shipbuilding and ship repair work in docks across Europe. These often require high-tonnage or high volumes of air chain hoists and modular spreader beams, depending on the specific project. 
 
Move It Magazine: Safety is crucial in lifting operations. How does LGH ensure the highest safety standards? 
 
Don Wilkinson: Safety is at the heart of everything we do. Our fleet is meticulously maintained and tested to the highest standards to ensure immediate, safe use. 
Our motto is “LGH puts safety first” — and we back that up with internal audits, staff training, rigorous equipment testing and certification, and adherence to accreditations like FORS Silver, ISO 9001:2015, LEEA, SafeHire, Constructionline, and SafeContractor. 
 
Move It Magazine: How does LGH manage equipment inspection, maintenance, and certification? 
 
Don Wilkinson: We are relentless in our testing and maintenance protocols. Every piece of equipment is rigorously tested, inspected, and certified to ensure it's in top condition before rental. Service and maintenance are core activities that support our reputation for quality. 
 
Move It Magazine: How have technological advancements, such as digital load monitoring impacted LGH’s operations? 
 
Don Wilkinson: We have long-term partnerships with leading manufacturers of load measuring equipment, including load cells, load links, and tension meters from Crosby Straightpoint. Our close partnership ensures we have visibility of the latest technology, and we consistently invest in new and innovative equipment that benefits our customers. We view continuous innovation by our suppliers as a positive. 
 
Move It Magazine: Are there any innovations currently underway that could benefit sectors like marine, construction, or energy? 
 
Don Wilkinson: Yes, absolutely. We are working more closely than ever with our sister company, Rotrex Winches which has allowed us to expand our product and service offering to include winch hire, sales, testing, design, and maintenance. We have also recently expanded our lifting services by introducing in-house lifting plans and will soon be offering inspection as a service. 
 
Move It Magazine: Any upcoming initiatives or developments LGH is particularly excited about? 
 
Don Wilkinson: Yes, we’re excited to announce that, as of May, we’re bringing the Rotrex Winches brand back under the LGH name, reintroducing LGH Winches. This move aligns us under a globally recognised brand while maintaining our expertise in winching solutions. It also allows us to strengthen our position as a unified brand, creating growth opportunities as we expand across Europe. 
 
For our long-standing customers, this isn’t just a rebrand—it’s a homecoming. The LGH Winches name has a deep legacy, dating back to our acquisition of NIM Winches in 1993, and we’ve continued to deliver excellence under the Rotrex brand since 2007. 
 
This transition brings several advantages: increased market presence, enhanced service offerings, and improved buying power, which ensures we stay competitively priced. It also streamlines operations and reinforces customer confidence in our consistent quality and service. 
 
We’re excited for this next chapter and the opportunities it will bring for our customers and partners.