Warren Access - Profile
“Van-mounted access platforms were just taking off and we thought they were a great idea. It is a self-contained unit that can carry all the tools and personnel you need for working at height. So, we took a chance and bought two in 1993, putting them out on long term hire with Sunderland City Council, and that was how it all started.”
Derek ran the business with their assistance before handing over to Graeme and Michelle in 2005, although he only fully retired recently, aged 80. Derek is a true gentleman, has always had a love of people and wanting to help them. He has always understood that people buy from people and valued those long-term relationships, which is the foundation on which Warren Access was built.”
While vehicle-mounted booms still remain a key weapon in their problem-solving arsenal, tracked booms – often called spider lifts - are also part of the mix. “Spider lifts have really come to the fore in recent years,” says Graeme. “They are very compact, lightweight and low ground pressure, with good working envelopes. They can fit into gaps too small for a vehicle mount and with weight restrictions too low for a normal boom lift.”
The hire fleet also includes some scissors, mast booms and standard booms, but the mainstay remains operated hire. “It is a big enough niche for us,” says Graeme. “A lot of companies are not interested in the difficult jobs or in hiring out a machine with an operator. We provide the machine, the man to operate it, the traffic management and all the relevant permits. All the client has to do is provide the person who needs to work at height and we get them to where they need to be.”
Where the magic happens - the team in the Warren Access office, busy as usual.
“The key is building long term relationships,” adds Michelle. “You have to make your clients feel so looked after that they never want to go anywhere else.”
Part of that value-add is more in-depth site surveys and reports. “Some companies offer quite rough and ready site surveys”, says Graeme. “You might get a handful of site photos, some estimated measurements and a recommendation of the right machine. We go much further than that and produce mini reports which our clients find really useful – particularly when it is a challenging work at height problem which means the solution is more expensive. Our documents help explain why we’ve recommended a particular way of working at height.”
While they are a family-run business, strength in depth comes from membership of the Access Alliance. This network of independent hire companies ensures all its regional members have nationwide coverage and can benefit from cross hiring each other’s equipment. Michelle has only just stepped down after chairing the organisation for two years through covid.
Like most businesses, the pandemic provided some challenges as well as opportunities for Warren Access. The last element of its business to come back was training and this has changed dramatically. Before the pandemic, almost all industry training was face-to-face and conducted by IPAF, PASMA and CITB-accredited training centres like Warren Access. The pandemic accelerated the transition to online training replacing the classroom, however trainees still need to pass a practical test by operating an access platform.
Warren Access also provides IPAF training. “Generally people do the theory online and
come to us for the practical,” says Michelle. “This has benefited us and our revenue from training is as strong as ever. For example, in the past the trainee numbers were restricted by IPAF to four people per day. Now we can do 12 practical tests per day, so it is working out in our favour. We are also doing more PASMA training due to the continued focus on health and safety.”
looked after that they never want to go anywhere else
‘‘
The company takes safety very seriously. “We won’t let a machine go out of the door if we know the person operating it doesn’t have the right IPAF training,” says Graeme. “It isn’t a legal requirement, so you could go and get a machine elsewhere if you don’t have your IPAF qualifications. But you won’t get one from Warren Access.
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“Our success has been based on our niche as a specialist rather than a volume shifter. A competitor might have a thousand scissor lifts, so if you want ten scissor lifts, go see them. That’s not our business model. We are much more of a problem-solver, that is the element I enjoy the most. Over the years we have crystallised that as our USP. We offer a full service - so you come to us with the problem and we solve it.
“We’re not interested in the high volume, low margin work that is the bread and butter of some of the larger players in the region. We’re not in the business of selling penny chews, we sell Ferrero Rocher.” n
You have to make your clients feel so
October 2022 - Executive Hire News 21
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