Executive Hire Show › Why We're Coming To The Show Hirers ready for action We ask a number of passionate hirers why they are going to the Show next February, and why they urge others to attend. Dave Creamer, Managing Director (right) and Richard Aitkenhead, General Manager, Penrhyn Hire, Penrhyndeudraeth, Gwynedd "We spent two enjoyable, full days at the Show last February. As we are based somewhat off the beaten track, many suppliers do not send sales personnel to visit us, so it is critical for us to attend the Show to look for new equipment. We keep a 'lost hire' report that enables us to monitor when we have not had a piece of equipment to match a customer's requirement, and this forms the basis of our 'hit list' for new kit. During our visit we found a lot of new additions for our fleet, including two hydraulic breakers from JCB, a plasterboard lifter from Sumner Manufacturing, a framing nailer from Young Black, and vibrating pokers and block splitters from Fairport. We also spent time on the Higher Concept Software stand, talking about the latest developments in the Syrinx system that we operate. It is great to have the opportunity to see most of our suppliers in an environment and atmosphere that is conducive to doing business. We were also amazed at how many old friends from the industry we met during the two days. We are looking forward to another successful visit this February." Tony White (right), Depot Manager, Central Tool Hire, St Albans, with Assistant Manager John Rogers (left) and Director Nigel Heavens "Attending the Executive Hire Show this year proved really profitable for us. We picked up information about all the latest products and bought new equipment for our fleet, like all-terrain pallet trucks from Tacklestore, and we also made contact with Abnix Solutions, who we later got to do our new web site. You can talk to people face to face and build relationships much more easily than, say, over the Internet. The Ricoh Arena is a great venue and easy to get to. John and I drove up on the first morning of the Show, toured the exhibition and stayed overnight at a local hotel. We went back to the Show the next day, ready to do deals, and we will do the same next year. We got a lot out of the event, and in addition it is great to have the opportunity to talk to other hirers." Andy Newton, Sales Manager, Hartley Hire, Morecambe "I have attended both previous Executive Hire Shows with several colleagues and we were all impressed. We filled a car with staff on the first day of the exhibition, and did the same on the second day. It is easy for us to get to and from the Ricoh Arena in a day. This year, several products impressed us and are now in our fleet, such as a Cautrac tracked dumper. We spent time on the Pop- Up Products stand and had a close look at its range of platforms. We have already started talking about the 2009 Show and we will definitely be attending the event again." Allan Ross, Hire Manager, MacGregor Industrial Supplies, Inverness "I have attended the leading hire industry events annually for the last 14 years, including the 2007 and 2008 Executive Hire Shows, and I'll be there again in February. It's easy. I fly from Inverness to Birmingham and hire a car to visit the exhibition. I usually then take the opportunity to stay a couple of days seeing local specialist suppliers. We chiefly serve the oil and engineering industries with a wide range of equipment. The hire fleet also includes items like Arc-Gen generators and welders, Brendon pressure washers, Bosch grinders and Makita cordless tools. It's good to spend time talking to suppliers, and being an independent we can make decisions quickly about new fleet additions." David Taylor, Director, Penrith Tool Hire "I only purchased Penrith Tool Hire at the end of last year, coming from a background outside hire, and I have been busy learning the business since. I have a great team around me who have helped make the transition to running my own company easier, and I will be able to spend a full day at the Show, looking for new equipment to complement our existing fleet. It will be a great learning opportunity for me to see many of the industry's key suppliers in one place. Sales are another important part of our business so I will be looking out for what deals are available on power tools, consumables and PPE." Dave Green, Sales Director, Hirelink UK, Sutton Coldfield and Smethwick "We added eight new products to the fleet as a result of attending this year's Show, all of which have proved very successful. These included the Rippa multi-purpose blade from DTAS, the Enviroboot dust suppression attachment from The Hire Supply Company, which is very popular with contractors, and 80cm Ammann ride-on rollers. I have been to other events that have proved a waste of time, but we spent two full days at the Show. There were so many suppliers we wanted to see, and we kept meeting and talking with other hirers as we went round. Having recently relocated our Erdington branch to much larger premises in Sutton Coldfield, we will definitely be attending the 2009 Show to see what other products we can add, now that we have more space available at our new facility." Kevin Griffiths, Director, Griffiths Hire Shops, Oswestry "I went to the Show for the second time this year and had a productive visit.The venue was impressive and travelling there and back in a day was easy. Many of our suppliers were at the Show and I also came across several companies that we have not dealt with before. I placed a number of orders during the day, the first of which was with the Hire Supply Company for some floodlights. I also purchased some pumps from Obart. Like all hirers, I want to see new products when I visit a Show, and pro-active exhibitors that give you a good reason to go onto their stands. It was worth taking a day out of my schedule to visit the Show and I am really looking forward to the 2009 event." Paul Grainger, Depot Manager, Andara Tools & Plant Hire, Eltham "Looking through the floor plan of exhibitors for the 2009 Executive Hire Show, it is like Who's Who of hire industry suppliers. We are still very busy and have on-going requirements for new equipment, so it makes sense to make a point of visiting the Executive Hire Show to see what is available. I am always on the look out for new ideas and products that may appeal to our customer base and I expect the exhibitors to be offering some great deals in February. There is a good mix of stands covering all product groups, so I'll make sure that I can get around them all during my visit." Matt Rowe, Director Hire Standards, Westbury, Wiltshire "I registered for the Show as soon as I read about it in EHN last month. I did it on-line and it was easy. The exhibition will be a great way of finding out exactly what equipment is available and the latest innovations. Customers are always asking for solutions to an unusual task or situation, and often you'll remember having seen something suitable at an exhibition. You also might find a new niche opportunity among the products on show." Andrew Benham (right), pictured with Alan Cole, Directors, Fishguard Tool Hire, Dyfed "Although this business has been established for 23 years, we only bought it in September. I worked for A-Plant for 16 years and was Depot Manager at Milford Haven, before joining another independent hirer in south Wales. We offer equipment like Bosch and Makita tools, mini excavators up to 1.5 tonne, and we sell items like Stihl trimmers and Honda mowers. We have registered for the Show because we want to see all that's new in the market. I'll be particularly interested to see the latest low-level access products. Business is ticking over nicely at the moment. There are plans for a marina to be built at Fishguard harbour, and Tesco wants to build a large supermarket in the town, involving the re-location of a primary school." Founder Andy Webber (right) and Ian Marshall, Manager, Plymouth Tool Hire Andy and Ian will be making the effort to go to the Show in Coventry next February, after EHN's Robert Aplin visited them last month to find out about their new business, which Andy started in March. "Having previously worked for a national hirer, I had no chance of getting time away from Plymouth to visit any hire show, irrespective of its location. Now I run my own business, I need to keep up-to-date with the latest industry developments and find out all I can about innovative products and services that the company can make money out of. I would also like to meet and thank those suppliers that have helped us as we have established our business this year, as well as finding new suppliers that can help us to grow further. "It's going to be a fair old drive from Plymouth, but Robert Aplin assures us it will be well worth it. It had better be, as it's my wedding anniversary on 11 February and my birthday is the following day." Wes Mintram, Manager, Gardner & Scardifield, Worthing "I went to the 2007 Executive Hire Show and would have gone this year but for unforeseen circumstances. I certainly plan to go again this coming February to see what is new. When I visited I was looking for hydraulic breakers, amongst other items, and found good models on the JCB stand. Many of our suppliers were at the Show, and it was great to meet them in person. "I shall be looking out for compact crushers and dumpers at the 2009 Show, and I will certainly call in at the Seddons stand. The majority of our kit has Honda engines, and Seddons is an excellent spares supplier, never letting us down. Its new Parts Handbook is also superb, with a lot of useful information. Getting to the Ricoh Arena is easy. I find the best route from Worthing is to take the M27, the M3 and then join up with the A34." Tony North, Director, Bingham Hire Centre, Croydon "Over the years, I had become disillusioned with hire industry exhibitions as they appeared to be on a downward spiral. However, I have attended both the 2007 and 2008 Executive Hire Shows and it is great to see a good-sized exhibition with a real sense of purpose for our industry. I am impressed with the Ricoh Arena venue, which is in a good central location, and the range of exhibitors is great, from major international companies to smaller suppliers. I spent a very full day at this year's Show, which enabled me to have a good look around for new products. The Enviroboot from the Hire Supply Company caught my eye and we are now actively encouraging our customers to use them to minimise the risk of dust. I have got the 2009 dates in my diary, I am looking forward to seeing more new products and ideas." Steve Booker, MD, Kentec Tool Hire, Tonbridge and Snodland, Kent "The Show enables hirers to see a huge number of products in one go. The pace of business means you can't spend time reading brochures in the office. I commit a whole day to attending the exhibition, and my sole focus is to see the latest equipment. I can get my hands on it, take it to pieces and ask questions. Then, knowing what is new, I can decide what we need for the fleet and budget for the coming year. "This year I bought two Timberwolf chippers at the Show, which have proved excellent additions, and we added to our line-up of Demon pressure washers. We also bought Boss tower accessories from Youngman. We run a lot of PASMA courses, and it was valuable to learn about new access product developments." Ashley Chilton, MD, Ash Hire & Sales, Warrington "I visited the Show for the first time this year, and I will definitely be attending in 2009. We saw the latest products and developments from Probst, whose lifting and handling equipment forms the majority of our fleet. It was also good to look at different equipment that could fill certain market niches, and to see companies exhibiting logistical solutions in areas such as IT and management issues. Coming from an equipment and plant hire background, I bumped into a lot of familiar faces amongst the visitors, and it was great to catch up with them. We found the Ricoh Arena quick and easy to get to, and all in all I would say the Show offers something for every hirer." Matt Bloomer, Director, Traction Equipment (Stafford) "I attended the 2008 Show with three colleagues and we were impressed with the layout and the range of exhibitors. It was the perfect opportunity to keep abreast of new industry developments and to network with other passionate independent hirers. It is always interesting to hear other ideas and opinions. "In addition to catching up with many of our existing suppliers, we spent time looking for niche manufacturers offering innovative products to complement our existing fleet. If you are passionate about the hire industry, you must attend the Executive Hire Show! We will definitely be there in 2009, and would urge all our fellow independent hirers to get involved." Joe Hayes, Director, Marchstream Tool Hire, Manchester "Having not been to a hire industry exhibition for years, we were very impressed with the 2008 Executive Hire Show. Firstly, we liked the venue and the fact that we did not have to travel all the way to London. We appreciated the mix of exhibitors and it was a great opportunity to put faces to the people we talk to on the phone regularly. "Sometimes, it is good to get away from the depot for a day and have quality time with suppliers with no phones ringing or customers to serve. Amongst the stands we spent time on were Higher Concept Software and Sumner Manufacturing UK, which are two of our key suppliers. "We also managed to solve a problem. We had recently purchased two second hand mini diggers from another hirer and urgently required some spares. We opened an account with Leach Lewis at the Show, and the parts were with us within a few days. It was amazing how many hirers we knew that we bumped into during the day. We will definitely be attending the 2009 Show, both to see what's new and to show our support for the industry." Seamus Byrne, MD, Dromad Hire, Dundalk, Co. Louth "Having attended in 2007, I visited this year's Show with our Hire Manager to look out for new products. We flew into Birmingham Airport on Wednesday evening and stayed in Coventry for the night so we could have a full day at the Show on Thursday. As soon as we walked into the hall and on to the JCB stand, we noticed their tracked Dumpster, which has great potential for our DIY customers. There were also new products on the Hilti stand that we had a good look at. Another product category on our list was lighting towers and we visited the Sandhurst stand to look at the SMC range. We placed orders on the Wacker and SPE stands and got some good deals. When you go onto suppliers' stands, you can meet people who can make decisions and sort problems. All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed the Show and we will be booking our flights and hotel for 2009 very soon."