eventually be looking for a tenant whose activity
Oxford represents Artisan’s sixth depot.
complemented their business. We visited the trading estate site and were similarly impressed. The location
was perfect, positioned between Cheltenham and Gloucester, had great motorway links, and the estate was occupied by businesses like aerospace contractors, utilities and tradesmen who would hire equipment,” said Chris.
Staverton opened its doors in early April last year, “ahead of schedule because people had seen us moving in and wanted to hire from us,” said Jason King. “As the building was brand new, we had a blank canvas to work with and tailored it to our requirements. A mezzanine floor has been added for storage and we have bought new equipment for the fleet, such as Pramac petrol generators, Thwaites 1 tonne Hi-Tip dumpers, Red Band power floats and Niftylift trailer-mounted booms. However, we do not regard equipment as ‘belonging’ to any one depot, and we move it between locations to wherever it is needed.” Depot Manager at Staverton is Alistair Palmer, who was previously with HSS.
No sooner had Artisan begun contemplating opening Staverton, than the decision was made to establish another depot in Oxford, particularly as one of the people principally behind the recommendation was Chris’ father, Roger, who is still a Director of Artisan. Roger Comer, and Mick Batten (who still works at the Bristol depot) were amongst the founders of Action Plant Hire, in whose Swindon depot Chris first worked in hire. “My father is normally very cautious, so when he suggested we should also open in Oxford, it reinforced our belief that it was the right thing to do,” said Chris.
Artisan’s transport fleet includes five KFS Plant & Go vehicles.
“We found a great site on a trading estate in Botley, on the Swindon side of
45
Oxford, again with excellent road connections. It has 3,000ft2
of
space plus a mezzanine floor, and there are many ‘trade counter’ type businesses around us bringing potential customers virtually to our door.” Oxford opened in mid-October last year, with Depot Manager Tony Wood transferring from Artisan’s Swindon branch. Throughout its six locations, the company now employs 25 full-time and three part-time staff.
Continued fleet investment
Artisan continues to develop its fleet, with other recent purchases including Atlas Copco compressors, Husqvarna K760 cut-off saws, Ox Group diamond blades and PPE, GenSet 6kVA and 10.5kVA diesel generators, and Fairport hydraulic breakers. The company also augments its TowerLight lighting tower fleet by using MHM Plant’s re-hire service, ensuring it has additional equipment available without committing capital resources. “We enjoy dealing with suppliers who understand hire and provide quality equipment,” said Chris. “We are always wary of cheap machines from unknown brands.”
Reflecting its expansion, Artisan has also bought another KFS Plant & Go vehicle, its fifth. It has a low 560mm deck height to facilitate loading. “It is ideal for the kind of equipment we offer, as it can carry loads of up to 1600kg,” said Jason. “It also means we do not have to tow trailers, and anyone with a standard licence can drive it.”
Niftylift trailer-mounted booms have been added to the fleet to meet customer demand.
Artisan first saw the vehicle during a visit to the Executive Hire Show, which Chris describes as “a great way of seeing new products and making contact with suppliers.You also meet other independents and swap ideas - it is like having additional eyes and ears. And we always look out for worthwhile Show-only deals.”
More growth can be expected at Artisan. Indeed, two more locations have already been identified, bringing the company nearer to the original target of ten. “As long as the national hirers concentrate on targeting national contractors, there will be more opportunities for independent hirers like us,” said Chris. “In many ways, the independent’s time is now.”
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www.artisanhire.co.uk
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