Contract to Supply Equipment to Birse

Ashtead Group PLC
2 May 2000


             ASHTEAD TO BECOME RENTAL EQUIPMENT SUPPLIER TO BIRSE
                                       
                                       
Ashtead  Group  plc - the leading UK and US equipment outsourcer  -  announced
today  that  it  has won the contract to become the sole supplier  of  general
plant and related equipment to the nationwide construction activities of Birse
Group  for  the  next  40  months. As part of this arrangement,  Ashtead  will
purchase the non-operated equipment rental divisions of Birse Group PLC for  a
cash consideration of £1.65m (subject to completion of stock-take).

The  acquired businesses hire plant to the industrial and construction sectors
and  have  assets with a net book value of £1.65 million.  In the year  to  30
April  1999,  the businesses produced an EBITDA of £591,000 on sales  of  £2.0
million.

Commenting on the acquisition, Ashtead's Chairman Peter Lewis said:

'An  important facet of this purchase is that we will become the sole supplier
of  plant  to  Birse for the next 40 months.  Such an agreement  typifies  the
longer-term partnering arrangements that we are seeking, and winning, with our
clients both in the UK and US'.






Peter Lewis, Chairman
George Burnett, Chief Executive
Ashtead Group plc              Tel: [phone]

Tim Spratt / Tania Wild
Financial Dynamics             Tel: [phone]