Foxies Industrial and Engineering Supplies - Profile


As the company is now, how is it structured and what products do you mostly supply?


“There’s usually just the two of us here – me and Chris Cassidy, our workshop manager. We’ve worked together since 1988, so we know everything about the game. We've just taken on an apprentice, as we’re bursting at the seams at the moment.


“We cover all the bases – hydraulics, electrics, pneumatics, welders, compressors and TIG sets. We mainly work with the petrochemical, civil and food industries, and the nearby ports and steelworks. We supply high pressure test pumps, flange weld testers, and torque equipment. We also offer torque calibration, PAT testing and tool repair services. The next step for us will be battery operated RAD guns (a handheld torque device). Our range is all down to demand, really, but I always take on a job if I can.”


On that, how was trading during lockdown?


“Our clients are all playing catchup to an extent, but none of them actually stopped. We were going to shut for six months at the beginning of COVID. I got as far as emailing


Many hirers have a reach far beyond their actual locations but is it the case that the majority of your clients are right on your doorstep, so to speak?


“It is – I’d say all of them are within a five- mile radius and the majority of our customers collect. Saying that, I was recently called by a company in Liverpool and we’ve had requests for equipment going as far away as Heathrow airport. I don’t try to reach outside the local area, so I don’t know how they heard about the company.”


Industrial shutdowns are a mandatory requirement. Do they all happen to a particular schedule?


“The oil refinery shutdowns generally happen in April and August, but there's a severe shortage of skilled labour around here, so they have to stagger the schedules so the workforce can complete both jobs. Each typically takes 12 or 13 weeks, but then we still have the local ports, steelworks and food industries.


“Apart from the skills shortage locally, we’ve also lost most of the foreign labour. This


With shutdowns taking weeks and other


heavy industries in the vicinity, the Foxies fleet gets great utilisation.


an apprentice, as we’re


bursting at the seams at the moment


‘‘ our Shindaiwa diesel welding plants is high.” ’’


It is probably clear by now that Rob has as much work as he can manage. What problems does that present on a personal level?


“I'm trying to sort out my work/life balance, as I have young kids. We do have a static caravan in Market Rasen. It’s only 20 minutes from home, but it allows me to escape from here and breath a bit.”


The meeting draws to a natural conclusion. One final question, however – In bursting at the seams, in terms of the depot, and having more work locally than can be managed, how will the company develop over the coming years?


The Foxies family - Rob and partner Melanie, Jordan and Chris.


our customers, but I was getting calls within an hour from clients telling me that I couldn’t possibly close. We never closed at all and I was here until six o-clock most nights,” Rob explains.


“Since then, all the jobs that had slowed due to reduced manpower have come back full-time. We now have more shutdowns, refinery and plant maintenance work that needs to be done urgently, so we’re completely stacked out.”


doesn’t mean that shutdowns will just take longer, as it doesn’t work like that.”


This interview comes about following a tip from Tom Page of Shindaiwa. He had very good reasons for the recommendation, as it turns out.


“We weren’t going to get into welding equipment at all, but customers were asking and we bought 34 welder generators from them. The utilisation is great and demand for


“That’s a tough one. There’s already a lot of industry here, but there’s a new power station going up and Able UK is expanding the docks. Basically this has got to be the busiest area in the UK. My main problem is the building itself. Taking on more work or more staff wouldn’t be an issue. Finding bigger premises to allow that is more challenging, but that’s the plan. I would certainly need some help with what I do, but I’m a thinker and a planner and consider myself to be very proactive.” n


BRUSH UP


Find out more about the Foxie business w.foxiesltd.com


and fleet atw ww.executivehirenews.co.uk/trelawny FIND OUT MORE We’ve just taken on


September 2021 - Executive Hire News 27


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