A green ‘approved’ adhesive PAT
test certificate label is attached to every machine before each hire.
to the specialist nature of some of the machinery, and the distances often covered, along with providing a ‘set-up and show’ service .
“Our website is effectively our catalogue. We don’t need one as customers are usually looking for a solution rather than a specific item, and we have pop-up chat boxes on the site to interact with them. This also works on the mobile-friendly version. We don’t cold-call people and we don’t poach other hirers’ business. In fact, many other national and independent hirers re-hire from us: we only want their custom and not their customers. Overall, we must add half a dozen new customers every week. This is achieved without any sales force or sales reps, just the information of who we are, where we are and what we do.”
perhaps, consider putting on extra delivery shifts to support the needs of our customers who work late into the night. It’s simply a case of working out how best to get the equipment to the customer.”
Overall, the surface preparation market remains strong. “Set concrete is not like Plasticine and it often has to be corrected. We supply items for use on floors, walls and ceilings across the UK, and it remains true that, ‘if you fail to prepare your surface, then prepare for your surface to fail’. There is no magic paint or coating that can be applied without some form of initial surface preparation being required. And it is our dedication to hire of core rental products that keeps us in front.”
Diverse range of equipment Equipment is carefully segregated in the service area.
The company has also invested in a high-definition CCTV system at Dudley for security and personnel safety. The cameras are so powerful that they can be used to monitor stock and to check for availability remotely. Again, this is cloned to all other sites and can be accessed via company mobile phones.
Flexible access to data
All data is controlled via a cloud facility from Canadian software provider, Orion and its Sirius E system, reducing the amount of IT hardware at the depots. “It also gives us the ability to work from anywhere if we had to, having easy flexible access to the data,” said Nick Forbes. “All our vehicles are tracked using a system from Plant-I, and we are going to trial new functions including on-board cameras. Even the vans are modern enclosed Peugeot L3H2 models with bi-folding ramps to make it easy for loading and unloading, while protecting the items from the elements that can cause damage to certain electrical components.”
Search engine optimisation (SEO) is used to ensure WH Surface Preparation’s name appears high on the results list when someone is looking for products. “Again, this allows us to see where demand s coming from geographically. We also have other local telephone codes for areas of potential expansion, including Scotland and Southampton, to name just a few. We could open more depots or,
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The WH Surface Preparation fleet comprises kit from various specialist suppliers such as SPE, Trelawny, Husqvarna and Wolff, as well as a surprisingly large range of items for related tasks involving processes such as mixing, blasting, sanding, cutting, polishing and scrubbing/sweeping. These include Baron forced action mixers, Makinex mixing stations and breaker trolleys, a large range of 3-phase/415V electric floor saws that cut up to 330mm, a large range of scrubber/driers, as well as ancillary items such as 5kVA transformers, 110V 32A 4mm heavy duty cables, and more than two hundred 3-phase 415V extension cables. “We are constantly looking for new core items and items to complement the support of customers’ requirements, such as the new range of Makinex compact generators.”
Nick Forbes points out that another positive factor is that new construction projects represent only a small proportion of business opportunities. “We also hire equipment for factory refurbishment, home extensions, shop renovation, commercial premises being rebuilt, road maintenance and the overall scope is considerable.” Given its positive outlook and its embracing of technological efficiencies, it will be interesting to see where the company grows next.
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www.wh-surfacepreparation.co.uk
The fleet includes a diverse range of specialist machinery.
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