Vp acquires Indepth Hire

Vp PLC 04 September 2003 4 September 2003 Vp plc Acquisition of Indepth Hire Vp plc, the equipment rental specialist, today announces the acquisition of Indepth Hire for a cash consideration of £450,000. Indepth, based in Staffordshire, is engaged in the hire, servicing and calibration of cleanwater management equipment, such as data loggers, ultrasonic flow meters and leakage detectors to water companies, consultants and environmental agencies. Indepth will be integrated within the Groundforce division of Vp which provides rental, sales and design of shoring systems and allied services to the water, civil engineering and construction industries. Jeremy Pilkington, Chairman & Chief Executive commented: 'This acquisition and our purchase of Trench Shore in July continue to strengthen our position as market leader within this sector. Indepth is an excellent complement to the Groundforce business and offers further product and customer expansion opportunities, particularly in the water industry.' - Ends - For further information: Vp plc Jeremy Pilkington, Chairman & Chief Executive Tel: +44 (0) 1423 533 405 Neil Stothard, Group Finance Director www.vpplc.com Media enquiries: Bankside Sarah Carrell Tel: +44 (0) 113 390 6388 Sarah.carrell@bankside.com Notes to Editors: Vp plc The principal activity of the Group is equipment rental and associated services almost entirely conducted within the UK. Vp plc listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1973. For the year ended 31 March 2003, Group turnover was £75.5 million. The Group is focused on five businesses: Torrent Trackside • Hire of portable track repair and renewals equipment, trackside lighting and related support services to rail infrastructure maintenance companies. Hire Station • Rental and sale of tools, small equipment and allied services to industry, construction and homeowners plus three specialist offerings: - Safeforce - hire and sale of safety and survey products, asset management and training services. - Lifting Point - materials handling and lifting gear hire. - One Call - national call centre for tool hire. UK Forks • Hire of rough terrain material handling equipment and accessories to the house building and construction industry. Unique in the transaction of the business through a national call centre and dedicated services outlets. Groundforce • Rental, sale and design of shoring systems and allied services to the water, civil engineering and construction industries. Airpac Oilfield Services • Servicing the international oil and gas exploration and development markets with specialist air compressors and associated equipment. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange