Newcastle-based Nixon Hire has announced a change in leadership, with chief operating officer Brian Cornett replacing Graham Nixon as chief executive.
The handover takes effect on 1st August 2025.
Graham Nixon took over the family business from his father John Nixon in 2005. In 2021 he sold a chunk of the business to by Pricoa Private Capital. He has since reshaped Nixon Hire from a generalist hire company into a specialist focused on site accommodation. As part of this transition, the company sold its large plant business in 2024 and most recently announced the sale of its welfare van business.
Graham Nixon, now 53, is relocating overseas as part of a long-planned family move. He will remain a non-executive director of the business.
Brian Cornett joined Nixon Hire in May 2024 having previously been UK operations director at Cross Rental Services and, before that, co-founder of Speedy Hire鈥檚 Power Division.
The 2024 financial results for John Nixon Limited also announced recently showed turnover increasing by 8.6% to 拢108.3m (2023: 拢99.6m) and operating profit increasing by 6.3% to 拢7.8m (2023: 拢7.4m).
Graham Nixon said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 been an incredible privilege to lead Nixon Hire and to build on the legacy my father began. The company has been a huge part of my life since I first started out in the depot at the age of 16, and I鈥檓 proud of how far we鈥檝e come 鈥� especially the way we鈥檝e adapted and evolved to reflect customer needs resulting in stronger growth over time.
鈥淲hat鈥檚 made the journey so special are the people I鈥檝e worked alongside, many of whom have had careers in the business spanning several decades. Nixon Hire has always been about people 鈥� colleagues, customers and business partners. I鈥檓 incredibly grateful for the support, dedication, and friendships I鈥檝e built along the way, many of which I know I鈥檒l have for life.
鈥淲ith Nixon Hire in a strong financial, market and leadership position and a wealth of opportunity ahead, now feels like the right time to hand over the reins and begin a new chapter abroad with my family. I鈥檒l remain involved as a non-executive director and look forward to supporting Brian and the wider team as we continue to pursue our ambition to become the UK鈥檚 leading experts in sustainable sites.鈥�
Brian Cornett said: 鈥淭hanks to clear strategic direction, forward thinking and a shared belief in our vision, Nixon Hire is fast becoming the go-to partner for sustainable site solutions nationwide. We鈥檙e building something genuinely exciting for our customers and our people, and I鈥檓 honoured to step into the role of CEO to help carry that momentum forward. We have a hugely talented team, and I look forward to working closely with them as we enhance our capabilities, grow market share and deliver ever greater value for customers.鈥�
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