Ashtead Group (ASHTF) is doing an excellent job in exploiting an undeveloped but fast growing business sector in the US - construction equipment rentals - and is in number one position to benefit from some positive developments in an otherwise ever weakening home market; Britain. I shall start with some background information on that weakness and lead into the important and very positive changes emerging in the northern regions there. In the US, the Ashtead name is virtually unknown but it is number two after United Rentals (URI) due to its operating company there (