000815 - Hirers Snapshot 2 26/6/09 14:37 Page 2
9 Derek Coleman (right), MD, and Bryn Gaw, 10 Paul Fairhall (left), Director, and Steve Uragallo
Manager, Cotswold Tool & Plant Hire, (right), Owner of LTS Powered Access, Beckton, with
Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire Youngman’s Peter Terrell
“
We honestly can’t complain about the level of business at the No two days are the same at the moment. One day it’s quiet and the next the
moment. Overall it might be a bit quieter, but some days we have two phone rings off the hook, with everyone wanting kit instantly. Overall, however,
of our six staff out on the road constantly delivering and collecting
“
there is a lot of work going on. London never sleeps. The number of flats and
equipment. People are upgrading their homes with patios and houses being built may have fallen, but existing buildings have to be maintained.
extensions, while country estates near us are renovating cottages as The amount of shop, supermarket and office refits and refurbishments also brings
holiday lettings. Our customer base also includes quarry managers, regular business, and turnover remains steady.
farmers, small builders and tradesmen.
Demand is steady for items across the board, from Youngman Boss
towers and Makita power tools, to our Cormidi tracked dumpers.
We also have 18 mini excavators up to 3 tonne, which are always
popular. It all comes down to offering good products and excellent
service. We have a dedicated team and we will not let people down.
We quote accurate delivery times and we’ll get equipment to people
on a Sunday in an emergency.
”
LTS Powered Access was formed four years ago as a sister company to
London Tower Service, which supplies aluminium towers, podium steps and the
like. We have 224 powered machines in the LTS fleet, chiefly comprising scissor
lifts and boom lifts. We recently added four Youngman Boss X3 compact battery
powered scissor lifts, with four more scheduled for delivery later this month.
We already have 30 Pop-Up platforms, but the Boss X3 gives a greater working
height of 4.55m.
Several national hirers regularly crosshire from us because we have such a large
fleet, and being so close to the centre of London we can make several delivery
drops quickly. We are flexible and offer good service. For example, much of our
11 Martin Sturgess, The Island Hire Centre, business comes from contractors working at night on the Underground,
Newport, Isle of Wight
and equipment has to be delivered at 12am and collected at 4am.
“
Like on the mainland, the construction market on the island is very ”
slow and a lot of sites have been mothballed. However, we have been
established for 31 years and have an extensive list of regular customers
12
such as small builders and tradesmen. We are on first name terms with
Peter Cockram, MD, HS Hire & Sales, Teignmouth
them and understand what they need. We also do well selling power
tools and we are a Hitachi main distributor.
Garden and grounds care machines have proved popular. Although “
Business is patchy, busy one day and quiet the next. However, our customers
chiefly comprise small builders and tradesmen, who still have work on. We also
serve non-construction markets such as managers of events and local shows, so
last summer was wet, it was mild and the grass kept growing, creating
we don’t have our eggs in one basket. Overall, I am remaining positive and when
demand for the Hayter lawnmowers that we sell and hire, as well as
the upturn comes I believe we will all be stronger. The current difficulties will
stump grinders from The Hire Supply Company and Hitachi long-reach
highlight the good hirers and suppliers, and ‘cowboy’ tradesmen will move to
pole saws. We attended the Executive Hire Show this year and in 2008,
industries other than construction. The closed sites must eventually re-open and
and it is important to keep informed about the latest equipment and
equipment will be needed.
potential new suppliers. Last year we made contact with Abnix,
We also operate a builders merchant activity here, offering bagged materials
who we later commissioned to design our web site.
and the like. We compete with two other, larger merchants on the same estate,
Looking ahead, the economic situation may have reached a plateau.
but we often win business because we can deliver to site within an hour, while they
An estate agent friend says he is valuing properties at prices higher
have to quote for the next day. It’s all a question of good service. I’m also being
than 12 months ago and that enquiries are picking up. The country as a
careful to replace old machines or equipment that we might sell from the hire fleet.
whole just needs something that gives people confidence.
”
I recently replaced two of our Bobcat mini excavators with similar models. It is
important to keep the fleet in good condition because when the recovery gets
under way, customers will demand reliable equipment.
”
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