News for Tool Hire, Equipment Hire & Plant Hire and Rental Professionals

Never say no

23 September 2020

Never say no

 

An attitude of never wanting to say no to any reasonable customer request has helped Fox Industrial and Engineering Supplies Ltd (Foxies) to continue expanding its hire business during the coronavirus outbreak.

The company is based in Stallingborough, near Immingham, and was founded four years ago by Rob Fox. He had previously worked for T.E.S (Tool & Engineering Services) for 24 years. Following its acquisition by A-Plant, now Sunbelt Rentals, Rob decided to start his own operation.

“The initial intention was to focus more on tools and equipment, but people asked us for welding machinery and other items. We’ve ploughed profits back into the business and we’ve virtually become a one-stop shop serving a broad customer base,” he says.

Recent purchases include ten more Shindaiwa welder/generators to meet demand, bringing Foxies’ total to nearly 30. “I have known Andy Munford, Shindaiwa’s MD, since his days at the former Arc-Gen business,” says Rob. “He and his team provide us with some great equipment followed by an excellent back-up service.”

Other products in the fleet range from hydrostatic pressure testing equipment, generators and compressors, to power tools, pumps, compaction plates and mixers.

When lockdown was announced back in March, Rob’s plan was to close for a couple of months until sites re-opened. However, many customers remained busy in markets such as food processing, essential services, utilities and petrochemicals plants, so the business remained open to serve them.

“I hate the word ‘no’. We’ll always go the extra mile,” says Rob. “There’s a local construction site, for example, and I’ve been meeting one of their engineers at 5am on Sunday mornings to make sure they have the equipment they need, since they work round the clock. I’m an early riser anyway!

“And before the last bank holiday, a customer rang on the Friday afternoon urgently needing a special impact socket for a job starting the following Tuesday. To make sure he would have it, I had it sent guaranteed first-class to my house so that I could hand it over to him the next day.

“That’s what being hire is all about and providing this level of service means that we retain customers as a result.”

Pictured from left are Rob Fox with his wife and co-director Mel, and workshop manager Chris Cassidy.


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