FLYING HIGH Change and growth is afoot at Eagle Plant Hire. Keep up with the latest developments at
www.eagleplanthire.co.uk
utilisation,” says Commercial Director John Cummings. “Would I buy any more? Yes, because we have a large order in place for next year. However, we have recently been concentrating on kit that brings a better return on capital.”
Eagle has established a substantial profile now. Are there any downsides to that?
“I’d worked with Colin Inglis for six months, helping to reshape his business before we bought into it,” says John. “I remember saying to him that once we raised the profile, which is what we’ve done really well, we’d be on everybody’s radar. That might make us fair game for pot-shots, but I’m very proud of that.”
I’m a fan of the phrase you use, ‘We make it happen’, which is very confidence-inspiring. But is it more than just a slogan?
“We’d like to take the credit for that, but it was suggested by the guy who looks after our IT and website, and it stuck,” explains Iain. “We want to take the hassle out of every enquiry – our clients can know that whenever they pick the phone up they can rest assured that it’s dealt with by experienced staff who know what they’re talking about. Just leave it with us, and we’ll sort it.”
The site survey depot is a relatively recent addition. How did this come about, how well is it doing and how is it resourced?
“We were looking for a clean trades business, and this was the easiest to set up, as our existing customers were keen on this service,” says John. It took us a long time to
find this site in Baillieston, but it’s run by four – headed up by our Operations Director, Gary Reynolds with three staff – and it’s generating a five figure turnover every week.”
Has this expansion given you the appetite to explore other specialisms or locations?
“We’re certainly looking to expand our fleet, and add to our depots, simply because we are running out of storage space at the this location,” says Iain. “We’ve been looking to find new premises for the last 18 months. However, we have found a five-acre site on the M8 corridor. This would allow us to expand into access and welfare equipment, which is a natural fit with what we do.”
I’ve got to ask about electric machinery. It’s all very well for certain projects, but do you see much demand for battery-powered plant?
“It’s not something we really get asked for – I’m not going to invest in a market that could potentially cost us our name,” says Iain.
“I think that electric plant machinery will succeed eventually, but we’re a good five years away from that happening – the battery technology is still miles away,” adds Douglas.
Others have certainly said the same. Wrapping up, then – what does the year ahead hold for the company?
“We can compete on a local level, and I think we’ll do that very well, but we will extend our product range into powered access and welfare, we'll open up another greenfield site, we’re going to develop the
Eagle Plant Hire - Profile
Looking after the numbers, Hazel Stark and Claire Inglis.
site survey business and I’d be disappointed if we hadn’t moved into new premises by the end of 2023,” says Iain.
“That’s where we’re taking the company, but we’re looking to double our business over the next five years – and then the same again,” adds Douglas, with Iain nodding in assent. “We base our projections on where we are right now, also looking at slightly different markets and providing a full service for our clients in Scotland.”
double our business over the next five years – and then the same again
‘‘
And that strident goal is where we leave it. Eagle certainly has the experience, the spirit and the wherewithal to achieve it – a memorable brand message too. My thanks to Iain, who I finally tracked down at the Glasgow Roadshow, and to John and Douglas for taking time out of their day and a highly enjoyable visit. n
’’ …we’re looking to
A selection of equipment in the Eagle Yard. Slightly unusual to see the large cable reels behind the mini dumpers.
January/February 2023 - Executive Hire News 23
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86
