Executive Hire News › Archives › December 2009 › Executive Report : In the spirit of Torex
Executive Report : In the spirit of Torex
Following the success of Plymouth Tool Hire, established in March last year, Andy Webber has now opened Torbay Tool Hire in Torquay. Robert Aplin reports.
It was in the corresponding issue last year that we met up with Andy Webber, who, after 26 years experience working for other hirers in the city, began trading as Plymouth Tool Hire Ltd in March last year. In the first of our ‘Taking the Pulse’ series of articles this June, Andy updated his progress, reporting, “we have been very busy, with turnover reaching £47,000 in the month of April. We continue to invest and, so far this year, I have spent £30,000 on new equipment. If, God forbid, everything came back off hire, we couldn’t get it all in - nowhere near it. We are really, really busy.”
This success in Plymouth prompted Andy to open a second depot 35 miles to the north in Torquay on 28 September. The significance of this location is that the town was also home to Torex Hire, the well-respected independent hirer that operated throughout the south west of England before its acquisition by Jewson in the 1990s. By adopting the Torbay name, Andy plans to serve the English Riviera towns of Brixham, Paignton, Newton Abbot, Dartmouth, Dawlish, Totnes and Teignmouth and believes that he can serve as far afield as Taunton.
Reflecting the spirit of Torex, Andy Webber has painted Torbay Tool Hire’s premises, only a couple of hundred yards from Speedy, in the famous Torex orange, as he also has done in Plymouth. The Torbay premises are larger that those in Plymouth, and feature a good size showroom, hire counter and a large storage area, all of which is under cover.
“In early summer, I set about searching for premises and a team to run the operation. I soon found the team and started looking for the right premises. The outlet is based on the busiest industrial estate in Torquay, there is a builders’ merchant nearby and we have ample parking.
In total, the outlet is nearly double the size of our Plymouth premises.”
The Torbay Tool Hire team comprises Manager Lee Wood, Assistant Manager Paul Black and driver Daron Beech. Lee and Paul were the former management team at the local Speedy depot and each has a thorough grounding in hire. Lee started out with Torex (that name again) in 1987 and has since worked for Jewson and Brandon, as well as Speedy, where he spent seven years, the last five in Torquay as Manager. Paul started at his father’s hire business, Universal Tool Services in Totnes 12 years ago, and stayed with Brandon, who bought Universal, for two years, before spending the last four years as Lee’s assistant at Speedy.
Lee Wood comments, “whilst I had seven great years at Speedy, being here is like working for Torex again. I feel more valued as a team member. We are certainly looking after our core local customers better.” Both Lee and Paul agree “the move has been good for us. We have the freedom to manage as we think best and use our knowledge of equipment to help customers solve problems. Andy has done everything that he said he would – he has invested in new kit, as well as the premises. If we need anything, Andy will buy it for us.”
As well as moving some equipment from Plymouth, Andy Webber has invested £65,000 in new equipment. Top of the list is two Takeuchi TB106 1.5 tonne mini excavators, as well as Makita breakers, Belle mixers, Husqvarna K750 disc cutters, Brendon mini bowsers, Stihl hedge trimmers and Birchwood lighting. “We continue to buy everyday hire items as they are needed.” Walk-in sales already account for 25% of turnover, with Parkers contractors’ tools and wheelbarrows being particularly popular.
“We are still very busy in Plymouth, averaging £40,000 a month turnover. Our start in Torquay has been steady, and we are picking up new business from small and medium-sized builders in the area all the time. Everything is in place to develop further. • |
