MUNICIPAL HIRE
Striking a deal: (L-R) Richard Taylor from Dennis Eagle, Gulliver’s Neil Jeremiah and Philippe Harding, and Jonathon Thomas from Dennis Eagle
Gulliver’s: 50 years in the business
No compromise on quality and service – hire firm Gulliver’s has built half a century of successful trading on these principles, as Mike Gerber finds out
depots. It continues to run its affairs on the same sound principles on which it was founded by Gabe Harding, who still takes an active role as chairman while son Philippe is managing director.
G
Sales director Neil Jeremiah explains: “We’re not the cheap- est in the business, we like to think we’re the Marks & Spencers of the municipal hire industry, and we don’t under- sell. We’ve seen businesses that have been underselling over the past 12 months disappear.” Gulliver’s has recently added 20 new Dennis Eagle refuse collection vehicles to its near 3000-strong general and munic- ipal fleet. Fifteen of these are 26 tonne narrow-bodied RCVs for areas with restricted access, while five are standard-width Twin Packs with a split 70/30 body, all fitted with Otto triple lifts for simultaneous lifting of recyclables and general waste.
28 Local Authority Waste & Recycling October 2010
ulliver’s, the family-run truck hire firm, is 50 this year and in robust health despite the recession. During a year that has seen major competitors go under, Gulliver’s is investing extensively in new vehicles and
In all, Gulliver’s has ordered some 72 new Dennis vehicles this year, and is looking at ordering 15-tonners with other manufacturers. “We’re already starting to put a plan in for similar orders for next year,” says Jeremiah. The company operates out of eight locations: its Bristol homebase, Cardiff, Newport, Gloucester, Exeter, Thatcham, Tamworth and Airdrie, with new sites planned in Manchester. Municipal clients include local authorities countrywide and several of the largest waste management companies.
Successful trading “We’ve been very successful trading over the past couple of years and we’re in a position to fund and finance equipment that puts us ahead of some of our competitors who’ve been underselling, and as a result have fallen over,” Jeremiah points out. He clarifies what he means by underselling. “Because there has been an oversupply [of vehicles] in our industry for the past two or three years, businesses [in] striving to utilise their vehicles, the first thing they do is discount prices. “That’s not the way to do it. Service will suffer, repair and
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48