Executive Hire News › Archives › March 2009 › Executive Hire Show Review : Show business

Executive Hire Show Review : Show business

With a great array of new products and special offers aplenty, hirers were doing good business at the Show. EHN caught up with some of them as they toured the stands.

Central Tool Hire Director Nigel Heavens with Assistant Manager John Rogers
"I attended my first hire show for ten years. Although the Central team had an enjoyable visit last year, I personally haven’t been to a hire exhibition since Hirex was at Wembley. It was good to get back in the saddle and meet old friends. All hirers need to constantly monitor modern plant and equipment, so that we can advise our customers accordingly. We all need to remain in the know.
During my five hours at the Show I visited Demon, with whom we have dealt for 18 years. Its quality of machines is excellent and its service
is even better. The company’s new free ‘Hire It Here’ web service link allows users to search for machines for hire in the Hertfordshire area and link directly into our pressure washer page on our web site. Hilti’s Hire Partner Locator offers a similar service, so it’s good to get something back. By buying their kit, they are promoting us through their web sites and we get more hire enquiries. We also purchased kit from SPE, Obart and Mace, with whom we are looking to update our conveyor fleet with its new Shifta and Supa screen units."

Adrian Watts, Group Hire Manager, Buildbase, on the Takeuchi Mfg (UK) stand
"Hirebase opened four new locations in February, namely Brentwood, Derby, Market Drayton and Newbury. As a result we are buying more equipment for our fleet. At the Show, we have purchased 16 Takeuchi mini excavators, including TB016 models and the new 3-tonne TB228, which is being launched at this exhibition.
Hirebase has bought Takeuchi minis since 2002. Customers like using them, they are reliable and we think they are the best on the market. They are built for hire. We have more branch openings scheduled throughout 2009, and so we will be expanding our fleet even further."

Dennis Gwynne, Technical Director, Andrews Sykes Hire, discusses Western’s products
"We are long-standing Western customers, whose products are being promoted on the Knott-Avonride stand. The Show is a great opportunity to learn about Western’s latest developments in large diesel fuel tanks. There is obviously a good market for these supplying specialist generator hirers, but we are now looking at their use in our dedicated boiler hire operation.
Boilers use more fuel, so Western’s 8,700 and 19,400-litre capacity Transtainers can enable continuous run times of up to a whole week before refilling is needed. Also, as the products are ISO rated containers, approved under ADR/RID Regulations for transporting diesel by road and rail, the tanks can be legally taken back to a hire depot with fuel inside, instead of having to spend time draining them."

Gary Derraven, MD of Phoenix Hire & Sales, with Youngman Group’s Paul Bentley
"It was great to meet people at the Show that I had spoken to over the phone for the last year. It was also good to see products that I had read about in EHN actually in the flesh. One of these was the Youngman Teleguard telescopic platform ladder and I placed orders for these on the stand. I also bought Belle beam screeds and hydraulic breakers at a price advantage that we would not have achieved outside the Show.
I checked out Premier Diamond Products’ new range of diamond-related machines, which we are currently evaluating. Just for good measure, I also attended inspHire’s user forum in the afternoon. Overall, I was more than impressed with the number of exhibitors and bumped into a lot of hire colleagues that I have come to know over the years."

Gareth Hayward, MD of Alide Plant Hire, with Toolpak
"We have been Toolpak customers since as far back as 1991. To complement the products we hire, Alide supplies a lot of items such as PPE, power tools consumables such as drill bits and jig saw blades, sandpaper and the like. Toolpak set up a complete racking system to display these products in our branches, and this can make a strong first impression on customers as they walk in, perhaps reminding them of something they need. Toolpak staff also visit us regularly to replenish stocks and keep everything up to date. It works really well, giving us a good revenue stream, and it is good to see the company here at the Show.
New Toolpak introductions on show included its multi-material Force X blades, designed to provide optimum cutting speeds and maximum lifespan across a range of construction materials, DBX blades featuring turbo-cutting technology for quick cutting of many commonly encountered site materials, and CRX products which have a continuous rim and are especially suitable for very hard materials such as granite."

Peter Houldridge, MD of Complete Hire Services, with Branch Manager Simon Winter
"We are visiting the Show to see all the latest equipment available. We have some machines in the fleet that will be coming up for replacement soon, and we want to ensure we buy the most up-to-date products. It is so much better to see machines first-hand at this Show, rather than just reading about them in a catalogue. And I am the sort of person that likes to take things to pieces to see for myself how they really work. It’s also great that there are so many special offers here at the Show.
We have bought a large pump from Oswald Record for re-sale to a customer with a specific application, and we have come to look at the company’s new Sullair PAC80 Evolution compressor, a compact machine that does away with oil coolers and complicated electrics, and which can be used with specially developed low-pressure air tools including a breaker, demolition tool and chipping hammer. It has also been really worthwhile catching up on the latest power tools available from exhibitors here, and seeing the new technology that manufacturers are incorporating to reduce HAV."

Mike Petrie (right), Operations Director of Palmaris Plant Hire of Aberdeen, with Workshop Foreman Doug Gerrard (left) and Operations Controller Gordon McDonald
"This is the third Executive Hire Show that we have attended. We flew down from Aberdeen on the Tuesday evening and returned the following night. The Show always proves valuable, and we are able to see a lot of new products that we wouldn’t otherwise get to hear about in our neck of the woods.
We have been looking at JCB’s new floor saw, the new Micro Dumper and 1.5-tonne Powerswivel hydrostatic models from Thwaites, and we have bought a couple of 6kVA generators from ArcGen Hilta. We also purchased some heating and lighting products from the Hire Supply Company - it had some great Show-only deals available.
Palmaris supplies a full range of tools and machinery, right up to portable accommodation and welfare units, which we design and build ourselves. Business remains good for us at the moment, with both the oil industry and the local housing market proving resilient. We certainly plan to be at the Show again in 2010."

Brandon’s Tim Smith and Tony Partridge on the JCB stand
"The Executive Hire Show lived up to all expectations this year. It was a great opportunity to meet key suppliers, like JCB. I got real value from talking to many people in one day about real business issues and opportunities, which is now more important than ever in the current environment. The Brandon team was able to see new products and increase its knowledge on existing equipment. This will help Brandon deliver value to its customers through better understanding of available products, as well as the application of innovations. All in all, it was one of the most interesting days for me in many months."

Carl Huntington, Operations Director of Hire Station
"We have been very impressed by Real Edge’s HAVi vibration exposure monitor. From a hire company’s point of view, there has been much mystique about HAV. We needed something simple that gives the user practical, visual evidence of their exposure, and which becomes as easy to adopt as wearing a hardhat or PPE. You just enter the appropriate HAV rating for the tool into the HAVi, which is fitted to the equipment, and it measures the vibration dosage, illuminating amber when the exposure action value is reached, and flashing red to show the limit value has been exceeded.
We are very excited about the HAVi, being the first product we have seen that easily demonstrates the problem to end users and offers an effective means of managing it. We plan to offer it as part of a package with equipment we hire out, and also as a re-sale item."

Jim Field, Commercial Director of Supply UK, with Jenny Blunt, General Manager of FMS Site Services
"During the Show we placed the very first order Seddons has received for its new Taskman-branded pressure washers, being launched at the exhibition. We have bought two 2000psi PW140PH12 models with Honda petrol engines, as well as a PW140PH12T version which has a solid wheel trolley and features chemical induction.
These have been bought on behalf of our customer, FMS Site Services, as part of a larger package of equipment being hired for works associated with contracts for BSkyB and the BBC. The machines will be supplied through our depots in Stratford, east London, and Kent. Seddons’ kit is always reliable and we get excellent support from the company.
The complete Taskman line-up ranges from 1250-3000psi powered by Honda petrol engines, with direct drive and gearbox options available. Two 3000psi diesel options powered by Yanmar engines are offered, and the range is completed by a bowser washer with an 1100-litre tank, fitted with a 3000psi pressure washer mounted on a road-tow trailer."
Amongst other hirers doing business with Seddons was Tim Hayward, Hiredesk Controller with Traction Equipment (Stafford). A runner-up in this year’s Executive Hire Show Passionate Independent Hirer Award, the company won £250 to be spent during the exhibition, and as a result some new Stihl strimmers will be added to the Traction fleet.

Thomas and David Smith of Smiths Equipment Hire
"There was a lot of new equipment to see and a good mix of suppliers. It was a very good Show. As some of the corporate names were not exhibiting, it was a pleasant change - and more interesting - to see a wider variety of exhibitors. It was also interesting to talk to suppliers in order to gauge the state of the market.
Competing on price is the worst way to compete, so we were looking for something new to offer our customers. The Turner Access BetaGuard is a fantastic new concept. It is a safer and better system for hirers to use and we’re sure that other manufacturers will follow. The Show was so busy on the first day that there were a few exhibitors that we wanted to speak to, whose stands were so crowded that we couldn’t get to see them. The HAVi hand arm vibration indicator was another new product that we liked, as was the Redweb GPS tracking system. It was also good to get back in touch with suppliers like Regency Screenprint, whose quote we are now considering."

David Gallagher, MD of Charles Wilson Engineers
"We enjoy our annual visit to the Show and attend by choice as it is hire-specific. Because the location is so central, our Managers as far afield as Bristol, Ashford in Kent and Liverpool can get to the Ricoh Arena and back in one day and still have a productive team meeting in the morning, spending the afternoon at the Show.
The opportunity offered by the organisers to use a meeting room at the venue was also very useful for our Managers to get together, to share ideas about the future and discuss the challenges ahead. It was also a good opportunity to meet suppliers and colleagues in the industry. We were also pleased to show our association with Brendon, with whom we have dealt for in excess of 10 years."

Peter Lancken (second from left), MD of Kennards Hire, Australia, with colleagues, and BGG UK staff
"Over the last few months, Kennards has been buying more Bruno generators and lighting towers. They are built for durability, have important environmental features like full bunding and low noise, and are easy to service. Although we are in Australia, we build strong links with our suppliers and the Bruno factory in Italy listens closely to any specific requirements we have, such as fitting long-run fuel tanks.
We have found that the Show is a great way of meeting suppliers and other hirers, and seeing all that is new. While in the UK, we have spent time visiting several depots of HSS, with whom we have a long-standing relationship, so that we can compare and contrast our operations."

Phil Baker, General Manager of Prestige Hire
"We recently retained a significant contract with the Black Country Consortium Group, comprising several local authorities in the West Midlands. This includes the supply of equipment relating to road works and we have been looking to increase our fleet accordingly.
I walked onto Pike’s stand, immediately saw posters announcing its new low-cost finance packages, and have placed an order for six radio-controlled battery powered RoboSign systems, six mobile battery XL Radiomaster sets incorporating the new XLTxt message alert facility, and Tandem trailer-mounted signals, to a total value of more than £70,000. This sort of arrangement is a great way of making equipment more affordable, and if I hadn’t attended the Show, then I wouldn’t have known about it. We have dealt with Pike for years. The products and service are excellent, and they also run training courses on the equipment for our staff and customers."

Atom Tool Hire MD Peter Davis, with Jackie Brewer on the Euro Towers stand
"This year’s Show was better than last year because more suppliers had introduced a large number of innovative products that created more interest. The Sullair PAC80 compressor on the Oswald Record stand was particularly inventive and ticked many boxes for us in terms of Health
& Safety.
We were encouraged onto the Euro Towers stand by a Crunchie bar and welcomed by a very friendly and knowledgeable team. Having seen and discussed its stairwell tower that allows you, when the tower is erected, to walk through it to access upstairs rooms, rather than squeeze through the few inches at the side of the tower, we ordered one on the stand on the Wednesday and it was delivered the following Tuesday.
We also met NTC, which has since visited us to collect our Clare tester and has taken it away for repair. We have signed up for a number of NTC training courses, like Clare testing, PASMA, safe loading of vehicles, bottled gases and abrasive wheels, and NTC will undertake all the training at our own premises."

Carl and Barbara Banks, MD and Office Manager of P.E.T. Hire Centre, with Datum Survey Products
"We have taken advantage of a special Show offer and bought three Datum Starter horizontal automatic levelling lasers, which have only recently been launched. Most builders do not need complicated equipment, they just want something to ensure accuracy when digging footings and for other applications. The Datum Starter features simple, one-button operation and has a range of 400m.
For the second successive year, P.E.T. Hire Centre was a runner-up in the Executive Hire Show Passionate Independent Hirer Award. The company won £250 to be spent at the Show, and put the money towards Abracs products."

Andy Parker, MD of YHC, with his team on the Timberwolf stand.
"In considering my thoughts for what the benefits were of us attending this year’s Show, I have to ask myself what would the implications be to my industry if I, and many like me, had chosen not to attend?
For those that have been involved in hire for many years, it is plain to see that the road to a credible showcase for our industry has been a long and bumpy journey, since the heady days of Wembley in the late 80s and 90s.
The last three years at the Ricoh Arena have simply got better and better as the Show has developed. The quality of the exhibitors and the amount of effort and finance that they put into their stands has clearly increased year on year and it demonstrates to me that the industry we are involved with is progressive and one of innovations in product development. This crystallises for me my own view that the hire industry is a supplier of problem-solving equipment and a source of knowledge to a wide range of trades.
It would have been easy to have not attended this year and put it down to time being a precious commodity, or a need to rein in unnecessary expenses, but then we would not have seen such market innovations as the new Turner Access guard rail system which revolutionises the erection of most makes of aluminium towers, or the Timberwolf S426 shredder, that has massive potential in a variety of waste reduction areas. And although, unfortunately, our capital expenditure budget was much reduced this year, we will be back in 2010 with an extensive shopping list."

Chris Winfield, Service Director of Herts Equipment Rental Ltd
Chris sent us this e-mail a couple of days after the Show:
"As a barometer of the success of the Show, I’d like to let you know about our latest developments. I met Simon Apsley of JSP at the Show on Thursday. The company manufactures, amongst other things, road safety furniture. Simon was keen for us to see that, through its Protection Express Division, we could not only save money, but also source a superior product, manufactured entirely in England.
The week after the Show, Group Hire Manager, Chris Roper and I visited JSP’s facility in Oxfordshire. The ongoing investment JSP is making in the facility was very impressive and clear to see. Running 24 hours a day, not only can it produce cost-effective, quality British products, but it can also satisfy our often very short lead times. Immediate availability is essential for us and the ability of a supplier to manufacture its own products should enable it to get ahead of the game.
The icing on the cake is that we can now send our old and damaged cones to the JSP plant where they can be reconditioned or recycled.
The ability to recycle environmentally damaging products, such as road cones, is a very real benefit to all of us. We have placed an initial order with JSP and trust that this will be the start of a very long and beneficial relationship for all concerned, including Mother Nature.
The initial seed for this new business was created entirely from my visit to the Show."