HRIA Reviews 5-Year Strategic Plan
A Stronger Future For Hire: HRIA’s 5-Year Roadmap
By James Oxenham, CEO Hire and Rental Industry Association
On 24 March 2026, our HRIA Directors and leadership team came together for a one-day offsite strategy session, facilitated by Bendelta.
WE WERE WELL PREPARED, with pre-reading and one-on-one leadership interviews completed in advance. The day gave us space to focus on where we are, test our thinking, and agree a direction that was both practical and aspiring for what the hire industry needs over the next few years.
Operating in a tough environment, skills shortages, pressure on margins and political and economic uncertainty present challenges for hire companies. Technology capability varies widely across the industry, at the same time, there are genuine opportunities: digital tools and AI can lift productivity, sustainability expectations are accelerating, and hire continues to be a smart, practical choice in a resource-constrained economy.
The HRIA’s role is to help members manage challenges and take full advantage of what’s ahead. That means staying focused on long-term outcomes, rather than short-term fixes. We agreed on a set of principles that will guide our work: keep our eyes on the future, learn from others, strengthen our credibility,
and back the next generation coming through. Most importantly, we need to prioritise what matters most to members—and then deliver.
We also reaffirmed why HRIA exists: to represent, strengthen and grow the hire industry. We do that through strong advocacy, trusted standards, and practical support that helps members build capability and run safer, more effective businesses. Our members and stakeholders are diverse— from national operators to small family businesses and from frontline teams to customers and partners—but we’re united by the same goal: a strong, resilient hire industry.
Looking ahead, we tested both what “success” could look like—and what we need to avoid. In a strong future, HRIA is highly relevant, membership continues to grow, we make decisions based on good data, and the industry is widely recognised for its value and professionalism. In a weaker future, legislative change, consolidation and disengagement reduce relevance and participation. These scenarios helped sharpen our focus on what we need to do next.
The roadmap we developed is built around a few clear shifts: lifting industry awareness, strengthening the HRIA brand, deepening member engagement, sharpening our value proposition, and using data and insight to guide better decisions. We also focused on what we need to improve internally: to serve members well, streamline systems and processes, be disciplined in how we design and deliver member benefits and put member needs at the centre of our decisions.
Five priorities came through clearly: lifting capability through technology and digital tools, improving data and insight, attracting and developing talent, strengthening member relationships, and advocating strongly for hire. Across all of this sits our “Why Hire” narrative—a clear, consistent message about the economic, environmental and practical benefits of hire.
The development of our strategy, alongside Directors and industry leaders, is a clear commitment to focus on outcomes, invest in capability, and keep improving how we support the industry. Over the next few years, we’ll stay focused on priorities and report back on progress, so members can see the value in what we’re delivering. That’s the future HRIA is working towards, alongside our members, every day.
