Each month ROJ goes ‘on tour’ visiting UROC members to fi nd out just what makes them tick. T is issue ROJ meets with T e Hawes Group, based in High Wycombe which has exciting plans for growth in 2018!
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stablished in 1973 as a small haulage fi rm with just a Ford
D Series Tipper, Roy and Dorothy Hawes have since expanded the business substantially with more growth in sight.
Originally, Roy was just hiring himself out to contractors as an owner driver. T en, in 1980 Hawes Plant, Tool & Skip Hire opened as a plant and skip delivery depot just outside of High Wycombe.
T e skip hire business started when Roy spotted an opportunity for a reliable and speedy skip hire service in the local area.
From having a second hand skip lorry and 10 x 6 yard skips there was a period of organic growth boosted substantially in 2004 when Hawes took over one of the local skip hire fi rms. Roy says: “Our skip business has also seen consistent growth which we put down to excellent customer service and we are now running 13 skip lorries and two roll-on-off vehicles.”
remaining waste material being sold on for production of RDF/SRF. However, there are some signifi cant plans for change in 2018.
“T ere isn’t the same value in the material the skips bring in that there used to be, so our plan is to increase the volume of material we bring in and fi nd a better grade of material that has more value” explains Mr Hawes.
“T e material markets fl uctuate so much, and it can be out of our control; look at the current situation with China for example. So, while we have to be aware of this volatility, it doesn’t mean that we should stop our plans for growth.”
INVESTMENT
With growth comes investment. Hawes has planning permission in place to double the size of its tipping shed. With this additional space, they have some big plans including investment in new equipment.
By the middle of this year, they will be shredding and baling their own waste, as well as investing in a brand new drying belt to reduce the weight of the waste.
A big change came in 2010 when the company moved its business to a two acre purpose-built site on the Cressex Industrial Estate, allowing it to start processing up to 75,000 tonnes of waste per annum.
DEVELOPMENT
T e company currently uses a mix of local and national companies to sell on its recyclables, with the
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Roy explains, “We also will be adding a biomass boiler, utilising some of the waste wood we bring in, as well as heating our offi ces. All these additions, will not only mean we will get more value from the materials we bring in, but we will be more effi cient too”.
BETTER MATERIAL
Roy’s plans don’t stop there: “We’re not at capacity yet, but we plan to get there this year, we have added to our sales team which should bring in more material, as well as investing in an REL to bring in a better quality of material.” Roy goes on to say, “there’s potential business in the area that we’re not dealing with, for example, we’re located on an industrial estate and want to off er local businesses a collection service, which would mean we get a better grade of material attracting better value.”
FUTURE
2018 will be a big year for the company, which has already come a long way in the last 44 years! T at stability and success is championed by Roy who remains rational in his approach to growing the business. He emphasises: “We are still a family business and hold fi rm to our roots, priding ourselves on service and continuity with our customers. But we are not scared to invest for the future as we recognise the need to stay at the forefront of industry changes and processes.”
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