EXECUTIVE REPORT
View from the Bridge
Alan Guthrie travels to the The business has traded from the same high street location since its foundation in 1982. island of Anglesey to see the successful independent Menai Tool Hire.
Visitors travelling to Menai Tool Hire cannot fail to be impressed by the magnificent Thomas Telford-designed Menai Bridge, the 417m-long structure that links Anglesey to the Welsh mainland via the A5 trunk road. The hire company impresses in its own way, having achieved nearly 30 years of successful trading from the same high street location near the centre of the town, and it still follows the essential hire business model of serving local homeowners and small tradesmen.
“Menai Tool hire was established in 1982 by my late father,” said Partner Paul Green. “His career background was working worldwide as a mechanical engineer with Costain, but he eventually decided to start a hire business. He bought the shop here and a basic equipment fleet, and was quickly successful, eventually purchasing the premises next door to expand.” The operation is still very much a family affair, with Paul’s wife Gwen and his two sons, Will and Huw, also involved in running the business.
“Some local competitors over the years have targeted larger contractors, but we have always focused on local builders, tradesmen and DIY customers, maintaining an approachable, helpful attitude and a visible high street presence.We would not want to move to a site like a business park because we would lose passing trade and it would be alien to our way of working. Many people call in to ask our
advice about equipment for a particular task and they know that we are always here to help them in any way we can.
“We offer a broad range of contractors’ tools and equipment, with popular items ranging from Makita breakers, Camon rotavators and Honda strimmers, to Timberwolf shredders and Brendon pressure washers. Our HireTech sanders are in demand as there are many traditional properties in our area with wood flooring.We also offer consumables like Rustins surface finishes and Toolpak drill bits and PPE, but we do not sell machinery as such.We want to retain our tool hire focus, concentrating on proven brands that customers like.” The client base is spread over a large area, typically extending from Holyhead in the north west of Anglesey, to Caernarfon in the south and eastwards to Llandudno.
Recent fleet additions include HiLyte aluminium towers from Lyte Industries. “We researched what was available on the market before going to the Executive Hire Show in February,” said Paul. “We saw the Lyte system there, and we were impressed by the colour coding of the braces that makes it easier for customers to assemble them. Overall, we got a lot out of our visit to the Show. The exhibition allows you to see and touch the latest equipment, and to get reacquainted with key suppliers, as well as making contact with potential new ones.
“We were able to look at other equipment that we were considering for the fleet, such as hydraulic breakers,” said Will Green, who joined the business seven years ago. “We could directly compare products from the different manufacturers.We also saw other air tools like scabblers and needle guns, which are in demand from local people renovating properties and refurbishing old fireplaces and other metalwork. There is certainly business out there if you knuckle down and work hard.”
With its established equipment fleet and a loyal customer base, Menai Tool Hire certainly remains positive about the future. “Trading conditions are tougher for everyone, but as an independent you can adapt more easily,” said Paul. “And as we are in a location far from the major cities, we tend to avoid the boom/bust business cycles.We have a sound business model and we can expand when the time is right.”
The Menai Tool Hire team: from left, Paul, Huw and Will Green. 7 01248 714950
•
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