From a tiny lock-up to one of the South West’s most distinctive independent hire companies, Murray Hire Centres has grown through family values, hard work and strong customer service.
Tucked away in Yate, on the northern edge of Bristol, Murray Hire Centres doesn’t look like a typical hire depot. Yes, there are rows of excavators, towers, chippers and access platforms, and the workshop is buzzing with repairs and deliveries are heading out at speed. But there is also a landscaped water feature outside, the showroom-style retail area is notably neat and well presented, there are numerous memorials to the company founders in and around the place, cartoon murals adorn the depot walls and there’s a warmth that immediately tells visitors this is a business built around people as much as machinery.
Various JCB machines welcome visitors to the Murray Hire Centres depot
That sense of personality comes directly from the family behind it.
“We always treat people the way we would like to be treated ourselves,” says Director Mandy Taylor. “People come in here because they want to see a familiar face.”
Founded in 1982 by John and Ann Murray, the company remains firmly family-run today, with siblings Mandy Taylor and Ian Murray at the helm - and the next generation already involved in the family business.
The Murray Hire Centres showroom is as much a retail outlet as a hire depot.
The roots of the company stretch back even further. John Murray worked for HSS in London, initially as a driver, while Ann worked on the catering side before later handling accounts work for Action Plant Hire in Bristol. When the family moved west in the 1970s, John eventually decided he wanted to strike out on his own.
A shiny new JCB machine is a credit to the Murray Hire Centres team.
“My grandmother passed away and Dad came into some money,” Mandy explains. “He thought, ‘I don’t need to be working for somebody else — I want to do it for myself.’”
Those early days were modest to say the least. Old photographs still proudly displayed in the office show the original depot with little more than mixers, heaters, traffic cones and a handful of Honda trucks. But relationships and reputation helped the fledgling business survive.
“The reps were very good to us,” says Mandy. “They used to give us equipment on a sale-or-return basis. We’d hire them out, polish them up and put them back in the showroom, because we couldn’t afford to buy them outright at the time.”
Murray Hire Centres is an official dealer of Stihl machinery and accessories.
Ian laughs as he recalls the trust-based nature of the industry back then. “It was gentleman’s agreements in those days,” he adds. “Dad’s friend from Brook Thompson Generators basically said, ‘Have them for a few months and when you use them, pay me.’”
From there, Murray Hire Centres steadily expanded through word-of-mouth recommendations, leaflet drops and local reputation. Today, the business employs 14 staff and serves everyone from DIY users and small builders to large estates, utilities contractors and specialist operators.
Yet despite the growth, Mandy and Ian remain intensely hands-on. “I don’t sit in the back and be a director,” says Ian. “I’m more like a manager all the time really.”
Mandy agrees. “The reason people come in here is because they want to see us,” she says. “I can remember customers’ names from 30 or 40 years ago. You want people to feel special.”
The Murray Hire Centres hire desk, together with some of the famous cartoons adorning the depot walls.
That family atmosphere extends beyond the two directors. Ian’s son works in the business, his wife works part-time, daughter Kelly looks after the accounts and long-serving staff are regarded almost as extended family.
“We’ve got a manager we call ‘a brother from another mother’ because he has the same values as us,” Mandy says of hire manager Julian Leonard. “His customer service is second to none.”
Longevity among staff is another point of pride. One employee, Mandy’s husband Keith, has been with the company for more than 35 years. “That’s a life sentence for some people,” jokes Ian.
One of the most striking aspects of Murray Hire Centres is the sheer breadth of equipment on offer. The depot stocks everything from compact plant and access equipment to specialist landscaping machinery, arborist tools, robotic mowers and unusual niche products rarely seen in other hire fleets.
“We look for things different to everybody else,” Ian explains. “That’s important to us.”
Mandy adds: “We stock a lot of things the nationals don’t like doing.”
That philosophy has helped the company carve out a strong local identity, particularly in landscaping, arboriculture and specialist rural work. The surrounding area offers a surprisingly diverse customer base — from farmers and estate managers to garage door installers and housing associations.
“We’ve got a really wide range of customers,” says Ian. “Construction, DIY, arborists, estates companies – we try and cover everything.”
Equipment is kept an an orderly manner in the wareouse too.
That willingness to diversify has also helped Murray Hire Centres compete successfully against much larger national hire chains operating nearby.
“The nationals have restricted their ranges to just the really popular stuff,” Ian says. “But we do all sorts.”
Speed and flexibility are also major advantages.
“We try and deliver everything within an hour,” Mandy says. “As long as it’s within a 50-mile radius and we’ve got it in stock.”
This agility has become increasingly important, as some larger operators in the region have moved away from serving smaller customers altogether. “So many people come in and say the nationals just won’t hire to them anymore,” Ian says.
The company’s spotless depot and carefully maintained fleet are equally central to its identity. Murray Hire Centres operates a strict replacement policy on many machines – particularly high-use equipment, such as chippers and access gear.
The company's new Först chippers are sure to be popular with customers.
“I don’t like breakdowns on site,” Mandy says firmly. “I like things to be reliable.”
Ian agrees: “We don’t let stuff go to ruin.”
The emphasis on presentation is visible everywhere. Machines are clean, workshops organised and the retail showroom feels closer to a professional dealership than a traditional hire counter. The business is also an official dealer for Stihl, with battery-powered equipment becoming increasingly important.
“Battery has really taken over now,” Ian says. “Stihl sales are probably half battery, half petrol now.”
Sustainability is another area where the company has quietly invested. The depot roof now carries 150 solar panels, while cleaner fuels and battery-powered machinery are becoming more prominent across the operation.
“You want to be clean and green,” Mandy says.
Even the landscaping outside the depot reflects the company’s personality. The water feature and seasonal displays have become something of a local landmark. “At Christmas we put a tower up and turn it into Father Christmas climbing a chimney,” Mandy says. “People ask every year when it’s going up!”
“It’s just a bit of fun,” Ian adds.
Here's something you don't see at many hire outlets - an actual water feature outside the Murray Hire Centres depot.
That sense of fun sits alongside a deep emotional attachment to the business and its history. Memorials to John and Ann Murray remain visible around the site, ensuring the founders’ presence is still felt every day. “Mum and Dad are still here really,” Mandy says quietly.
The siblings officially took over after Ann passed away in 2008 and John in 2015, although their father remained involved for as long as he could. “We made him come in,” Mandy recalls with a smile. “He was the face of the business.”
Mandy and Ian sit in a quiet memorial they have created to their parents - John and Ann Murray, the original founders of the company.
Working alongside family inevitably brings challenges, but both admit their differences often strengthen the business. “We do disagree sometimes,” Ian explains. “But you’ve got to find an even ground.”
Mandy adds that pricing is often the biggest battleground when purchasing new equipment.
“I’ll want to do a deal,” she says.
“And I’ll say she’s trying to kill that person!” Ian replies.
Yet beneath the jokes lies a genuine shared philosophy. The pair remain deeply invested in preserving the company’s independent spirit while continuing to modernise and evolve.
“We go to shows looking to spend money and find something different,” Ian says. “You want to touch and feel things. Emails are all good, but we want to see the product properly.”
That mindset – curious, practical and customer-focused – perhaps explains why Murray Hire Centres continues to thrive in an increasingly consolidated market.
As Mandy puts it: “This place has got heart and soul.”
And walking around the Yate depot, it is difficult to disagree with that!
https://murrayhirecentres.com/
