Previously area manager for the north east for tool and equipment hire company, Brandon Hire Limited, Knowles managed the development of a network of branches to maximise profitability, whilst also sustaining the highest level of customer service.

As part of his new role, Knowles will be working to increase access on ready-to-rent vehicles across the regions, as well as improved utilisation and building on customer satisfaction across the branch network. 

He commented: ‘Northgate has a unique offering; the principle of hire is relatively simple but we are able to draw on the resource we have due to our national scale, and filter this down to the regions to provide quality service at a local level. It is this offering that I plan to strengthen across Scotland. With the support of the fantastic area teams and the strategy that’s in place, I am more than confident that this will be achieved moving forward.’

Northgate has branches in Glasgow, Aberdeen, Stirling and Edinburgh.