Ainscough Industrial Services (AIS) is a European leader in providing comprehensive support to industrial operators across various sectors in the UK, Europe, and beyond.
As a family-owned and independent enterprise, we pride ourselves on our skilled, experienced team paired with our wholly-owned fleet of lifting equipment and vehicles. Our strategic network of locations across Europe enables us to deliver a wide range of services tailored to meet the unique requirements of industrial businesses.
Our heritage
With a rich 45-year heritage in the industrial services industry, AIS Group is driven by ambition and vision. Our success is underpinned by a robust operational framework, strong leadership, and core values that shape our company culture and guide our actions.
Our legacy began in 1976 when the Ainscough family founded an industrial services company. This was followed by the inception of Ainscough Crane Hire in 1982, which was later sold in 2008, following the formation of Ainscough Engineering Services in 2001. In 2005, Ainscough Engineering acquired Vanguard Industrial Ltd, which traded as Pickfords-Vanguard in the UK, creating the then Ainscough Vanguard who is today known as AIS Vanguard.
The 2009 acquisition of AIS Vanguard brought new investment and growth, which led to the establishment of the AIS Group as a holding company in 2013, paving the way for further acquisitions and joint ventures. AIS Wind Energy joined the group in 2019, and AIS EURELO was formed in 2020 through a joint venture with EURELO Tech, a pan-European industrial services specialist. More recently, VIG Industrial Relocation joined the portfolio.
Our companies
For more than 40 years, AIS Vanguard has been a trusted name in industrial engineering, providing national and international heavy lifting and transport solutions.
The company serves diverse sectors, with services including machinery installation and removal, mechanical and electrical services, technical and heavy lifting, and CDM and project management, regardless of project size.
With nationwide branches, AIS Vanguard offers local expertise supported by national resources and international experience. From single equipment moves to complex factory relocations, AIS Vanguard is renowned across aerospace, automotive, petrochemicals, energy, pharmaceuticals, OEM, food and drink, general manufacturing, and logistics.
AIS Wind Energy excels in hazardous environments, specialising in lifting, logistics, and maintenance services tailored to the wind energy sector. The company aims to optimise efficiency, minimise risk, and prevent unscheduled downtime.
Experts support the wind energy sector at every stage of the delivery chain with a flexible and safety-focused approach. Comprehensive services are designed to meet the specific needs of each project, ensuring reliability and accountability for wind turbine manufacturers, energy companies, and various contractors and consultants.
Services include heavy, technical, and complex lifting, transportation and logistics, maintenance, repairs, servicing, and wind turbine installation.
AIS EURELO is a partnership between Ainscough Industrial Services and EURELO Tech, specialists in complex international equipment relocations.
Serving a diverse range of industries, including automotive, food and drink, energy, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, and OEMs, the company offers a safe, reliable, and cost-effective service for moving industrial equipment globally. With ten locations across the UK and Europe, EURELO supports customers in Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Slovenia, and beyond.
Specialists handle everything from national to global asset movements, providing project planning, implementation, and even storage for unused machinery awaiting redeployment, sale, or disposal.
VIG specialises in complex process and manufacturing machinery, electrical installation services, turnkey relocation projects, heavy machinery lifts, including factory relocations, and moving precision engineering equipment and sensitive process plants.
The business was acquired by AIS Group in 2024 and will continue to operate as a standalone business under the AIS Group umbrella. With the help of AIS’ more extensive asset base, sector expertise, and group infrastructure, VIG will continue to deliver its usual service to customers.
For more information on Ainscough Industrial Services and any of our companies, get in touch via businesssupport@ainscoughindustrial.co.uk or call 01257 441 111.