|
        
|
|
Market Report: Garden & Grounds Care The future is Orange A Newcastle-based woodchipper hire specialist with no less than 150 machines in its fleet is now establishing a nationwide operation. Alan Guthrie reports. David Orange did not originally plan a career in hire. After completing his studies in arboriculture in 1986, he founded a tree surgery business in Newcastle, working for local authorities, utilities and other contractors. “It quickly proved successful but we found it difficult to source certain specialist equipment,” he recalls, “especially machines to process timber quickly on site. Most manufacturers were based overseas, and those in the UK invariably had distributors based a long way from the northeast. “In the early 1990s we discovered Entec (the Stowmarket-based manufacturer of chippers that are now branded Timberwolf) and its Chippit 18, a gravity-fed unit handling 10cm-diameter material. Its work-rate was incredible and it revolutionised the way we worked. We could chip the timber quickly in situ instead of filling trucks with branches all day for disposal at a landfill site, and we could re-use the chippings as mulch. “The later hydraulic-feed Chippit 30 went even further in terms of productivity and ease of use. We were impressed by the company’s products, its service backup and its commitment to research and development, and seeing the potential we established a separate dealership, Orange Plant, in 1994, supplying other contractors and tree care professionals. We also began to receive hire requests and in 1999 we started targeting hire in earnest. This has grown strongly ever since. We now have a fleet of 150 Timberwolf chippers, ranging from smaller units like the TW 13/75, to tracked and PTO-driven machines accepting 30cm-diameter timber.” Besides the Newcastle head office, the company has three Orange Plant branded depots, in Warrington, Tockwith near Wetherby, and Stafford. It also has a presence at four significant machinery dealerships in Congleton, Leicester, Northampton and Nottingham. 95% of business comes from chipper hire and sale, but the company’s range also includes related equipment like stump grinders and access platforms. “We pride ourselves on our specialist service,” states David Orange. “We have dedicated field engineers who service all machines after every 20 hours’ use, checking the condition of chipper blades and other parameters. We respond to breakdowns immediately, offering another machine while we solve the problem, and this is important for people like railway contractors who work through the night to strict deadlines.” With restrictions on disposal of green waste and the drive towards recycling, demand for chippers has grown prodigiously and looks set to continue. Consequently, Orange Plant is now actively seeking to expand its hire operation nationwide, and is establishing links with other companies that offer Timberwolf chippers. Enquiries received at the Newcastle-based national call centre are then forwarded to the customer’s nearest outlet. Links have already been made with 60 companies throughout Britain. “Similarly, a hirer who lacks the necessary storage space, or the specialist staff to maintain chippers, can still benefit from this hire market,” contends David Orange. “They can promote the machines and then cross-hire them from us. Indeed, our coverage is such that we have secured a national agreement with HSS for all its Timberwolf chipper requirements via its One-Call service.” David Orange expects still more growth following the imminent launch of the latest Timberwolf machine. Orange Plant has played a role in the development of the product, details of which are being kept firmly under wraps until next month’s Saltex show, but the company believes it will extend the market further. “Our call centre team make contact with up to 750 of our customers every week to ensure their requirements are being met and to tell them about the latest developments. If we receive enquiries that we cannot fulfil, such as any hire requests falling outside our own depot network, we can source a machine from our national links, which we are always looking to expand.” • T
0845
838
6337 Executive Hire News › Archives › August 2006 › Market Report › The future is Orange
|
