TWIN PEAKS Find out more about JPS Platforms and Group Services at www.jpshire.co.uk


automatic start-stop, live telematics and GPS. They are also noticeably larger, at 2480mm wide and 2800mm in height, which is a more comfortable configuration that is unique and exclusive to JPS. They use less diesel than a standard cabin and cost less to run. I would love to see a fleet of over 300.”


And what about the access fleet – any changes there? JPS Platforms MD John Young fields the question:


“We run everything from 3.5m up to 22m with our largest booms and scissor lifts. We tend to top out there, just to keep the fleet nice and compact, and we find that our customers are looking for this kind of fleet profile. There’s definitely a move towards non-powered access products, and this will be on our radar in the long term. However, we have just bought a 22m Dingli electric rough terrain scissor.”


It’s an impressive unit, as I later discovered. What other brands are in the access fleet?


“We have traditionally gone with Skjack because of the support, the reliability and the easy maintenance. We also have JLG mast booms and Niftylift hybrid lifts. We tend to use Dingli for the micro scissors, but also for 16 metre platforms and above. The build quality is fantastic and we have around 50 Dingli machines in the fleet.”


Aside from non-standard cabins, a growing access fleet and the expanded senior team, has the wider JPS headcount flourished too?


“We will have 54 staff next month, but we have grown the workforce by 55 percent since we bought the business. With further


JPS Hire - Profile


JPS offers scissor lifts and platforms of many sizes, from small mast lifts to 22m scissors and booms.


growth to come, we saw that certain departments needed restructuring and extra hands on deck,” explains Lee.


JPS was already well established prior to acquisition, although it is not without substantial competitors regionally. How do you differentiate the business?


“We are really keen to position ourselves as a technically innovative company,” says Adam. “I think there is an opportunity for forward-thinking companies that want to invest in solar technology, cutting edge and efficient equipment, such as our welfare cabins and the electrified fleet. Other businesses might compete on similar lines, but we would like to be at the forefront of that.”


There is no public-facing hire counter at JPS, so what sort of customers do you have?


“We have a diverse customer base – from people making films, to dry-liners, steel erectors, building firms, interior finishing companies and air conditioning contractors. You’d be surprised where we go, but we tend to target mid-sized commercial customers, which gives us a good mix and means that we are not over exposed,” says John.


JPS is beginning to move into welfare cabins, although theirs are somewhat larger than standard.


Sustainability is increasingly


important, particularly for customers working within London, where many JPS Platforms clients are based. Do you have any kind of policy in this regard?


“An ‘eco audit’ is on our radar, but our immediate focus is really how we support our customers with their sustainability initiatives,” says Adam. “They might be used to certain items of equipment, but if there is a modern alternative that is more fuel efficient or environmentally beneficial, it’s our job to make them aware of that.”


‘‘ Our intention was to find


a business that we could scale, as well as introduce new product lines


Well, fair enough. Last question, then. JPS is the first acquisition for UK Hire Group, but how do you see the business developing in future?


’’


“We’re keen to expand geographically, of course, but nothing we can announce at the moment,” says Adam. “We embrace new technologies where they are of benefit to our customers. The construction sector is at a digitisation tipping point and UK Hire Group is perfectly placed to advise customers on the most suitable solutions in our key areas of expertise – communicating the benefits and driving this change alongside manufacturers.”


And that’s where we leave it. A tour of the yard and a memorable ride in the new 22m Dingli followed. I was very much left with the impression of a thriving hire business and a parent company that has the focus to realise its growth ambitions. I look forward to further developments, and I’m quite sure there will be plenty of those. n


May 2023 - Executive Hire News 29


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