FIRST AID Get in touch with the team and find out more about the company at
www.oldhamhirecentre.co.uk
Well, that’s what you might call a storied career. How were you making deliveries in those early days?
“Deborah’s grandfather had an old Mini, which we used for delivering gas bottles – two or three at a time, as any more would have been a struggle. Then we got a Mark 1 Astra van with a roof rack on it. We fitted trestles down the sides, so you couldn’t open the passenger door.”
“We got a VW Caddy after that,” adds Ian. “It was only a half-tonner and we physically bent it by overloading it!”
Workshop Manager Ian is not part of the family but has been a key member of staff since the beginning. “I was just 17 when I started in August 1987, and James was born in October,” he explains.
“He knows my dad better than I do – he’s certainly seen more of him!” quips James. “Ian also looks after the hire desk, answers the phones, deals with customers, makes sales and he’s probably among the best fitters out there. He takes care of all our repair work, and there’s not many people around with his sort of skillset.”
Quite so! Moving on, who are your customers locally?
“It’s a 70/30 mix of account and cash customers,” says Neil. “We tend do a lot with small builders and one-man outfits – you can’t touch the big companies these days, but we’re comfortable in our catchment area of Greater Manchester.”
“We also get quite a lot of new customers now,” adds James. “One of the first things I did after I’d joined was to update our website and improve our search engine optimisation.
‘‘
If you Google ‘plate compactor Oldham’ we rank quite highly – it’s really helped.”
Effective SEO is certainly a route to improved online trade. With that and the balance of customers in mind, what are your most popular hire items?
It’s mostly the smaller tools and construction machinery – plate compactors, Belle mixers, breakers and 12” cut-off saws. We also do well with our Prop Pals, Acrows and scaffold towers,” says James.
The company website mentions that you carry over 150 hire items. Is there much demand for electric machinery?
“Interest is definitely increasing” says Neil. We’ve built up a cordless gardening range, and it seems that sooner or later most equipment will be battery powered. However, there’s no legislation insisting that we can’t use diesel and petrol-powered products just yet.”
James, you’re pretty much as old as the company but you only joined it relatively recently. What’s your story?
“I left university in 2010 with a degree in architecture. There were too many graduates and too few jobs, so I went to work in a timber frame company. They went into administration, so I went labouring for a building company, which is now one of our customers. Then I got offered a job in IT project management in the south of France. I thought it would be a three-month internship, but I ended up working there for five years. I came home and worked as a finance manager at a friend’s restaurant and bar group in Saddleworth. Lockdown hit the hospitality sector hard, and I was offered redundancy. I’d always helped mum and dad
…for the first time in my
life, I’m not working on Saturday mornings
’’ Oldham Hire Centre enjoys a prominent position on a busy thoroughfare.
Oldham Hire Centre - Profile
The shop is not large, but it is well stocked.
out, and they were getting inundated with the new work they were getting – which is how I ended up here.”
James has more of a hand in running the depot nowadays, with Neil and Deborah coming in at least a couple of days a week. With more responsibility on your plate, what are your ambitions for the business?
“One of the first things I wanted to improve was our online and social presence, and this is where most of our new customers come from. I have also invested in new equipment, so the machinery we send out looks good and is not breaking down on site.
Mobile towers do well with local customers.
“I want to grow the business now. I want this place to realise its full potential, then I want to open a second depot – perhaps in the Colne Valley area, which has got a lot of trade nearby. There’s no strict timetable for this, but I’ve already thought of the name and the logo.”
Lastly, Neil, you’ve built this place up from scratch, are you ready to pass the torch on?
“I’m 68 now, working two and half days a week, and, for the first time in my life, I’m not working on Saturday mornings. James has really taken to the hire sector, but he’s got the right instincts and he spends money well. The business is in safe hands.”
“I definitely like to spend money!” concludes James. n
September 2023 - Executive Hire News 19
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