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Market Report: Garden & Grounds Care Growing returns Alan Guthrie talks to hirers that are successfully offering equipment for the gardening and landscaping market, and which expect business to increase further. Local authorities, golf courses and other grounds care organisations will often contract hire large fleets of equipment like ride-on mowers from one of the specialist hirers operating in this market, in arrangements that cover one or more years. However, there are many other machines that are needed in the much shorter term by such users for various grounds care tasks, or by smaller contractors and builders constructing gardens and landscaped areas. “The key to success is in having the right equipment and appropriate backup service,” contends Rodger Webb, Managing Director of Midlands-based hirecentres.com, which has six depots in Warwick, Leamington Spa, Lutterworth, Stratford-upon-Avon, Daventry and Kettering. “A good independent has the flexibility to provide machines for shorter hire periods, and can do so quickly, enabling grounds care professionals and landscapers to take advantage of good weather – particularly important during this year’s predominantly wet spring and early summer. Generally, our customer base has increased by more than 20% over the past 12 months, and we are serving a higher proportion of landscapers and contractors than ever before.” Earlier
this
year,
the
company
(www.hirecentres.com)
increased
its
landscaping
and
grounds
care
line-up
as
part
of
a
£300,000
investment.
It
now
claims
to
have
the
largest
fleet
in
the
UK
of
Barreto
rotavators,
obtained
from
the
Hire
Supply
Company
(HSC),
along
with
Barreto
hydraulic
four-wheel
drive
trenchers.
The
rotavators
are
available
with
either
9hp
or
13hp
engines.
Both
are
hydraulically
powered
and
have
infinitely
variable
speed
control
for
smooth
operation
and
reduced
HAV.
The
larger
machine
is
suitable
for
digging
up
large
gardens
or
nurseries,
while
the
9hp
unit
can
be
used
in
confined
spaces
and
close
to
walls
or
trees.
“For
this
market,
we
also
offer
JCB
1-tonne
and
1.5-tonne
mini
excavators
that
can
gain
access
to
the
backs
of
houses
and
which
can
achieve
a
sensible
hire
rate,”
states
Rodger
Webb.
“We
also
supply
Taylor
Construction
Plant’s
(TCP)
Hi-T500
tracked
dumper
and
have
just
added
Belle’s
BMD
300
four-wheel
drive
mini
dumper
to
the
fleet.” Demand for compact plant and related machinery led Newton Bellisario to establish a dedicated hire operation, appropriately named Dial-a-Digger, alongside his existing landscape contracting business based at Sway, in the New Forest. “We could see the scope in this market, and started Dial-a-Digger (www.dialadigger.co.uk) in 2000. We offer Kubota minis from 0.75-7 tonnes, Thwaites and Lifton dumpers and Cautrac’s Yamaguchi tracked skip-loading dumpers, together with Bomag plate compactors and the Kanga ride-on skid steer machine that accepts attachments like trenchers and various buckets. “A year ago we decided to also offer smaller equipment and tools for hire to domestic users as well as professionals. We have an extensive Tracmaster Camon fleet, including the C8 rotavator, LS17 lawn scarifier, LA20 lawn aerator, TC12 turf cutter and the C150 chipper-shredder. They are extremely rugged machines and ideal for the hire industry. We also offer Stihl lawn trimmers, brushcutters, blowers and disc cutters, which have proven themselves in our own landscaping business. We are also considering adding items like stone buriers and overseeders because potential users tell us it is difficult to find a hirer of such items, which are relatively expensive to buy for only occasional use. This sort of equipment will further differentiate us from other hirers.” The Hire or Buy group, which has branches in St Neots, Biggleswade, Stevenage and Huntingdon, also reports growth in its grounds care hire business. “Many hirers do not target this market but it brings us a lot of short-term business from cash customers,” states Operations Director Jon Masterson. “A huge number of houses are being built in our region, and many existing homeowners are improving their gardens, adding patios and building conservatories. “We
now
have
ten
JCB
Micro
excavators
that
are
very
popular
with
professionals
and
domestic
users.
They
are
tremendously
powerful
for
their
size
and
people
are
now
asking
for
them
by
name. Targeting smaller contractors Targeting
smaller
contractors
closely
is
continuing
to
pay
dividends
for
Webster
Power
Tools
of
Wishaw,
North
Lanarkshire.
“There
are
a
surprisingly
large
number
of
such
businesses
in
our
area
that
are
one
or
two-man
operations,
hiring
equipment
as
required,”
states
Managing
Director
Murray
Webster.
“Our
fleet
includes
Kubota
minis,
including
the
zero
tail
swing
U10-3,
a
“HSC’s Dosko stump grinder has proved a tremendous success,” says Murray Webster. “It just devours the timber and it’s bullet-proof. We also offer Barreto trenchers and rotavators.” Webster (www.websterpowertools.com), a dealer for Stihl and Honda, has also added the latter manufacturer’s Versamow lawn mower to its fleet. It can be used to cut conventionally or to mulch the clippings, and has a half-way setting that enables users like contractors to reduce the amount of grass removed. The hire division of Liston Equipment, based in Plumpton Green, East Sussex, reports growing demand from tree care professionals for very high work-rate equipment that can process felled timber as quickly as possible, causing minimum disruption to adjacent areas, such as when roads have to be closed temporarily for kerbside work. “Users were asking us for a machine that could handle 38cm-diameter timber, and so we have now introduced the Woodsman 15X tracked drum chipper,” states Managing Director David Kendall. “It has a 61cm by 38cm infeed opening and works at an incredibly fast rate. “The machine can be fed by a mini excavator or skid steer loader tipping directly into the hopper, and all the main chipper functions can be operated via a radio remote control or by a wired console. Relatively few tree care contractors could afford to buy such a machine, but by hiring it they get the job done far more quickly and with fewer personnel.” Large number of attachments David
Kendall
reports
that
other
popular
fleet
items
include
Carlton
stump
grinders
and
the
Avant
Tecno
520+
articulating
loader/carrier.
The
latter
is
designed,
like
other
machines
in
the
Avant
Tecno The experiences of the hirers mentioned above show there is increasing business to be had in this market. Grounds care and landscaping professionals will pay sensible rates for products as and when they are required, and a large number of short-term hires add up to significant revenue opportunities. • Executive Hire News › Archives › August 2007 › Market Report › Growing returns
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