MADE IN THE UK FLYING THE FLAG


How much do we manufacture in the UK anymore – specifically construction equipment used in the plant & tool rental sector? Quite a lot, as it turns out. In the first of a semi-regular series, we speak with Genquip Groundhog.


Peter, Ryan, Harry and the famous hog 'Daisy'. P


eter Beach is a familiar face within the hire industry, representing Genquip


Groundhog at tradeshows and events nationwide in his former capacity as sales and marketing manager. With the sad passing of Genquip MD Dennis Hughes, Peter has now taken on his friend’s responsibilities – a step up in terms of his daily duties, but not, it seems, his demeanour and the manner in which he prefers to do business. Also in attendance during my visit was Groundhog Director, Ryan Ratcliffe, son of CEO Paul and very much an example of the next generation in ascendance. With the recent launch of Groundhog’s ‘iRange’ welfare cabins, the pair are keen to emphasise the company’s environmental achievements.


There’s been a lot of talk about ‘greenwashing’ in recent months, but what is Genquip Groundhog doing in terms of sustainability?


“We’re very keen to tell the truth, so we always make it clear to customers that our eco units will run differently in the summer than the winter months,” Peter begins. “Apart from that, we engaged the University of Sheffield nearly two years ago to start looking at our carbon energy plan. Last week we had our review with our consultant Gavin, and we now have the embedded carbon number for a Groundhog GP360 Fusion Pulse. We measured every component part that comes into the factory, where it has come from, how far it has travelled and the weight of the transport. We then went through the manufacturing process and averaged out the miles to the customer. So the compete carbon footprint includes everything that’s come in, being manufactured and the delivered.”


“We didn’t really know where to start, but we knew that sustainability would increasingly be a concern for our customers and their clients. However, now we have audited one product, it makes a lot easier to look at all our others. Once we’ve done that, we’re going to audit the business as a whole,” adds Ryan.


With the new iRange utilising solar energy and making far less use of its on-board generator – which is HVO compatible, in any case – do you see any resistance from customers, who perhaps aren’t bothered about sustainability or don’t want to pay more for such equipment?


Groundhog has even grander ambitions for the new iRange cabins.


“I think resistance is the wrong word in this sector. With our new iRange you can’t even turn the generator on, as it is automatically controlled. However, generator use on our Fusion Pulse cabins has come down dramatically over the last eight years, and customer feedback has been amazing,” says Ryan. “We’re working hard on the iRange value proposition. There’s a big difference in running hours and servicing intervals between standard cabins and Fusion Pulse, but it’ accentuated again when it comes to the iRange – between March and October the generator may never run at all.”


The Trumpf TruMatic 6000 punch laser is a key compon


The iRange is technically superior to the Fusion Pulse in many ways, but will it have as long a lifespan and does this mean it is more difficult to maintain?


“We’re actually forecasting a longer lifespan for iRange cabins. They all come with a system called ‘Hogwatch’, which allows us to track them. We are also able to monitor faults and we can advise remotely if they're not being used correctly.”


“Maintenance also comes down to customer training, and this is an area where we feel we excel,” adds Peter. “We believe that if we


A computer render of the new building,


24 Executive Hire News - July/August 2023


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