Executive Hire News › Archives › October 2009 › Profile: Fairview Lifting Gear Services : Height of achievement
Profile: Fairview Lifting Gear Services : Height of achievement
Alan Guthrie visits the Epsom branch of Fairview Lifting Gear Services, and learns about its award-winning service and the company's future plans.
Operating in a specialist market, Fairview Lifting Gear Services has found that demand for its equipment has remained strong during the economic downturn. Indeed, the company is steadily adding new customers. “In the recession, many contractors have been bidding for, and winning, work involving operations outside their normal spheres of construction activity, and they rely on hirers like us to provide advice on the most appropriate solutions,” says Sales Manager Kevin Lewis. “We will visit sites where necessary and
in many instances become part of the contractor’s team.”
Fairview has two depots. The head office is in Rainham, Essex, opened when the company was formed in 2002. Two of the four founding Directors, Jeff Hudson and Colin Midson, were previously with Lifting Gear Hire (LGH), the national hirer that was later acquired by Speedy in 2006. Jeff Hudson Is Managing Director.
Second depot in Epsom
Kevin Lewis, who, like many of Fairview’s employees, has worked within the lifting gear industry for many years, joined in 2005. One of his first tasks was to find appropriate premises for a second depot serving areas to the south west of London. “Epsom proved ideal, being close to the M25. We can reach clients along the M4 corridor and across north London. We supply customers working in Gatwick Airport and as far south as Brighton, and we have also provided many items of equipment for shipbuilding contracts in Portsmouth.
“We may not have as many branches as a national hirer, but we work hard as a team and cover a large geographic area. The key is having the right equipment and being able to ensure that you can get it to site when the customer needs it. Epsom has been so busy that, in May this year, we re-located into new premises that are double the size but still on the same business park.”
Fairview’s comprehensive fleet includes hoists, winches, jacks, materials handling equipment like Probst stone magnets, material lifts from Genie and Sumner Manufacturing, pallet trucks, stair climbers and shifting skates, powered access machinery, compact self-propelled cranes, a complete range of height safety equipment, fall arrest devices and general tackle such as manual chain blocks, chain slings and shackles. All products are available for hire or sale nationwide. Most items of equipment have to be thoroughly examined to exacting standards laid down by LOLER. Fairview also works very closely with the LEEA (Lifting Equipment Engineers Association) for staff training and regular audits to ensure the required standards are adhered to.
“We get a real buzz out of this industry”
Fairview staff obviously relish challenges. “We get a real buzz out of this industry,” says Epsom Depot Manager, Sam Warner. “Sometimes just getting equipment to site brings its own challenges. Many of our clients are winning work on the 2012 Olympic Games complex where deliveries have to be booked two days in advance. Drivers then have to wait in a nearby holding area until 40 minutes before their scheduled slot. Similarly, on airside deliveries at Heathrow or Gatwick, drivers must ensure they take original vehicle registration documents and other paperwork. However, getting the job done gives us real satisfaction.”
The customer base is diverse, including curtain-walling contractors installing glazed panels for multi-storey buildings. Frequently, Chief Designer, Keith Livermore, has to create bespoke solutions. On one such project, the company designed and manufactured a roof crane for installing exterior signage at Canary Wharf. It had to be in modular form to allow individual segments to be physically carried up the last six flights of stairs to the roof area, which had no lift access. The crane was supplied and installed utilising the existing BMU (building maintenance unit) travel rails, enabling it to move round all four elevations of the building, as the sign could only be lifted from one location at ground level then travelled around the perimeter as required.
Similarly, Fairview is frequently requested to devise appropriate methods for moving and positioning sensitive equipment, such as scanners in hospitals with each unit being configured differently at every location. Not surprisingly, Fairview regularly crosshires equipment, and supplies advice, to other hire companies and their customers seeking specialist solutions.
Award-winning team
Sam Warner has a staff of seven including hire controllers, technicians, technical representatives and drivers. The team’s commitment contributed to them winning The Hire Network Award for 2008, presented during the Executive Hire Show in February. Fairview has been a member of the Network for three years. As MD Barry Dean says, “The Award recognises staff service excellence at a specific depot. The knowledgeable Epsom personnel always do what they say they will, giving reliable and courteous service.”
“We were thrilled to win the Award,” says Kevin Lewis, who shuttles regularly between Fairview’s two depots. ”It means a lot because it was presented by people who actually use and appreciate the service we give. Customers tell us they appreciate speaking to informed personnel who can discuss their requirements and arrange reliable deliveries. We have a very low level of staff turnover, and because clients are able to talk to the same people each time, they get to know them. It is this personal level of service that few national companies can match.
“We had a fantastic day at the Show. We saw a lot of new products, like access equipment from GPC Industries, Pramac’s powered pallet trucks, and hoists from Imer Direct. We also made contact with existing suppliers such as Probst, Sumner, LTM and Tacklestore.” Sam Warner adds, “It is vital to keep abreast of new products as customers continue to present us with new problems to solve, and in hire you are learning every day. Some larger companies might try to slash costs to combat the downturn, but we will jump through hoops to satisfy our customers’ needs. However, we always ensure we remain competitively priced.”
Fairview plans to open a third outlet to the north of London early next year, enabling it to expand its coverage still further, with a fourth proposed for later in the year around the Midlands area. It will be fascinating to see how this award-winning business develops. •
www.fairviewliftinggear.co.uk |
