Company & Hire News


BPT Announces Hunt As New Boss Birchwood Price Tools has unveiled Matt Hunt as its new Managing Director. Matt , 42, has joined the Nottingham-based


workwear, tools and site equipment business from Rexel, where he was MD for electrical wholesalers WF Senate. His arrival will signal a new focus and direction


for BPT’s market-leading brands Scruffs workwear, Defender lighting and power distribution, Van Vault security solutions and Rhino heating, cooling and drying. The new boss is already investing in customer and end user insight to help him shape the look and


feel of BPT’s ranges and service proposition going forward, in order to provide a complete solution to merchants and retailers. Matt has a strong retail and merchant background, having previously worked at


Saint Gobain for its Gibbs & Dandy brand, and intends to bring this knowledge of merchanting and retailing needs to the supplier side, in his new role, to make BPT brands and products a ‘must stock’. One of his first actions has been to introduce a multi-brand CRM system to


BPT for the first time, to capture customer data across all the ranges in the one place. He insists this will be the first of many innovations introduced under his reign. 2017 will also see Matt spearhead the opening of a brand and innovation room


at the BPT headquarters in Nottingham, to enable new product ranges, merchandising techniques and promotional solutions to be showcased to customers as they’re developed. Matt says: “I’ve worked with many suppliers over the years, so I know what


great looks like and the value they can add to the performance of a category. “I’ve met all the staff here already and can see there is a vibrant, young, diverse


workforce at BPT. We have some of the best brands and product ranges on the market - now I want us to be brilliant at what we’re currently good at. That means making our brands even better. “What excites me is the potential to make a material impact - the big, game-


changing stuff. We are known for our innovation and what sparks innovation is knowing customer needs and spotting the gap. “I want to get the basics right and foster a culture of empowerment among all


the staff that drives this creativity and best practice, not just in product development but the whole customer experience. “I’d like us to be easy to do business with and fun to do business with. The


brands all have great personality and I’m keen to build on that. “Being part of the Travis Perkins group is also very important to me, with the


values of the group aligning very closely to my own way of living and working. I place a lot of store in authenticity, family values, treating customers well and making decent returns.” Matt lives in Stratford Upon Avon with wife Sharon and their two daughters.


Away from work, he is a keen golfer and rugby union and football fan. Birchwood Price Tools, part of Travis Perkins plc, has more than 40 years


experience of designing, developing and selling its own brand products to the trade. It is available in all the UK’s leading builders’ merchants, retailers, wholesalers and more than 8,000 independents. Its ranges are also available online. New products planned for 2017 include a new range of Defender LED lights, new Van Vault security containers and new Scruffs footwear and workwear.


Paul Morgan joins DART as Supply


Chain Manager A very welcome addition to the DART Team is a new Supply Chain Manager. Paul Morgan joins DART with a wealth of experience in managing the supply chain – an integral role for any business. Paul will be managing the supplier


relationships and tracking product shipments with manufacturers, controlling stock forecasting to ensure efficient turnaround and monitoring of stock to minimise out-of-stock items. Overall, Paul’s role is to manage the distribution process and to ensure that goods are in the DART warehouse as and when required – meaning that stock control in DART is efficient and runs smoothly.


26 ToolBUSINESS+HIRE


First excavator –


First Volvo for Grenco Ltd Grenco Ltd, ‘Constructors of Exclusive Homes’ based at Bideford, North Devon, has purchased its very first excavator in the shape of a nine-tonne, reduced-swing- radius Volvo ECR88D for its bespoke building projects. The machine has been supplied by Volvo’s utility dealer for the south west of England, Plant & Engineering Services. The ECR88D was chosen following a demonstration arranged with the Volvo


dealer earlier in the year. “We had reached a point where we had to stop and consider how often we were having to hire-in machines to carry out basic groundwork.” explains James Lott, son of Grenco Ltd’s proprietor David Lott. “The reality is, it was costing a good deal of money. Coupled to the fact that we couldn’t always hire a machine when it was needed, we decided enough was enough, and took the decision to buy one for ourselves,” he continues. The ECR88 Plus has a comfortable, spacious cab with a wide, uncluttered floor.


The instrument panel provides operators with at-a-glance monitoring of all key functions, and operator fatigue is reduced through easy-grip, high response joystick control levers. The rubber-mounted cab reduces whole-body vibration and external noise, whilst air-conditioning with well positioned vents is a standard feature. And since making the decision to purchase the machine the family run business


has been extremely pleased with its decision. “It certainly does everything we ask of it, and, so far, we’re delighted with every aspect of it.” says James Lott. “Not only that, we’ve developed a good relationship with Plant and Engineering Services, who seem to go the extra mile to help us.” For further information visit www.volvoce.co.uk


Shortlisted for Excellence Morris Site Machinery are pleased to have been shortlisted in two categories for the Hire Awards of Excellence 2017. The leading onsite-equipment manufacturer entered two awards: Website of


the Year and Best Use of New Media. 2016 saw the company embark on a digital journey that led an evolution of its


online presence through the development of a robust digital strategy, focused on raising the standards and quality of information available to the national hire industry and step-changing their methods and level of engagement with the industry. The strategy saw greater creativity and integration of social media into their


campaign through Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, online blogs and e-shots, along with the evolution of video content to build rapport with their existing customers, grow business and connect with new customers at home and overseas. Chris Morris, CEO and MD of Morris Site Machinery, said: “Innovation, quality


and raising standards are central to the Morris Site Machinery philosophy, along with consistently improving how customers can interact and work with us, and new media is a key channel in helping us achieve this.” The Hire Awards of Excellence


acknowledge the successes of hirers and suppliers, along with the individuals who set the standard. The Awards could be classed as the most sought after accolade within the plant, tool, equipment and event hire industries. The winners of each category will be


announced at the Hire Awards of Excellence taking place on Saturday 22nd April at Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane, London.


www.toolbusiness.co.uk


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