EXECUTIVE REPORT
Discovering Area 51
Heading out for Rocket Rentals’ new premises in Gloucestershire certainly provided a sense of adventure, since the first line of the address is ‘Area 51’, a deliberate and light-hearted reference to the United States Air Force’s highly classified and remote testing facility in the Nevada desert. It certainly reflects the company’s rural setting near the quiet village of Slimbridge, which also hosts a wildlife reserve, although I found that access is excellent, as the building lies on a newly improved main road with direct links to the M5.
“The address is really just a bit of fun, and I like to think it reflects the friendly way we do business. We have actually registered the Area 51 name at the Post Office as an official location,” MD Simon Tomblin told EHN. “The new building is radically different from our previous site, which is less than a mile away but was on a farm and access could be difficult at times.”
Rocket Rentals has grown steadily since its foundation in 2003, initially offering excavators, dumpers and other plant, and adding
The new premises are on a two-acre site.
Rocket Rentals has recently moved to new premises and has broadened its operation by introducing a tool hire activity. Alan Guthrie visited its impressive purpose-built facility.
more equipment to meet demand, such as compact machines, telescopic handlers and powered access. Indeed, a dedicated Rocket Platforms activity was introduced last year, and the latest initiative is Rocket Tool Hire. All this made larger premises a necessity.
The two-storey building occupies a two-acre site that was formerly a sawmill. “I used to drive past it every day and I always thought it would make a fantastic hire depot. One day in 2014 it came up for sale and we bought it as quickly as we could. We were able to start reconstruction in May 2016, completing the work last November. We managed the project ourselves.
Simon Tomblin, left, and Jonathan Charles at the new hire counter.
“Demolishing the old buildings gave us a blank canvas to start with, and we have tried to get
everything just the way we want it, with new drainage and retention interceptors, two wash bays, solar panels on the roof and five dedicated service areas. We have offices and a training room, underfloor heating throughout, showering facilities for fitters and a canteen. There is no kettle: we have a tap for instant boiling water so it is easy to make, say, a dozen cups of tea for the team in one go.
“We used local supplies and tradesmen. The architect lives close by, the steel erectors are two miles up the road, and the further contractor was the electric gates supplier from the Forest of Dean. One day, these professionals could be our customers and it is important to support local businesses. Also, there is a builders’ merchant directly opposite which generates more trade for both of us. We obviously drew on our own hire plant and equipment for most of the work, buying additional items like pumps, generators and power floats that were not in our core fleet. These have now been added to the new Rocket Tool Hire offering, which the larger site has enabled us to introduce.”
Rocket Tool Hire was officially launched in February. 17
Rocket Tool Hire currently has a counter and stores in the main building, but approval has just been given for a dedicated building to accommodate it near the site entrance, which is planned for construction within the next two years. Tool Hire Manager, Jonathan Charles, has been busy building the fleet, which includes tools and
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