Hireline rises higher
16 September 2020
Hireline is another Scottish independent that has seen business rise sharply since the easing of lockdown restrictions.
The company currently has its main depot near Dalkeith, just east of Edinburgh, with a second in Linlithgow to the west. It offers a broad range of tools and equipment, and plant up to 9 tonnes, serving customers in Edinburgh, East Lothian, West Lothian, Midlothian, the Scottish Borders, Fife and across the Central Belt.
“We do a lot of business with local authorities undertaking work ranging from highway maintenance to landscaping, and house builders are very active at the moment,” managing director Pat McCluskey tells me. “But to be honest, demand is across the board.
“We pride ourselves on the quality of our kit. The average age of the fleet is very young, and if we say we’ll have a machine on site at 7am, it will be.
“Recent additions include another JCB 5-tonne digger and a 120 roller from Scot JCB. We’ve also bought two more welfare units bringing our total to 15, and we’ve been steadily investing in tools and equipment. Utilisation is very, very high,” says Pat.
He adds that Hireline did more business in July than in the same month last year and if that growth continues, demand could reach record levels since the company was founded in 2010.
The operation has obviously gone from strength to strength since, and that progress shows no signs of stopping. Indeed, Pat has plans for further expansion next year.
“None of us knows what’s round the corner in terms of Covid, but I don’t think there could be another general lockdown again. So we expect to remain busy.”