Our Story: Built on Distribution, Engineering Expertise and Long-Term Partnerships
HYQUIP is one of the UK’s leading independent fluid power, engineering and industrial technology businesses, combining more than five decades of industry heritage, trusted manufacturer partnerships, Growth through Distribution, practical technical expertise and a customer-focused approach. Supported by globally recognised brands and strengthened by value-added engineering capabilities, HYQUIP connects world-class hydraulic, pneumatic, automation, workholding and industrial technologies with customers across a diverse range of applications throughout the United Kingdom and international markets.
Heritage built trust.
Entrepreneurship created HYQUIP’s foundation.
When Paul Taylor and Kathy Yates established HYQUIP in 2001, they did so with a clear belief: customers deserve more than a supplier. They deserve a partner that understands their application, responds quickly, provides technically sound advice and remains accountable long after the order is placed.
Supported by industry pioneers Ed Lomax and Terry Holt, whose careers contributed to the development of the UK fluid power industry from the 1970s, HYQUIP was established as an independent, owner-managed business focused on technical expertise, responsive service and lasting customer relationships rather than short-term transactions.
HYQUIP was a new company, but it was not a new entrant to the industry.
Paul and Kathy both joined the original business in 1986, spending the following 15 years developing the product knowledge, customer relationships and commercial experience that later shaped HYQUIP. Their individual careers now span more than four decades, providing continuity across more than five decades of fluid power and industrial engineering heritage.
During this time, both have experienced significant changes in technology, customer expectations, manufacturing, supply chains and the wider industrial marketplace. That experience has shaped HYQUIP’s considered approach to growth and reinforced the principles upon which the business was founded.
Those principles continue to guide HYQUIP today.
Markets and technologies may have changed, but HYQUIP’s commitment to technical knowledge, service excellence, integrity and trusted partnership remains unchanged. The company continues to place long-term relationships ahead of short-term transactions, recognising that trust is earned through consistent performance, honest advice, technical accountability and reliable support.
This heritage has delivered more than technical knowledge. It has created a culture centred on solving problems, fulfilling commitments and helping customers improve reliability, productivity and operational performance.
The business Paul and Kathy established has since grown far beyond its original foundations. Over the last two decades, HYQUIP has developed relationships across one of the broadest and most diverse customer communities within the fluid power, workholding and industrial engineering sectors. Those relationships span independent service engineers, smaller manufacturers, tooling, jig and fixture specialists, university research teams, industry-backed research and development programmes, innovation-led businesses and emerging technology ventures, as well as design consultancies, specialist machine builders, OEMs, major manufacturers, industrial operators, trade distributors, resellers and engineering service providers supporting industry every day.
Whether supporting a sole trader engineer, a growing manufacturing business, a university-led innovation project, a specialist tooling company or a global industrial manufacturer, HYQUIP’s approach remains the same: combining technical expertise, responsive service and long-term partnership to help customers achieve their objectives.
That reach has not been created through a single contract, product range or period of rapid expansion. It has been built one enquiry, one order, one application and one relationship at a time. Collectively, these relationships represent the clearest measure of what HYQUIP has achieved: a substantial, connected and enduring presence across UK industry.
Today, HYQUIP combines that experience and market reach with a forward-looking approach to distribution, engineering, digital transformation and customer support. The business serves major manufacturers, OEMs, machine builders, systems integrators, maintenance professionals, service engineers, trade customers and industrial end users throughout the United Kingdom and international markets.
Growth through Distribution
Since HYQUIP was established, its development has been guided by a simple but effective principle: Growth through Distribution.
Distribution remains fundamental to HYQUIP’s identity, stability and long-term success.
Strong manufacturer partnerships, broad product availability, extensive application knowledge and responsive technical support have enabled HYQUIP to establish enduring relationships across a remarkable breadth of industries, organisations and engineering disciplines.
The resulting customer community is one of HYQUIP’s most significant achievements. It provides access to a wide cross-section of UK industry and creates a valuable connection between specialist product manufacturers and the engineers, maintenance teams, machine builders and industrial organisations that use their technologies.
This broad market presence helps world-leading manufacturers reach beyond a small number of major projects or high-volume accounts. It places their products, knowledge and technologies in front of a much wider industrial audience, supporting applications of every scale and generating opportunities throughout the market.
For HYQUIP, distribution provides continuity, recurring activity and commercial resilience. It creates the foundations from which the business can invest responsibly in people, stockholding, systems, technology, facilities and engineering expertise.
Rather than pursue growth through acquisition or uncontrolled expansion, HYQUIP has reinvested carefully and consistently in the capabilities needed to support customers and manufacturing partners more effectively.
What has emerged is a business of greater scale, reach and capability than its founders could reasonably have expected in 2001, while remaining recognisably true to the customer-focused principles upon which it was established.
This disciplined strategy has enabled HYQUIP to develop from a specialist fluid power distributor into a broad industrial technology, engineering and distribution business without losing sight of the activity that made that development possible.
Distribution drives market reach, product availability and recurring customer relationships. Engineering adds application knowledge, technical capability and further value. Each strengthens the other.
Distribution and Engineering: Working Together to Create Customer Value
Engineering has grown organically alongside HYQUIP’s distribution activities.
Investment has been introduced at a pace the business could support and sustain, including investment in engineers, technical specialists, workshops, service vehicles, tools, test equipment, CAD technology, training, project management and manufacturing capability.
This measured approach has allowed HYQUIP to expand the services available to customers while protecting the strength and commercial balance of its core distribution activities.
Distribution provides access to high-quality products, technical guidance, stock availability, sourcing expertise and dependable supply. Engineering extends that support through system design, manufacture, installation, commissioning, maintenance, repair, project delivery and aftermarket services.
HYQUIP’s capabilities include support for fluid power and hydraulic systems, pneumatics, automation, motion and control, hydraulic power units, filtration, workholding, high-pressure equipment, lifting technologies and wider industrial engineering applications.
The company can therefore support an individual component requirement, repeat production demand, planned maintenance, machine development or a complete engineered solution according to the needs of each customer.
This breadth is an important part of HYQUIP’s value. Customers are not directed unnecessarily towards a complex engineered solution when a product-based answer is more appropriate. Equally, when an application requires design input, integration, manufacture or technical support, the necessary engineering capability is available.
The result is a balanced and commercially responsible approach that creates value for customers, supports manufacturing partners and avoids dependence upon a small number of large projects
Expanding Choice Without Compromising Quality
No single manufacturer can provide every product required across the full breadth of modern industrial applications.
As customer requirements have evolved, HYQUIP has introduced a carefully selected portfolio of complementary own-brand products. These ranges are intended to support HYQUIP’s global manufacturing partnerships, not displace them.
They help address gaps between established partner portfolios, extend product choice, support availability and provide practical alternatives where the application and customer requirement make them appropriate.
This approach allows HYQUIP to combine products from globally recognised manufacturers with complementary own-brand products, technical support and application expertise through a single trusted source. Customers benefit from wider choice, consolidated supply and access to a broader range of products and technologies without compromising quality, suitability or technical accountability.
The result is a genuine single-source capability across fluid power, hydraulics, pneumatics, automation, motion control, filtration, workholding, high-pressure equipment, industrial components, product supply and engineered systems.
It is not simply the breadth of the portfolio that differentiates HYQUIP. It is the knowledge required to select, apply and support the right combination of products for each application.
Investing in People, Systems and Capability
HYQUIP’s values remain consistent, but the organisation continues to evolve.
Long-term progress has been supported by continued investment in people, systems, technology and processes. These investments remain central to the company’s plans for sustainable growth.
HYQUIP continues to develop its employees through technical training, leadership development, product knowledge, operational experience and opportunities to accept greater responsibility.
The business also continues to strengthen its operational and digital infrastructure through investment in SAP Business One, enterprise resource planning, web and API connectivity, e-commerce, data management, systems integration, cybersecurity and process improvement.
These technologies are not treated as isolated IT projects. They form part of a connected business infrastructure designed to improve visibility, consistency, scalability and the overall customer experience.
Better systems support better decisions. Effective processes improve responsiveness. Accurate and connected data helps employees serve customers more efficiently and enables manufacturing partners to reach the market more effectively.
Technology does not replace knowledge, relationships or personal accountability. It gives capable people stronger tools with which to deliver them.
The company’s approach remains practical: invest responsibly, integrate carefully and ensure that each improvement contributes to a more efficient, resilient and customer-focused organisation.
Global Partnerships. Independent Expertise.
HYQUIP’s reputation has been developed through long-standing relationships with many of the world’s most respected fluid power, automation, workholding and industrial technology manufacturers.
Key partner brands include Aventics, Bosch Rexroth, Carr Lane, Enerpac, Hengst, Heypac, HYDAC, miniBOOSTER and Roemheld. Together with their associated brands, specialist technologies and complementary product ranges, these partnerships give HYQUIP access to an extensive portfolio of market-leading industrial products, components and technologies.
The portfolio encompasses hydraulics, pneumatics, electric drive and control technologies, linear motion, industrial automation, filtration, fluid management, hydraulic tools, controlled lifting, high-pressure intensification, clamping, workholding, jig and fixture components, production tooling and industrial components that support productivity, repeatability and efficiency across manufacturing, assembly, testing, maintenance and automation applications.
HYQUIP’s responsibility extends beyond supplying these products. The business helps manufacturing partners reach a broad and varied industrial audience through product knowledge, technical support, market coverage, digital commerce and established customer relationships.
The breadth of this reach is particularly important. It enables partner technologies to be presented, specified and supplied across an extensive range of customers and applications, from everyday maintenance requirements to original equipment, production machinery and engineered systems.
For customers, these partnerships provide access to globally recognised technologies supported by an independent engineering and distribution business with the application knowledge, technical expertise, stockholding capability and commercial experience to help identify the most appropriate solution.
HYQUIP’s independence allows the business to take a broader and more practical view of each application. Rather than being tied to a single manufacturer, HYQUIP can draw upon leading technologies, application expertise, stock availability and decades of experience to recommend the solution that best fits the customer’s technical, operational and commercial priorities.
Experience Shared Across the Organisation
As HYQUIP approaches both its 25th anniversary and more than five decades of industry heritage, the business is entering the next phase of its development.
The strength of HYQUIP today extends well beyond its founders. Across engineering, technical sales, operations, procurement, finance, digital commerce, project delivery and customer support, the business benefits from an experienced management team and skilled specialists whose knowledge, judgement and commitment continue to drive the organisation forward.
Over the coming years, continued investment in leadership development, succession planning and organisational capability will further strengthen the management team’s role in shaping HYQUIP’s future. This evolution reflects the knowledge, experience and commitment developed throughout the organisation, and the confidence placed in the people who will help lead its next stage of growth.
Paul Taylor and Kathy Yates continue to lead the business, working closely with HYQUIP’s management and leadership team across customer relationships, supplier partnerships, strategic initiatives and the long-term direction of the company, while ensuring the next generation of leaders has the tools, knowledge and support required to succeed.
By combining experienced leadership, strong governance and an empowered management team, HYQUIP is building a sustainable organisation designed to support future generations of employees, customers, suppliers and stakeholders.
Building a Future-Ready Engineering and Distribution Business
Industrial markets continue to change.
Supply chains are being reshaped, digital connectivity is influencing buying behaviour, and customers expect faster access to accurate product information, technical support and reliable supply.
At the same time, manufacturers and industrial operators face continuing pressure to improve productivity, increase equipment reliability, manage costs and reduce operational risk.
HYQUIP is well positioned to respond to these challenges through the breadth of its customer relationships, the strength of its manufacturing partnerships, its established distribution infrastructure and the balanced combination of engineering, digital and operational capability it has developed.
Its extensive customer reach helps manufacturing partners bring products and technologies to a broad industrial market. Its engineering knowledge supports effective product selection, application and integration, while continued investment in people, systems, technology and processes provides the infrastructure needed to deliver these capabilities consistently, efficiently and at scale.
The objective is not to replace the principles that have served HYQUIP well. It is to preserve and strengthen those principles while ensuring the organisation remains relevant, resilient and capable of supporting customers and partners long into the future.
- Skilled people and management capability
- Strategic manufacturing partnerships
- Stockholding and distribution infrastructure
- Product and application knowledge
- Engineering expertise and workshop capability
- SAP Business One and connected ERP systems
- Web, e-commerce and API integration
- Data quality and digital accessibility
- Efficient, scalable business processes
- Customer service and technical support
- HYQUIP own-brand and complementary product ranges
The Next Chapter: People, Partnerships and Technology Driving HYQUIP Forward
HYQUIP enters its next phase with the benefit of more than five decades of industry heritage, approximately four decades of individual experience from both Paul Taylor and Kathy Yates, and 25 years of development as an independent business.
That experience is strengthened by an accomplished management team, skilled employees, an extensive and diverse customer community and relationships with globally recognised manufacturing partners.
What began in 2001 with a small team, entrepreneurial conviction and a commitment to doing the right thing for customers has developed into a substantial and widely connected industrial business. Its success can be seen not only in the breadth of products and services it provides, but in the thousands of relationships built throughout the company’s history, the manufacturing partners it represents and the people whose knowledge now carries the business forward.
That success deserves to be recognised, but it does not create complacency. It creates responsibility: to protect what has been built, to continue earning customer trust and to ensure HYQUIP remains stronger, more capable and better positioned for future generations of employees, customers, suppliers and stakeholders.
Our Mission
To help customers improve reliability, productivity and performance through trusted partnerships, world-class products and technologies, responsive distribution, practical application expertise and engineering support.
HYQUIP will continue to develop by combining the commercial reach and resilience of distribution with the knowledge and differentiation created by engineering.
We will continue to connect manufacturing partners with the wider industrial market.
We will continue to invest in the people, partnerships, systems, technologies and processes required to serve that market effectively.
Our Founding Belief
Above all, HYQUIP will continue to honour the principle upon which the business was established: customers deserve more than a supplier. They deserve a partner that understands their application, provides access to the right products and technologies, delivers expert advice and responsive support, and remains accountable long after the order is placed.
Frequently Asked Questions About HYQUIP
What does HYQUIP do?
HYQUIP supplies and supports fluid power, engineering and industrial technology products for customers throughout the United Kingdom and international markets. The business combines distribution, technical product knowledge, stockholding, application support and engineering capability to help customers improve reliability, productivity and performance.
What product areas does HYQUIP specialise in?
HYQUIP works across hydraulics, pneumatics, automation, motion control, filtration, fluid management, workholding, high-pressure equipment, controlled lifting, production tooling and industrial components. These products are supported by technical advice, application knowledge and access to recognised manufacturing partners.
Which manufacturer brands does HYQUIP work with?
HYQUIP works with globally recognised manufacturing partners including Aventics, Bosch Rexroth, Carr Lane, Enerpac, Hengst, Heypac, HYDAC, miniBOOSTER and Roemheld, together with associated brands, specialist technologies and complementary product ranges.
Why choose HYQUIP as a fluid power and engineering partner?
Customers choose HYQUIP because the business combines technical expertise, responsive distribution, stockholding capability, application knowledge, engineering support and long-term accountability. HYQUIP aims to provide more than product supply by helping customers identify solutions that fit their technical, operational and commercial requirements.
Is HYQUIP only a distributor?
No. Distribution remains central to HYQUIP’s identity and strength, but the business also provides engineering support, system design, manufacture, installation, commissioning, maintenance, repair, project delivery and aftermarket services where required. This allows HYQUIP to support both individual product requirements and more complete engineered solutions.
Does HYQUIP provide engineered systems as well as components?
Yes. HYQUIP can support individual component supply, repeat production requirements, machine development, planned maintenance and complete engineered solutions. The business recommends the most appropriate route according to the application, rather than directing customers towards unnecessary complexity.
How is HYQUIP investing for the future?
HYQUIP continues to invest in people, leadership development, management capability, SAP Business One, connected ERP systems, web and API integration, e-commerce, data quality, cybersecurity and process improvement. These investments are intended to strengthen customer service, operational resilience, scalability and long-term business performance.
What makes HYQUIP different?
HYQUIP combines long-standing industry heritage, recognised manufacturer partnerships, application judgement, stockholding and distribution capability, practical engineering expertise and a customer-first approach. This allows the business to support a wide range of customers while remaining focused on technical accountability, service and long-term relationships.
Where does HYQUIP operate?
HYQUIP serves customers throughout the United Kingdom and international markets. Its customer base includes service engineers, trade customers, manufacturers, OEMs, machine builders, systems integrators, maintenance teams, industrial operators and engineering organisations.
Who leads HYQUIP?
HYQUIP continues to be led by Paul Taylor and Kathy Yates, who established the business in 2001 after developing their industry experience from 1986 within the original business. They work closely with HYQUIP’s management and leadership team to support customers, supplier partnerships, strategic initiatives and the long-term direction of the company.