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redeveloped as housing, so we made the


‘‘


decision to leave before we were forced out


the IT and brought Akixi on board. Oscar collates the Syrinx and Akixi information for our board and regular management meetings. As for me, I learned about hire from the ground up and I help to gel things together. Each of us works really hard to make sure the business keeps moving in the right direction.”


’’ It's always good to see a man who is happy in his work! Better together


Proper preparation prevents poor performance. Alide is certainly observant of the phrase, in the way it uses hard data. However, the company also has a, effective planning framework in place to ensure the entire team is up to speed. Brett picks up the story…


“Structures are important to our business. The four directors get together once a month, and this filters down to bi-weekly senior team meetings. They used to be monthly too but they were becoming quite long, so we decided to get a bit more rhythm back into our planning. These are Zoom- based for now, and include our three depot managers, our workshop manager, our finance manager, the operations manager


and the operations assistant. We also have a monthly health and safety meeting, and I lead a weekly operational meeting.


“We don’t make our depots compete, and we won’t penalise one if it is helping to support another. Keynsham specialises in plant, sanitation, powered access, ground guards and road plates, while Bristol and Bath are more traditional tool hire outlets. Bath is quite a small location, so they have a driver who is constantly ferrying equipment to and from the other sites, and this helps to extend our reach.”


Cosa Nostra


Brett is a big fan of the Executive Hire Show – which is just as well – although he thinks there’s still room for a little improvement.


“We love going to the show, and Gareth and I would always spend two days there. I find that the party is even better. It’s a great opportunity to really get to know exhibitors, other hirers and meet with the ‘south-west mafia’. That’s Alide, Artisan (now Boels), Purple Hire (ex YHC Hire Services), Rocket Rentals, Phoenix Hire, South West Tool Hire, Avon Tools… We’re all in the same region and we do cross over, but we get on well and we always meet up in the evening.


Alide doesn’t usually park its access equipment on the pavement, but what a great ad for the new premises!


“We’ve got used to the party being quite lively, but I think there needs to be some sort of control for maybe an hour while we have a few thankyous and some awards. I also think it would be a good idea to combine the show with other smaller conferences and meetings, but I think that has been explored before...”


Driving force Alide prefers to make business decisions backed by calm and measured analysis. This invited a question about recent purchases, although Brett’s answer revealed a rather sad tale… “We’ve bought a lot of powered access


equipment over the last couple of years,” he says. “A lady called Sharon Lee was key in driving this section of our business forward. Sadly, Sharon fell ill and passed away recently following a battle with cancer. Sharon was an upbeat and friendly colleague, who would brighten up the room as soon as she entered. Her positivity was what set her apart and this led her to be very successful in her role and with our customers. Sharon is sorely missed by all that knew her”.


Trading places


Indeed it has, but moving on… Time, then, for the short drive from suburban Keynsham to downtown Bristol, and a tour of Alide’s swanky new premises. The old depot functioned well enough, but what is the story with the new one?


“Ten years ago we were in the St Werbergh’s area of Bristol. We called it Steptoe’s Yard. It was a classic dingy hire shop – we used to get to work half an hour early to bring all the kit out front, just so that we’d be able to move around in the warehouse!


…the whole area was due to be


Alide Hire Services - Profile


May 2021 - Executive Hire News 15


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