ONE of the UK’s leading managed hire services for equipment, tools and temporary accommodation has had a change of name.

Fareham-based business Nationwide Hire has become WowNow Hire.

The company has 82 staff at its head office on Delta Business Park, with 9,000 sites across the UK, Ireland and Europe.

It says the WowNow name reflects its focus on choice and service as well as its same-day or last-minute delivery.

It is also tied with its future aspirations and distinguishes the brand from many others using Nationwide in their name, the business says.

Chief executive Jonathan Holley said: “Changing our name makes perfect sense.

“We still cover the entire United Kingdom and the new name amplifies what we are all about, our WowNow DNA.

“Our ongoing business development includes digital transformation that will bring the benefits of digital services to our customers and suppliers.

“Access to all our products and personal support is now just a fast click away at wownowhire.co.uk, order updates are more frequent, more information is available and the accounts process is being further streamlined,” Mr Holley added.

WowNow Hire offers five million items of equipment in five main product areas – powered access, plant, tools, temporary accommodation and waste services.

It was established 26 years ago to meet demand from shopfitters for help with hire in different and unfamiliar locations.

The business was headquartered on Fareham’s West Street until it outgrew the premises in 2018.

It then bought Delta House on Delta Business Park and renamed it Howard Piper House in honour of the company’s late founder, who was absent from the business through illness in 2015 and subsequently died.

The company was taken over in a £15million management buyout in October 2019, backed by private equity firm Livingbridge, Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank.

The deal enabled the company to develop an online customer acquisition system and fund the development of a new technology platform.

It underwent a rebranding last year, introducing the WowNow Hire logos.