what I have learned in my 30+ year


‘‘ S


career, I feel I will have achieved something


The man with a plan - Head of Hire at IBMG, Simon Gibbons. ’’


imon Gibbons is not a man to shy away from a challenge. With a hire CV as long


as your arm, having worked for 30+ years in senior positions for major companies such as Jewson, A-Plant, and Travis Perkins among others, he was drafted in by IBMG to make the company’s hire ambitions a reality. Under his expert guidance, the first six locations are preparing to launch. A further ten are planned for 2022, but IBMG has much more real estate than that to play with. The flagship branch in leafy Petworth is just the first, but we begin with a brief summary of the parent company itself.


“IBMG has four main businesses – Chandlers, Parker Building Supplies, Fairalls and Stamco Timber. Up until a month ago, IBMG had 39 depots in the south-east. However, we recently merged with Grant & Stone, so we now have over 1700 staff, more than 120 outlets and IBMG is the


If I can share


WHAT IT SAYS ON THE TIN


The Independent Builders Merchant Group (IBMG) is


getting into the hire game. As its flagship depot prepares to open, Andy travelled to West Sussex to find out more…


largest independent builders' merchant in the South,” Simon explains.


“IBMG is actually owned by Cairngorm Equity. They have lots of other business interests, but in the short time that I’ve been here they’ve been very supportive of what we’re doing with hire – their first question to me was ‘What can we do to help?’”


IBMG is a major presence in the builders’ merchant space, then, so what informed the decision to move into hire?


“Allun Pittingale, who I worked with at Travis Perkins, joined the business as MD in March last year. I’m sure that hire was discussed prior to his appointment, but Allun knew what hire could bring to the business and he has really driven the idea since – and here we are today.


“Tool hire will mostly be counters within the existing merchants. This branch in Petworth is separate to the builders’ merchant next door, but the whole site will be known as ‘Chandlers: For all your tool hire needs’.”


With just the first six depots for now, what positions are you recruiting for?


Groundscare machinery is also part of the fleet.


“We’re looking at 12 roles across the first six sites, being a hire supervisor and a driver/fitter. We’ve managed to fill nine of those positions to date, but recruiting has been a huge challenge – I’ve never known


anything like it in all the years I’ve worked in hire,” says Simon.


“People seem reluctant to jump ship at the moment, probably because of COVID. Or we have people turn up at interviews to see what’s on offer, only to use that as a bargaining tool for a pay rise at their depot. I think it’s worth waiting if it means you get the right people, so we’re going for a staggered launch – our first four hire locations in Petworth, Eastbourne, Godstone and Worthing open on December 1st and the other two in Portslade and St Leonards will arrive early in the new year.”


‘‘ we have the makings


of a great business here, with the first


launches in December and the foundations in place to hit the ground running in 2022


With such a storied and senior-level career in hire, doesn’t joining what is effectively a new venture feel like a bit of a step down?


’’


“No, not at all. I’ve been very lucky in my career, but whatever I have done I’ve given it 110 percent. When I started at Travis Perkins I always wanted to grow and be better than I was. As my career progressed I


24 Executive Hire News - Nov/Dec 2021


DOING


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