Building back Fast
29 June 2021
It’s déjà vu. This time last year on the blog I was writing about busy tool hire and plant hire companies serving homeowners who were on furlough and undertaking gardening and landscaping tasks. And it’s happening again.
People are cancelling their overseas holiday plans because of coronavirus quarantine uncertainties and putting the funds towards more ambitious home improvements, such as extensions and outdoor entertaining spaces.
That’s certainly the experience of Andy Buckley, pictured above, a director with Fast Hire & Sales in Bredbury, near Stockport. “Last year we saw new customers emerging who were ordering equipment for the first time,” he told me. “Now they’re coming back as they undertake larger projects.
“Homeowners are building on to the rear of their properties with extensions and bi-folding doors. As a result we’ve added more Genie lifts and items like the HSC (Hire Supply Company)’s beam lifter to move and install steel beams. Larger machines won’t go through many modern houses to gain access to the back, so the beam lifter is ideal.
“Everything is in demand, from mixers and cut-off saws to mini excavators and dumpers,” said Andy.
“We are also seeing a boom in laying large porcelain floor tiles which can be up to 1.2m long and 25mm thick. You can’t cut them easily with a cut-off saw so we recently bought a Rubi table saw that is big enough to accommodate them. In fact, it’s proving so popular that we have bought a second one.”
Fast Hire’s sales business is also strong. The company, which is part of the Westgate Holdings group, is a Takeuchi dealer and a sister business, C&F Dumper UK Ltd, is finding steady demand for the tracked compact machines that it imports from Italy.
Eighteen months ago, Fast Hire built a dedicated workshop and PDI (pre-delivery inspection) centre at the rear of its premises, pictured below, as well as a showroom in the main building.
“Additional operations like fitting bespoke features or sign writing can now be done efficiently in a dedicated area,” said Andy, “and customers can see different options available, like beacons and buckets. They might be spending a considerable amount of money with us and so we need to offer good facilities that make them feel appreciated.”
