MARKET REPORT POWER GENERATION & GREEN ENERGY
The quiet Inmesol 115 RN in front of Flying Hire’s new training facility.
Really Flying
Flying Hire Events has moved to an impressive two-acre site in Lincolnshire and is introducing a training operation. Alan Guthrie finds out all the details.
When Joint Managing Directors Lindsay and Joe Nearn established Flying Hire in 2001 as fledgling tool hire business, they decided to use an area adjacent to their home in North Scarle, approximately ten miles north of Newark. The operation grew steadily, and especially after 2006 when the company decided to specialise in generator hire for the events market nationwide (appropriately adopting the name Flying Hire Events). Given the need to store larger items of plant and equipment in an expanding fleet, the site eventually reached capacity.
“We now have 32 staff, 110 generators from 6kVA to 275kVA and more than 100 lighting towers,” said Joe. “We operate 14 vehicles and we also provide ‘dry hire’ of bespoke packages of distribution boxes and site electrical equipment for contractors working at events and festivals. The search for new premises started two years ago. One option was renting a site nearby but we would have quickly outgrown that, too. Moving into an empty factory across the road was also a possibility but we would have had to adapt our operation to fit it, rather than vice versa. Our last possibility was to build on two acres of farmland which we bought eight years ago adjacent to our house, but we knew the planning process would be exacting regarding change of use and environmental protection. However, this has proved to be the ideal solution as we effectively had a blank canvas to work with.”
Environmental protection
Planning approval was awarded in September 2017 and work began two months later, involving the removal of 3,000 tonnes of topsoil and the importation of 4,000 tonnes of stone before concreting the extensive yard area. A main operations building was constructed at one end of the site, accommodating the transport offices, a warehouse with a mezzanine floor, a workshop area with three individual work bays, an enclosed area for oil and fuel storage,
and a wash down area. The complex also includes a weighbridge and an interceptor tank has been installed underground to detect and contain any spillages for environmental protection.
“We moved into the new facility in June and it virtually changed our world overnight,” said Lindsay. “Previously we could only accommodate one lorry at a time, whereas now we can take four in one go. They can refuel faster and the extra space means we can reach equipment more quickly as we do not have to move other items to get to what we need. Staff work more productively and do not need to work so many extra hours, so they have a better work/life balance, and the new site give us exactly what we wanted.”
Significantly, the new premises have enabled Flying Hire Events to establish a training operation. This is housed in another new building at the other end of the complex, by the main entrance. It will include the administrative offices and canteen facilities, with dedicated classroom and training areas on the upper floor.
Gap in the market
“We recognised the need for training about two years ago as we had to train our own staff, as well as temporary workers we call upon at peak seasonal periods,” said Lindsay. “Changes in the CDM (Construction (Design and Management)) regulations mean that many events can now fall within scope, and site managers need to ensure that operatives are competent in using and maintaining the equipment safely. We believe there is a gap in the market for this kind of knowledge and we are having specific courses written and approved to cover a broad range of subjects relating to generator and lighting tower operation, as well as related topics.”
The training centre will offer courses aimed at machine operators, including the safe setup and management of equipment, how to select the appropriate size of generator for a particular application so as to optimise performance, fuel usage and transportation, and in areas such as choosing lighting towers to gives suitable illumination in different locations, such as main event areas, car parks and on highways. Courses will also be available on general electrical equipment installation, setting up generators for synchronised operation, and bespoke training packages can be devised.
The new premises include purpose-built service bays. 35
“We will include training in other activities involved in event hire, such as safely operating forklifts, telescopic handlers, aerial platforms and all-terrain vehicles that may be used during a project, just as we
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