‘THE INDUSTRY IS YOUNG, THE FUTURE IS EXCITING’
HIRE NEWS IN THE 1970s
IN THE LAYOUT STYLE OF THE LAUNCH ISSUE IN DECEMBER 1971, ROBERT APLIN TAKES A LOOK BACK ON THE EARLY ISSUES OF HIRE NEWS.
The first issue of Hire News was published in December 1971, which, in itself was a brave starting point. In that launch issue, the Editor set out to ‘define what, at this time, we mean by tool and equipment hire. What sections of the total hire market should this magazine embrace? Clearly we do not wish to include the very large contractors plant, television, aircraft computers (whatever they were?), or even cars and trucks. Builder and industrial tools, tools and equipment for the householder and gardening equipment are the main categories of hiring equipment with which we shall be concerning ourselves.’
That same introductory article argues ‘the industry is young, the future is exciting and we look forward to sharing that future with you.’
The hire industry was actually founded by the legendary John Rogers of Hire Technicians, who first opened his half a hire shop for business on Wembley High Road on Saturday 12 March 1955 to offer electric power tools for hire. John Rogers’ role in developing our industry was of vital importance.
John actually provided office space within Hire Technicians for the original publishers to start Hire News, which obviously helped him secure his own ‘Hire Talk’ column in the magazine! He opened his column, ‘the arrival of this first issue of Hire News marks the coming of age of the British Tool and Equipment Hire business’ and his prophetic conclusion was ‘the potential of our trade is enormous, there is yet room for hundreds of newcomers and virtually unlimited opportunities for expansion by existing concerns.’
Hirex announced
Such was the success of its early issues, that by its seventh issue in October 1972, Hire News announced that Hirex, ‘the first national exhibition and conference on tool, plant and equipment hire’ would be held on 27 and 28 February and 1 March 1973 at Syon Park in Brentford.
‘As the pace of expansion in our industry becomes ever faster and the range and variety of equipment offered grows ever wider, the need for a more personal and collective ‘meeting-
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ground’ for hire operators and manufacturers becomes more obvious. Hirex has been conceived to provide that ‘meeting- ground’. An exhibition where both groups can meet, talk, argue and work together to the benefit of hire.’
All this serves as a
reminder that, in creating
the Executive Hire Show in 2006 and delivering it in 2007 for the first time, we have turned the clock back 34 years in order to move forward. The current Executive Hire Team owes a huge debt of thanks to these 1970’s pioneers.
Founding Hire Association
By the January 1973 issue, John Rogers, in his column, talked of the need to establish a hire association. During that first Hirex, the Hire Association Europe was founded, with John becoming its first Chairman. In his final Hire Talk column of 1973, he stated, ‘although the Committee and myself have been impatient to get the Association working and doing things, it is correct to get the foundations right from the start. It is not just an organisation for a few dozen UK tool hire concerns we are forming, but an organisation for Europe which during the next decade may possibly count its membership in thousands.’ Full membership was £20 plus £5 for each extra branch, up to a maximum subscription of £65.
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