STAND H10
A GREEN FUTURE AT GROUNDHOG
Groundhog will be launching two brand new products at EHS 2022. With the main event just weeks away, we speak with Sales & Marketing Manager Peter Beach to find out what’s afoot.
A
visit to Groundhog’s HQ in Neath is a linguistic pitfall for non-Welsh speakers
such as myself and Lady SatNav, who resorts to spelling the name out – it’s on Ynysygerwn Avenue, if you fancy having a go. Sheffield resident Peter Beach is presumably well practiced by now, and he dives straight into the details of recent trading and products forthcoming in spite of material shortages and transport woes.
“I think it’s changed everything,” says Peter. “We already run a fairly Lean operation here, but we also invested heavily in new machinery (a fibre laser cutter with an incorporated punch-press – amazing in operation!). In doing so, we’ve grown organically from manufacturing 50 units a month, which is what we’ve been producing for the last 12-13 years, to making 80 units a month – which is nearly 1,000 units a year.
“Demand has changed too, because we’re now getting calls from people we haven’t dealt with before. The fact is that a lot of hire companies diverted their attentions to NHS and post-Covid projects. What was once a six-person welfare unit is now a two-person unit, all because of social distancing.”
Most Groundhog products are made from steel. The ongoing shortages thereof have caused problems in many other areas of manufacture, but how has this affected pricing and deliveries?
The Fusion Pulse Lithium cabin is tested for months before launching at EHS 2022.
We begin with the former. Nearly two years and a global pandemic since my initial visit at the beginning of 2020, how’s it been?
“When the lockdown came in March 2020, we shut down for a short while. However, construction didn’t close and we were soon back to full strength. During that time, we’ve been able to retain all our staff. In fact, we’ve even added a few because of the increase in business – the number of orders we’re getting at the moment is ridiculous, but then we’ve been busy now for the last four years.”
And has the pandemic changed the way that Groundhog operates or manufactures in that time?
“The price of steel has gone up by around 85% since March this year. However, by working with our customers and suppliers we have shared these increases together. It isn’t just the cost of steel, though, as timber, paint, couplings, axles, running gear and 12V technology have also been affected. We’re looking at 12- month deliveries at the moment. I prefer to be honest about prices and lead times, and most customers are accepting of that,” says Peter.
Speaking of Groundhog products, the company has already secured its space at EHS 2022 but, like many other exhibitors,
The man himself - Sales & Marketing Manager, Peter Beach.
is bringing new equipment along. What can we expect to see?
“We’ll be launching the 25ft SWS600 Fusion Pulse Lithium. This is our latest eco unit. It has two solar panels on the roof, bigger inverters, bigger chargers and a lithium ion battery on board. It’s going to run longer on battery power alone. We have reduced the generator from 9.8 to 6kVA, which is great news because a smaller generator uses less fuel and only emits a kilogram of carbon per hour at full load.
“We’re bringing a new solar male and female toilet too. We are a five-star Considerate Construction supplier, which is all about improving the image of construction and trying to encourage young people into the industry. So these units include separate facilities, with eco flush toilets, Webasto heating and hot water, and 12V lighting – they’re going to look great on the stand. We’re also showing our standard Fusion Pulse welfare unit, as people still want to see those.”
Lastly, what about product development going forward – particularly mindful of new technologies or more sustainable power sources?
The components of a welfare cabin laid bare in the Groundhog training room.
18 Executive Hire News - Jan/Feb 2022
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