MARKET REPORT CONCRETE LAYING, CUTTING & FINISHING
Opening up opportunities
The Hire Supply Company has successfully introduced a line-up of concreting equipment that is allowing hirers to serve this important market. Alan Guthrie reports from its Nottinghamshire HQ.
The ongoing strength of the house building industry is reflected in the growing sales of Weber concreting machinery. Models from the German manufacturer’s line-up were introduced into this country 18 months ago by the Hire Supply Company (HSC) which reports that more and more hirers are adding the products to their fleets.
“We are constantly looking for new markets to explore,” said HSC MD Gary McWilliam. “Weber made contact with us at the Executive Hire Show last year, as we had been recommended to them as a potential distributor of their products, and we went over to their headquarters in Bad Laasphe, approximately 60 miles north of Frankfurt. Established 60 years ago, they offer a wide range of concrete laying equipment and we became the UK distributor for several of its machines that we believe are best suited to the market in this country.
“Weber products won’t be the cheapest but we use the term ‘reassuringly expensive’ to describe them because they are built to do a job properly and to withstand the rigours of hire, with low vibration. Our Group Sales Manager Steve McKenzie and his team are receiving a lot of feedback from hirers who have bought one machine to evaluate it and are now coming back for more because their customers like them so much.”
The Weber CF2 compaction has an operating width of 45cm.
The range from HSC comprises the CF1 and CF2 compaction plates that are 40cm and 45cm wide respectively, the CR3 reversible plate (45cm wide) which is available with a water sprinkler system
for use on asphalt, and the SRV620 trench rammer. Also available is the SRV300 rammer which has a narrow foot for work associated with installing fibre optic cables and similar applications.
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“The light concrete compaction market is obviously a significant one and we estimate that sales of plates represent 40% of it,” said Gary McWilliam. “Sales of single direction plates are driven largely by the house building market, while reversible models are used by civil engineering contractors and utilities. We are also working closely with Weber to develop a new 36cm plate which will appeal to a large slice of the market. We expect this will be available early next year. All Weber products are backed by a three-year warranty for hire industry use.”
The SRV620 rammer has a 280mm-wide base plate.
HSC has also introduced a number of concrete finishing products made by the American manufacturer, Bon Tool Company. These include a Fresno brush kit, Big Blue kit, a magnesium bull float kit, anodised aluminium handles and a worm-gear adjustable bracket for smooth movement when a tilting action is required.
“Again, these products are targeted at a significant UK market and demand tends to be less seasonal than, say, the garden machinery sector, so this gives hirers a longer window of opportunity. The Weber and Bon products have opened up a new market for us and are adding more customers steadily.”
In terms of future developments at HSC, the company is planning to launch at least two new products at the Executive Hire Show next February. One will be an addition to its site electrical equipment portfolio and the other will be in its site lighting line-up. The company is also further developing its internet presence to enable customers to order from the ranges of both HSC and its sister operation MSC (machinery, spares and consumables) at the same time, so that hirers can buy equipment and parts they may need in one operation for greater efficiency. Gary McWilliam also tells EHN that there should be more significant news from HSC early next year.
• 0115 946 1988
www.hscuk.co.uk
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