Over the past eight years, husband and wife team Ben and Jess Fitzgerald have put…
Stronger Rental Offering in Australia as Queensland Rigging Hire Becomes Part of Lifting Solutions Group
Axel Johnson International’s Lifting Solutions Group (LSG) has strengthened its Australian rental offering with the acquisition of Queensland Rigging Hire (QRH), a Brisbane-based company specialising in lifting and rigging equipment hire. With depots now operating in Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, and Karratha, LSG has become Australia’s first lifting and rigging rental provider with nationwide coverage, expanding its footprint and strengthening its ability to deliver high-quality solutions across diverse industries.
With a strong reputation for providing specialised lifting and rigging equipment, QRH brings both product depth and local expertise to the Lifting Solutions Group’s growing network.
The addition of QRH not only opens new opportunities for collaboration with the groups other Australian rental businesses, Dynamic Rigging Hire (DRH) and Lifting Gear Hire & Sales (LGHS), but also complements the well-established Stenhouse branches in Queensland. Together, this creates a comprehensive customer rental offering, reinforces the group’s service capabilities in the region, and strengthens its ability to cover market gaps. By increasing cooperation, the companies can leverage their combined strengths in knowledge sharing, cross-selling, and customer service. This marks another step in the group’s ambition to extend its lifting equipment rental offering across Australia.
“This acquisition marks an important milestone in expanding our rental offering in Australia. With QRH’s strong family-owned foundation and expertise, we see clear opportunities to create positive benefits for both QRH and our existing rental businesses in Western Australia and Melbourne. Their values and long-term approach are well aligned with ours,” says Claes Fredlund, Regional Director APAC at Lifting Solutions Group.
“Joining forces with Lifting Solutions Group allows us to expand our reach and strengthen our offering to customers throughout Queensland and beyond. Together, we can continue to ensure access to quality lifting solutions backed by expert knowledge and service,” says Ben Fitzgerald, Managing Director of QRH.
This acquisition reinforces Axel Johnson International’s commitment to building a leading global platform in lifting solutions. By including QRH, the group enhances its rental capabilities and strengthens its customer value proposition with greater flexibility, broader availability, and continued dedication to innovation and sustainability.

About Lifting Solutions Group
Lifting Solutions is a global leader in lifting equipment and steel wire rope. With a presence in 19 countries, the companies within the group united combine a deep know-how and a successful history, spanning over centuries. Providing wire rope, hoists, overhead cranes, and other lifting products together with a wide range of related services, the group caters to a diverse sector, including renewable energy, industrial manufacturing, ports, construction, offshore, pulp and paper, mining, and steel. Since the group’s initial acquisition of what is now Certex in 2021, operations in Australia have expanded significantly. Today, the group stands as a nationwide provider of lifting solutions, operating through six companies across 17 locations throughout the country.
