EXECUTIVE REPORT
North-eastern promise
Alan Guthrie visits a newly established hire company based in Teesside, which has ambitious plans for growth.
Stockton-on-Tees has a rich industrial heritage, having been a base for iron-making and engineering in the 18th century, and it was where the first rail for George Stephenson’s famous Stockton and Darlington Railways was laid in 1822, a major milestone in the railway industry’s development. It remains a busy centre of general engineering and business activity, and is also the location for HALT Hire, which opened its doors in February.
The company was established by Director Simon Whitfield, who previously worked for 13 years with Hire Station, most recently as Sales Director for its northern region, and, prior to that, he held senior management positions with another of its parent Vp’s subsidiaries, UK Forks. “For some time, I had wanted to run my own hire business, particularly since completing an MBA via distance learning with the University of Leicester in 2013. It was also an opportunity to cut my travelling, as I lived with my family in Stockton, but worked out of Manchester. Last October, after a brief spell working with a PPE supplier in Humberside, I found premises on a trading estate in the Portrack Lane area, a busy industrial and engineering centre where many contractors and tradesmen serving a variety of markets are based. The building gives us 4,000ft2
of space, and there is the possibility of adding a mezzanine floor at a future date.
“The HALT name stands for the equipment we offer: heating, access, lighting and tools. I wanted an identity that would be memorable. We have also adopted a distinctive yellow-and-black livery to make it stand out on our literature and on our website. Heating and lighting equipment is typically in demand for six months of the year, while access products and tools are needed constantly, so should be able to attract business all-year-round.”
Simon’s wife, Lisa, is also a Director of the business, and does some administrative work, but is employed full-time outside the hire industry, while their eldest son, Charlie, works part-time on telesales and marketing. The workshop is managed by Nick Boylan, who has previously worked for TP Hire, Hire Station, Brandon, Hewden and M & H Plant Hire, and was also an automotive engineer with BMW.
“We are buying more equipment all the time to meet demand.”
The company invested £75,000 on new equipment for the fleet at the Executive Hire Show, and it has kept investing in kit since to meet growing demand. “Purchases at the Show included Boss tower from WernerCo, Obart submersible pumps, Husqvarna tools, and various items from Birchwood Price Tools (BPT), such as Rhino heaters, lights and Van Vault tool stores. We also touched base with other suppliers like Hilti, from which we source many of our power tools, including breakers, angle grinders, drill and dust extraction units. We are buying more equipment all the time to meet demand for basic items, such as Altrad Belle mixers and compaction plates, Husqvarna cut-off saws, a Snorkel push-around scissor lift and Stephill generators. We also offer a wide range of retail items and consumables, including Mexco diamond blades and Irwin hand tools, and we want to expand this area of business.
“Our customer base is growing steadily and we plan to increase our team in the near future as part of our business plan, with the appointment of a hire controller and a driver, to help spread the tasks that we are currently undertaking between us. And, looking further ahead, the ambition is to eventually open more depots, once we have HALT Hire well-established in Stockton. We have already identified two other potential locations, and we may add more if demand dictates.”
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Simon Whitfield’s (left) purchases at the Show included an order for pumps from Obart’s Matthew Hill...
… and Boss tower from WernerCo. 10
www.halthire.co.uk
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