Acquisition

Ashtead Group PLC
9 October 2000


                 ASHTEAD GROUP PLC ACQUIRES RESPONSE RENTALS
                                      
                                      
                                      
Ashtead  Group  plc  ('Ashtead'),  the  international  equipment  outsourcing
company,  announces that it has acquired the business and assets of  Response
Rentals, an environmental equipment hire business based in North America, for
$5.8m  (£4m) cash.  Response Rentals, which supplies environmental  test  and
measurement  equipment,  will be integrated with  Ashtead  Technology,  which
rents survey and inspection equipment primarily to the oil and gas industry.

Response  Rentals operates from four branches across North America  supplying
portable  instruments  to  environmental  scientists,  consulting  engineers,
safety  managers and industrial hygienists. The two thousand strong  customer
base  includes  companies in the petrochemical, pharmaceutical, biotechnology
and   semi-conductor   industries,  manufacturing  companies   and   academic
institutions.  In the year to 31 December 1999 earnings before  interest  tax
depreciation  and  amortisation (EBITDA) were $1.8m (£1.25m),  and  operating
profit  was  $1.35m (£0.9m) on turnover of $3.35m (£2.3m).  Ashtead  acquires
the business debt free.  The price represents a multiple of 3.2 x EBITDA.

Commenting on the announcement, Peter Lewis, Chairman of the Group, said:

'Environmental concerns are driving strong growth in the rental of monitoring
equipment.  Response Rentals is a leading US supplier to this market, with  a
broad  product  range and extensive customer base.  Its skills and  expertise
will  translate  well  to Ashtead Technology sites in Houston,  Aberdeen  and
Singapore.   There  will  also  be  a  significant  opportunity  for  Ashtead
Technology to reach a much wider market for its traditional products  through
the  newly  acquired sites, and for Sunbelt, our principal  business  in  the
U.S.,  to  cross  sell complementary specialist products to  Response  Rental
customers.'



For further information:

Peter Lewis         Chairman - Ashtead            )    01372 362300
George Burnett      Chief Executive - Ashtead     )

Andrew Grant        Tulchan Communications        )    020 7353 4200
Nigel Fairbrass     Tulchan Communications        )