Executive Hire News › Archives › November 2008 › Executive Report : Hirers ready for action

Executive Report : Hirers ready for action

We ask a number of passionate hirers why they are going to the Show next February, and why they urge others to attend.

Wes Mintram, Manager, Gardner & Scardifield, Worthing
"I went to the 2007 Executive Hire Show and would have gone this year but for unforeseen circumstances. I certainly plan to go again this coming February to see what is new. When I visited I was looking for hydraulic breakers, amongst other items, and found good models on the JCB stand. Many of our suppliers were at the Show, and it was great to meet them in person.
I shall be looking out for compact crushers and dumpers at the 2009 Show, and I will certainly call in at the Seddons stand. The majority of our kit has Honda engines, and Seddons is an excellent spares supplier, never letting us down. Its new Parts Handbook is also superb, with a lot of useful information. Getting to the Ricoh Arena is easy. I find the best route from Worthing is to take the M27, the M3 and then join up with the A34."

Founder Andy Webber (right) and Ian Marshall, Manager, Plymouth Tool Hire
Andy and Ian will be making the effort to go to the Show in Coventry next February, after EHN’s Robert Aplin visited them last month to find out about their new business, which Andy started in March.
"Having previously worked for a national hirer, I had no chance of getting time away from Plymouth to visit any hire show, irrespective of its location. Now I run my own business, I need to keep up-to-date with the latest industry developments and find out all I can about innovative products and services that the company can make money out of. I would also like to meet and thank those suppliers that have helped us as we have established our business this year, as well as finding new suppliers that can help us to grow further.
It’s going to be a fair old drive from Plymouth, but Robert Aplin assures us it will be well worth it. It had better be, as it’s my wedding anniversary on 11 February and my birthday is the following day."

Tony North, Director, Bingham Hire Centre, Croydon
"Over the years, I had become disillusioned with hire industry exhibitions as they appeared to be on a downward spiral. However, I have attended both the 2007 and 2008 Executive Hire Shows and it is great to see a good-sized exhibition with a real sense of purpose for our industry. I am impressed with the Ricoh Arena venue, which is in a good central location, and the range of exhibitors is great, from major international companies to smaller suppliers. I spent a very full day at this year’s Show, which enabled me to have a good look around for new products. The Enviroboot from the Hire Supply Company caught my eye and we are now actively encouraging our customers to use them to minimise the risk of dust. I have got the 2009 dates in my diary, I am looking forward to seeing more new products and ideas."

Steve Booker, MD, Kentec Tool Hire, Tonbridge and Snodland, Kent
"The Show enables hirers to see a huge number of products in one go. The pace of business means you can’t spend time reading brochures in the office. I commit a whole day to attending the exhibition, and my sole focus is to see the latest equipment. I can get my hands on it, take it to pieces and ask questions. Then, knowing what is new, I can decide what we need for the fleet and budget for the coming year.
This year I bought two Timberwolf chippers at the Show, which have proved excellent additions, and we added to our line-up of Demon pressure washers. We also bought Boss tower accessories from Youngman. We run a lot of PASMA courses, and it was valuable to learn about new access product developments."

Ashley Clinton, MD, Ash Hire & Sales, Warrington
"I visited the Show for the first time this year, and I will definitely be attending in 2009. We saw the latest products and developments from Probst, whose lifting and handling equipment forms the majority of our fleet. It was also good to look at different equipment that could fill certain market niches, and to see companies exhibiting logistical solutions in areas such as IT and management issues. Coming from an equipment and plant hire background, I bumped into a lot of familiar faces amongst the visitors, and it was great to catch up with them. We found the Ricoh Arena quick and easy to get to, and all in all I would say the Show offers something for every hirer."

Matt Bloomer, Director, Traction Equipment (Stafford)
"I attended the 2008 Show with three colleagues and we were impressed with the layout and the range of exhibitors. It was the perfect opportunity to keep abreast of new industry developments and to network with other passionate independent hirers. It is always interesting to hear other ideas and opinions.
In addition to catching up with many of our existing suppliers, we spent time looking for niche manufacturers offering innovative products to complement our existing fleet. If you are passionate about the hire industry, you must attend the Executive Hire Show! We will definitely be there in 2009, and would urge all our fellow independent hirers to get involved."

Joe Hayes, Director, Marchstream Tool Hire, Manchester
"Having not been to a hire industry exhibition for years, we were very impressed with the 2008 Executive Hire Show. Firstly, we liked the venue and the fact that we did not have to travel all the way to London. We appreciated the mix of exhibitors and it was a great opportunity to put faces to the people we talk to on the phone regularly.
Sometimes, it is good to get away from the depot for a day and have quality time with suppliers with no phones ringing or customers to serve. Amongst the stands we spent time on were Higher Concept Software and Sumner Manufacturing UK, which are two of our key suppliers.
We also managed to solve a problem. We had recently purchased two second hand mini diggers from another hirer and urgently required some spares. We opened an account with Leach Lewis at the Show, and the parts were with us within a few days. It was amazing how many hirers we knew that we bumped into during the day. We will definitely be attending the 2009 Show, both to see what's new and to show our support for the industry."

Seamus Byrne, MD, Dromad Hire, Dundalk, Co. Louth
"Having attended in 2007, I visited this year’s Show with our Hire Manager to look out for new products. We flew into Birmingham Airport on Wednesday evening and stayed in Coventry for the night so we could have a full day at the Show on Thursday. As soon as we walked into the hall and on to the JCB stand, we noticed their tracked Dumpster, which has great potential for our DIY customers. There were also new products on the Hilti stand that we had a good look at. Another product category on our list was lighting towers and we visited the Sandhurst stand to look at the SMC range. We placed orders on the Wacker and SPE stands and got some good deals. When you go onto suppliers’ stands, you can meet people who can make decisions and sort problems. All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed the Show and we will be booking our flights and hotel for 2009 very soon."