Executive Hire News › Archives › May 2009 › Profile: Mayday Plant Hire : "We do hire better than anyone else I know"
Profile - Mayday Plant Hire : “We do hire better than anyone else I know”
Robert Aplin visits Thornton Heath in south London to meet Derek Blow, Director of Mayday Plant Hire.
Mayday is a great name for a hire company, although this hirer was actually named after the huge local hospital serving the Croydon community – an even more appropriate name. Established by MD Peter Dorbin in 1976, the day-to-day operation of Mayday Plant Hire is now in the experienced hands of Derek Blow, who has been with the company for 18 years.
Before joining Mayday, Derek spent three years at Campbell Gray, one of the pioneering plant hire companies serving London and the south east of England since the 1950s and enjoying its heyday in the 1970s and 1980s. “I joined Campbell Gray in 1988 and my time there gave me a thorough grounding to kick off my career in hire. The company gave me great training and I learnt about every aspect of running a hire counter. I was encouraged never to do something just because you were told to, but to find out why.”
When Campbell Gray succumbed to the recession at the end of 1991, Derek Blow, who at that time was Manager of its tool hire operation in Merton, was made redundant. However, he was out of work for a week as his father Raymond was Manager at Mayday and the position of Assistant Manager was created for him. Derek’s father remained with Mayday for a couple of years before retiring.
Principally a tool hire operation
In spite of plant hire in its name, Mayday began principally as a tool hire operation. According to Derek, “prior to my joining the company, Peter Dorbin and my father had decided to invest in compact plant, like 1.2 tonne Bobcat (originally badged Pel-Job machines) mini excavators,
as well as the broadest range of tools available in the area. It remains our philosophy to look at what is available, and then try to find equipment that will help set us apart. If there is a better item of equipment available for any application, we will invest in it. We won’t buy the cheapest -
we always go for what we think is best.
“We don’t have a formal policy of equipment renewal – rather we use our instinct. If we need to expand, or contract a fleet, we can do this quickly. All our plant is now sold through e-Bay and we get good prices. Smaller kit either reaches the end of its useful life or is nicked. Our maintenance regimes are thorough and second to none. Each machine sold will have a full service history detailing everything undertaken since the day we bought it.”
At the time of our visit to Mayday, its busiest range of kit is its fleet of 35 Yanmar mini excavators, ranging from 1 tonne SV008s to 8 tonne zero tail swing ViO75 machines. “The majority is 1.5-3 tonne machines, but we have also invested in 5 tonne units as customers hiring 3 tonne minis asked for larger capacity units. Similarly, we were still losing out on hires for an 8 tonne machine, so we bought one. The average age of our digger fleet is about three years old, although the ViO units are less than two years.
“Delightful machines”
“The Yanmar units are delightful machines; the build quality is excellent and we have had no mechanical problems.” Matched with these minis are 10 compact 1 tonne Terex and Thwaites dumpers, as well as 3 tonne Neuson hydrostatic transmission, swivel skip machines. “We set a realistic hire rate – we are not the cheapest or the most expensive. In addition, we always charge delivery.”
As part of his quest “to look for something a little different”, Derek Blow has also invested in professional carpet cleaners and floor sanders. “I particularly like the Clarke genuine American Sander units with the continuous sanding belt on an expanding drum.” Another investment has been in Alto tower systems, which “have bucked the trend and have been flying out the door. We bought loads and we still don’t have enough.”
As part of its fleet, Mayday also keeps a number of compressors, but Derek Blow is adamant that “there isn’t a rate available that makes investment in compressors worthwhile. We would expect to get £130/week, but why should we run a fleet when national hirers would charge £50/week? We hire out single drum rollers for more than national hirers would hire out roller/breakers, so why should we buy this equipment?”
Mayday uses an inspHire software system to control its extensive fleet. “We make use of a great deal of its functionality. We already use the workshop and POP modules and will continue to 'bolt' on extras such as the CRM and e-business modules as our business continues to develop. When faced with the daunting task of structuring a piece of software to meet the needs of your business you cannot have enough input from your supplier.” Derek is so committed to inspHire that he is now Chairman of the Office Edition Forum Group.
“We have a large and varied account customer base – the core of which is smaller sub-contractors. In addition, our cash customers have increased beyond belief. Ten years ago, they represented 5% of turnover, now it is 50%. A consequence of the credit crunch is that, in the last year, some builders are now working for other contractors as ‘subbies’ or individuals are going it alone. As a result, they will hire from us on a cash basis.”
“Hire company’s hire company”
Derek Blow reports that Mayday has very good relationships with several local and national hirers including Bingham Hire, Croydon Tool Hire, 1st Hire, located in Rose Hill, Sutton and Focus Plant Hire, which is owned and managed by two former Campbell Gray employees. “We endeavour to be the hire company’s hire company. Local independents and nationals that re-hire from us are confident in the knowledge that we will not tap up their customers. In turn, if we can’t supply, we will re-hire from them. We also pool information between us. If we have a bad debt, we will let each other know.’
Mayday operates with a staff of 10 including Derek Blow and Peter Dorbin. “Over the years we have assembled a very talented team.” Hire Office Manager Melvyn Bance is in his 20th year with Mayday and is described by Derek as “our customer relations king as he has a brilliant manner with customers. Steven Street is very able on the hire counter and has been here 15 years, beginning as an apprentice tools fitter. What Colin Scales, our plant fitter, doesn’t know about equipment isn’t worth knowing. He was also formerly with Campbell Gray. Our two HGV drivers get through a huge workload and have tremendous knowledge of London. Crucially, all staff can fulfil more than one role.”
Amazing array of buildings
Located at its Woodville Road site since 1986, Mayday has bought out a number of neighbouring shops, as well as the gardens of adjoining properties as it has expanded. Operating at what must be the limit of what any site can do, the Mayday facility comprises an amazing array of buildings. In addition to the large road-facing showroom and hire counter, the site has buildings housing tools workshops, separate plant workshops, garden equipment storage, mini excavator storage, petrol equipment storage, a dehumidifier store and a sales and seasonal items store above the showroom.
Thornton Heath is not an easy place to get into or out of. My visit to Mayday certainly represented one of my more demanding journeys to visit a passionate hirer. Derek is, however, adamant that “for supplying London, this location is as good as it gets. We are 30 minutes from the M25, allowing us to serve Brighton within an hour and a half. The City of London is an hour away and we regularly supply mini excavators and dumpers to Buckingham Palace. Our drivers are loaded and ready to roll by 7am and we will be at the Palace by 8am.”
A confident Derek Blow sums up Mayday as “a large, single depot operation that offers something that many hirers can’t. We are in a very real sense, a plant and tool hire company. We have an awful lot of plant, an awful lot of tools and a broad spread of customers. In short, I believe that we do hire better than anyone else I know.” •
www.maydayplanthire.co.uk
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