European refrigerated rental giant Petit Forestier Group has acquired UK-based Freezerent for an undisclosed sum.

Freezerent was founded in 2005 by Lee Dorward and has a fleet of 600 light refrigerated vehicles

The acquisition supports Petit Forestier’s external growth strategy and strengthens its position in the UK.

Founded in 2005 by Lee Dorward and based near Birmingham, Freezerent specialises in short-, medium- and long-term rentals of light refrigerated vehicles with a fleet now numbering 600.

Its customer base includes players in the food manufacturing, food distribution, and pharmaceutical industries.

Petit Forestier Group, a family-owned company chaired by Léonard Forestier, said the two firms had a shared focus on high-quality tailored services and strong customer relationships.

Léonard Forestier said Freezerent was “an entrepreneurial success story whose values align with those of Petit Forestier Group”.

He added: “We are delighted to welcome Freezerent’s team and continue customer service as well as the development of our activities in the region of Birmingham, thereby consolidating our presence in the UK.”

The group also reaffirmed its ambition to become the world leader in sustainable refrigerated rental. It’s present in more than 20 countries with some 5,600 employees and 80,000 refrigerated vehicles.

Lee Dorward commented: “We are delighted to join Petit Forestier Group and continue our development by maintaining the key factors of our success through building excellent customer trading relationships and the quality of our service to our clients.”