A lot of concrete for EPS

28 July 2021

Given the constant risk of plant theft and break-ins, security is something that all hirers must take very seriously. It’s certainly a priority for EPS Hire Centres at its depot in Mytholmroyd. 

The company re-located the branch in West Yorkshire two years ago and has done most of the construction work itself, while remaining open. The build is now in its final stages.

“We have some structural river walls to build and more concrete to lay at the back of the building, then security cameras and an overhead crane inside,” director Jason Fielden tells me. 

“The building gives us 4,000 sq ft of storage. The ceiling is 6m high with plenty of space for maintaining scissor lifts and the like, and we’ve made the premises as secure as we can. 

“We’ve put in 6 inch reinforced concrete panels all-round, which are what many farmers use on their buildings, right up to roof level. No one is going to get through that in a hurry. 

“We’ve suffered a number of break-ins in the past and we’ve tried to learn from each one,” says Jason, whose very able father and fellow director, David, has co-ordinated the project (below). 

“Often thieves don’t steal what you think they might. During the last break-in they left £1,000 breakers and took equipment like chainsaws and two-stroke machinery which they can sell quickly," adds Jason.  

“As we have built the storage area from scratch, we’ve been able to engineer security into the design.”