NORTHERN EXPOSURE Steve and the family team were very welcoming. See the full range and hear from happy customers at www.northerntoolhire.co.uk


FIND OUT MORE www.executivehirenews.co.uk/trelawny


I notice that if you read left to right on your website, you list repairs before hire and sales. Perhaps that’s just incidental, but how does the business break down in three areas?


“I’d say it’s around 60% skewed towards hire, while sales accounts for between 20 and 25%, and the rest in repairs,” says Steve.


Your main power tool and groundscare brands are evident in the shop, but what else is in the fleet?


“We have one and a half, and three tonne Cat and Kubota excavators, one tonne and tracked dumpers, tracked chippers from Timberwolf and Greenmech, and Niftylift platforms. Prop Pal is a great product and we buy beam lifters and other equipment from the Hire Supply Company. We don’t have larger machinery because it all needs to fit on our wagon. In terms of hire, we probably do best with the diggers and the BoSS scaffold towers.”


Your daughter brought me a cuppa earlier, but she isn’t the only family member working at the company. Who else is here?


“My wife is the financial director – semi-retired now – you just met my daughter and my daughter-in-law also works here. Meanwhile, my son’s already a better salesman than me, one of my nephews is in the back and the other’s a driver. In fact, the only people working here who aren’t connected are our two fitters. They were farmers by trade, and they can fix absolutely everything.”


Difficult to see here, but the Northern Tool Hire warehouse is larger than you might imagine.


That’s the local business covered, so how did you end up in Lanzarote?


“I travelled the world in the army, including Australia, New Zealand, the Far East and South America – it’s a great way to develop a broad outlook on life. We had a planned holiday in Bali cancelled and the agent suggested Lanzarote instead, and I booked it. We’ve been going for nine years now, so in the end we bought a villa and I spend several months a year there now.”


And what are the challenges of operating a business remotely?


“It’s a lot easier with the internet, but I have the right people in place making sure that we don’t have any problems. My son has been with the company since he was twelve and I think he runs it even better than me. He’s 37 and he’s the MD – he’s producing some great figures. However, if I get the 5.55am flight I can get here faster than it would take me to travel to London.”


“I’m moving closer to retirement now. I don’t really want to, though, as this is my baby.”


You were in the Royal Engineers before Lanzarote or any suggestion of hire entered the picture. How do you think this might have influenced the way you operate?


“I joined the army at 16. It helped to turn me from being an absolute waster into what I am today. The army teaches you problem- solving without any fuss, so we always plan ahead – planning works and it means that we’re never caught out and everybody’s happy.


“The army also teaches you respect, so I try to get on with all customers, whoever they are. I like to roost about the shop whenever I’m here. That’s what they call me – the Rooster!”


That’s not bad as far as nicknames go – and I’ve certainly had a few. Lastly, then, Northern Tool Hire is a larger on the inside than it looks on the outside, but do you have any plans to expand the premises or relocate?


“A few years ago I was thinking about a ‘hire city’, where you could hire absolutely everything under one roof, but I’m already busy enough at this depot. I used to have another shop in Glossop, but the logistical problems made it unworkable – the roads are even worse now.


Northern Tool Hire recently became a Stihl dealership.


“In terms of realising my ambitions, I’ve got it with this place. More shops mean more problems, but I’ve got control here, my systems work, we’re diversifying and I’m very happy with what I’ve got. I see myself stepping aside in the longer term – I’ve done my bit and it’s time for the younger generation to come through with their fresh ideas. At the moment, however, life’s good! n


Northern Tool Hire - Profile


June 2022 - Executive Hire News 39


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