000845 - Griffiths Hire Shops 26/8/09 13:46 Page 2
“We own our premises and our equipment, and we continually refresh smaller
and upgrade the hire fleet. In fact, we believe we are more builders
responsive than larger, national chains because we can make fast hiring cut-off
decisions. If a customer wants a piece of equipment we do not have, saws,
then we can authorise its purchase immediately.” compaction
plates and
Comprehensive fleet
the like.
“We now have a very solid operation geared to meet local needs.”
Griffiths Hire Shops, which employs 30 staff across its three Indeed, many tradesmen currently are extremely busy. We also deal
locations, offers a comprehensive fleet of tools, equipment and with homeowners, farmers, local councils and utilities. Many new
compact plant. Its Takeuchi and Kubota mini excavators are popular, customers come to us following word-of-mouth recommendations.
comprising sub-1 tonne machines up to 3 tonne. “A lot of customers Both Paul and I work on the counter, with me usually based at
say they like the Takeuchis because of their smooth operation and Oswestry and Paul at Wrexham. We do not believe in sitting out of
simple controls,” said Paul. “We also have Ausa dumpers, which have sight behind a desk. We are hands-on, talking to customers. A builder
proved to be very reliable. Other recent additions include more might be working in a cellar all morning, and when he comes to hire
Timberwolf chippers, including two TW190FTR tracked machines. more equipment he’ll want to spend five minutes chatting. This also
They have a tremendous work rate. Low-level access equipment like gives you an opportunity to gain a clearer picture of what else he
Alto towers might require in the future.”
and podium
steps
Training facility
continues to A dedicated training facility was recently opened within the Wrexham
be popular, depot, chiefly offering access equipment training courses from IPAF
with much of and PASMA, in conjunction with a specialist provider. “Again, interest
the demand is being driven by the WAHR,” said Paul. “This is another service we
still being can offer customers, and since we pay the CITB levy, we can obtain
driven by the grant aid towards our own staff training.”
Work at
Height Griffiths Hire Shops continues to flourish despite the challenging
Regulations economic climate. “If our turnover is down, it is not by much,” said
The Whitchurch branch occupies a prime position in the town centre. (WAHR).” Kevin. “The early months of the year were quieter, but from April
business really picked up again. Overall, for us the market is strong.
The Oswestry and Whitcurch branches serve customers chiefly within Until six months ago we had competition from Brandon and HSS in
a 20 mile radius. However, Wrexham covers a wider area, with a fleet Oswestry, but their depots have closed and, for the first time in many
that includes larger powered access machinery. “Wrexham supplies years, there is no other hirer in the town. We do not set our sights on
clients as far afield as north and west Wales, Manchester and becoming a large outfit, as we think we could lose the personal
Liverpool,” said Paul. “Its fleet includes Skyjack scissor lifts, Niftylift touch. However, we have not ruled out the possibility of opening more
trailer-mounts and articulated booms. Again, in access equipment we depots in the future in the Shropshire/north Wales area.”
•
have built a good customer base that appreciates quality kit delivered
on time. Many of the machines can be used indoors for facilities
www.griffithshireshops.co.uk
maintenance, which is a good niche market.”
The company is obviously proud of its loyal customer base. “Being a
local family business, our customers have got to know us. We have a
very low turnover of staff and people know they will deal with the
same personnel each time they visit,” said Kevin. The business shows
a similar commitment to its suppliers. “We have built strong business
relationships with companies like Stihl, Makita, Hilti, ITW Paslode,
Trend, Norton and Toolpak. We choose suppliers that deliver quickly
and offer good back-up in terms of spares and service.
“Although we deal with some of the larger local construction
companies, a large proportion of our customer base comprises More Timberwolf chippers are among the latest fleet additions.
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