Q&A: Tim Garland
30 April 2021
Tim Garland is managing director of Elvington Plant Hire near York. He recently became its owner after the retirement of his parents, who founded the business. His approach is very much hands-…
News for Tool Hire, Equipment Hire & Plant Hire and Rental Professionals
Previous Posts - April 2021
HSS posts loss
30 April 2021
HSS has announced a pre-tax loss of £23.6m in its results for the year ended 26 December 2020. This compares against a £5.8m loss the previous year.
Total revenue declined 17…
Already fully booked
29 April 2021
The success of a holiday property established by a hirer during the lockdownas an additional venture is more evidence of the strong bounce back as people seek a return to normality.…
Busy with broadband
28 April 2021
Whenever hirers tell me they are busy, which is frequently, I’ve been asking them what’s driving it. Some of the reasons given are the resurgent house building market and on-going…
Plant sales surge
28 April 2021
No-one could have predicted this a year ago when the country was in the grip of the first lockdown.
Figures released by the CEA (Construction Equipment Association) show that retai…
Impressive Traction
27 April 2021
While the furlough scheme has offered a lifeline for many businesses, Traction Equipment (Stafford) has shown great resilience during the pandemic. While it has obviously had to be flexible at…
Hilti goes greener
27 April 2021
Hilti is renowned for its bright red livery but it is also now highlighting the colour green. That’s because the Hilti Group has published its new sustainability report setting out ambit…
Speedy boosts access fleet
26 April 2021
Speedy has bought 130 new electric lifting machines for its Powered Access business as part of a multi-million-pound fleet expansion plan.
The hirer has bought 90 scissor lifts and…
GAP's green mini trial
26 April 2021
A JCB battery powered mini excavator supplied by GAP to the contractor Colas Ltd is providing environmental benefits on major improvement works at the A46 Stoneleigh Junction in Warwickshire b…
Q&A: Dr Sean Boyle
23 April 2021
Dr Sean Boyle switched from running a hire business to studying for a PhD in Psychology and now runs The Test Company in Naas, near Dublin, helping people discover, develop and manage their mo…
Electric Avenue
23 April 2021
Will this be a new hire opportunity?
We’re being encouraged to swap diesel and petrol cars for greener alternatives like electric vehicles, but finding where to charge them can be…
PASMA training surge
22 April 2021
It’s an ill wind, as they say.
PASMA (the Prefabricated Access Suppliers’ and Manufacturers’ Association) says that its training courses have been proving popular throu…
EMY scores with Bobcat
22 April 2021
Wrexham-based EMY Plant Hire has added more than 20 new Bobcat machines to its fleet. The business was established last year by joint directors Emily Roberts and Andrew Dickens to serve custom…
The right rate
21 April 2021
A blog post last Wednesday discussed the rising demand for equipment and, in some instances, the lack of supply that is placing upward pressure on prices. It asked why, if costs are likely to…
Even more Power
20 April 2021
The ongoing need for reliable electricity on work sites continues to drive demand for generators, and a further indication is that Stuart Power has re-located its West Midlands depot to consid…
Eco-friendly flywheel
20 April 2021
Major contractor Kier is trialling innovative technology supplied by Sunbelt Rentals at a project in Knowsley as a potential way of reducing the energy required to power a static crane.
…
Spot-on welding
19 April 2021
Diesel welder generators from Shindaiwa are being used on a district heating system installation in Bristol designed to reduce carbon emissions.
The company has supplied a number of its…
Busy Smiths buys Kubotas
19 April 2021
Astute forward ordering and careful management have enabled Smiths Equipment Hire to take delivery of 35 more Kubota mini excavators at a time when demand for plant is rocketing.
The com…
Q&A: Simon Tomblin
16 April 2021
Simon Tomblin is managing director of the award-winning independent Rocket Rentals of Slimbridge in Gloucestershire, which hires an extensive variety of plant and equipment and opened a dedica…
On Time with MCS
16 April 2021
Increasingly, mobile technology and apps aren’t only for use on the move or in remote locations. They can also offer a more efficient way of working.
This is the thinking behind a…
CPA to tackle carbon
15 April 2021
Challenges facing the plant industry in embracing net zero carbon strategies and adopting digitalisation will be the theme of the CPA’s 2021 Conference to be held at the Heart of England…
Digging Scotland
15 April 2021
Why are so many hirers currently so busy? In many cases it’s because they’re prepared to act quickly to explore new markets and invest to meet customer needs, and that’s cert…
Toilets that Indicate
15 April 2021
Portable toilets might not initially seem like the most exciting products but specialist hirer Site Equip has shown that they can be no less innovative.
Director Amy Gilbert tells me th…
JCB takes the Stage
14 April 2021
At a press launch yesterday, JCB announced new machines designed to enable users to meet the Stage V emissions regulations, and a clear message was that construction plant with clean-burning d…
Making demands
14 April 2021
The blog has highlighted just how busy many hirers are at the moment, conveying a mood in stark contrast to the situation a year ago when the nation was in lockdown.
However, I had inte…
Ahern Ireland addition
14 April 2021
Ahern Ireland, the official distributor for Snorkel aerial work platforms and Ruthmann Bluelift tracked spider lifts in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, has expanded its customer…
Clements adds training
13 April 2021
Clements Plant & Tool Hire has expanded its operation by acquiring Leicestershire-based access platform IPAF training provider, Oakbarn Training.
This will enable the company to bri…
Seddons plays its part
13 April 2021
Many businesses have reaped the benefits of embracing online ordering and one of these is Seddons Plant & Engineers.
Marketing manager Justin Smith tells me that the company’s…
Power of eighty
12 April 2021
It’s been fascinating to watch the growth of battery technology over the years in terms of power and performance, and Makita has increased its range with its first 80V machines which cle…
CLM meets Hoist demand
12 April 2021
The current strength of construction activity is borne out by the levels of business at specialist hirer Hoist Hire Services Ltd, which has just added five more Maber transport platform hoists…
Q&A: Iain Cooksley
9 April 2021
Iain Cooksley is Sales, Marketing & Operations Director with the Aylesbury-based Energy Group, which expanded its operation over the last year and now offers generator hire and sales, haul…
Green and not heard
9 April 2021
Whilst the reduction in carbon emissions is obviously the main reason why hirers and end users are increasingly choosing battery powered equipment, there are other benefits such as quieter ope…
Rising prices?
8 April 2021
It’s a case of déjà vu with the statistics for March released earlier today concerning the UK construction industry.
Data in the Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI…
What’s the charge?
8 April 2021
Here's a riddle for you: when is an electric car like a mobile phone? Read on.
On a recent trip from his Sheffield home to the factory in Neath, Genquip Groundhog’s sales and marke…
Vp’s upbeat outlook
7 April 2021
Vp is another hire business whose performance has not been impacted anything like as severely as might have been imagined when the first lockdown was announced a year ago.
Also signific…
HSS sells Laois Hire
7 April 2021
HSS has announced the sale of Laois Hire Services Ltd to Briggs Equipment Ireland Ltd for a cash consideration of €11.2m (£9.6m).
Laois, which concentrates on small plant incl…
Sunbelt emissions on a plate
7 April 2021
With carbon emissions rising higher on the agenda, Sunbelt Rentals UK is adopting a system to rapidly indicate the compliant nature of its latest equipment meeting the Stage V regulations.…
Business on the up
6 April 2021
I’ve been struck by the number of hirers telling me recently how busy they are supplying access machinery, which is traditionally a very competitive market.
Companies like Rainham…
Perfect workplace
6 April 2021
I was chatting the other day with Matt Rowe, the founder of the independent Hire Standards in Westbury. He is trying to make the business as environmentally friendly as possible, implementing…
More tests available
5 April 2021
The Government has announced that everyone in England will be able to access free, rapid coronavirus testing twice a week from 9 April.
The blog has already discussed how such testing ha…
Green lights for Speedy
1 April 2021
As part of an ambitious programme to introduce more eco-friendly products, Speedy has added new battery powered portable lighting towers to its fleet to help contractors reduce on-site emissio…
“Everyone is busy”
1 April 2021
I’ve spoken with a number of hirers recently who want to gear up in readiness for increasing business levels as the lockdown restrictions ease, but they are finding some machines in shor…