HIREQUIP

Press, 2 December 1989, Page 29

HIREQUIP

HIREQUIP — HERE TO HELP

The new centralised Hirequip outlet at 488 Moorhouse Avenue is the fourteenth in the Hirequip chain. The company began when the McKinlays of Dunedin bought their first hire outlet in 1969. Canny Southern logic lay behind the first purchase according to the Managing Director of Hirequip, Stuart McKinlay. "Our family firm was originally a construction company and we knew the hire firm was a good business because of the amount we spent there,” he said. The Clyde Dam was a catalyst for further expansion with branches gradually opening in Alexandra, Cromwell, and the lakeside towns of Wanaka and Queenstown.

WHY HIRE WHEN YOU CAN BUY? The key factors to consider as the answer to this question are convenience and cost. The catalyst for the dynamic growth of Hirequip Is that the company provides effective solutions for short-term problems. As with any other service industry Hirequip provides products and expertise to fulfill the needs of a market niche.

Just as hotels, airlines, or car hire firms “lend” their facilities to solve a temporary need so does the hire industry.

The "right tools for the job” are readily available for the period required. In the current cost-conscious business climate most sectors of the economy now see the need to keep a firm eye on expenditure. It is now widely accepted that many items of plant have a marginal utilisation.

When the cost of purchase and associated costs of repair, maintenance and storage are factored, many purchases are exposed as uneconomic outlay.

This logic has led the commercial sector, local authorities and the Government-owned SOE’s to the conclusion homeowners arrived at long ago — that frequently hiring is the sensible solution-

A branch also opened at Mosgiel just outside Dunedin, and this year depots have been opened in Balclutha and Blenheim.

The group also has interests in Melbourne, Australia.

“Clearly we are heavily involved in the construction and contracting industries, but the spin-off of this is that we can provide knowledge and knowhow to the domestic user or handyman,” Stuart McKinlay said.

“Our gear is simple to use for the handyman, we take a lot of trouble over purchasing quality.” “We are committed to expanding our services in Christchurch. This new site is part of that ongoing commitment."

WIDE EQUIPMENT RANGE Seven examples from the. wide range of Hirequip products are provided in this article. Access Platforms are quite possibly the scaffolding of the future. The range of lifts on the platforms can reach heights between 4 and 14 metres. They are mobile platforms which can be moved along at their working height by using simple controls on the platform.

The scissor lift platforms are proving particularly popular. With access platforms in areas such as painting and decorating the benefits of the easy mobility are improving project times and ease of work.

Waterblasters are also gaining in popularity with both commercial and domestic users. One recent convert remarked on returning his unit, “I’ll never use a scrubbing brush again.” Waterbed pumps are a prime example of filling a market niche. Waterbeds are popular with young urban dwellers who frequently shift and are in qonstant demand as a result. Mini Excavators are affordable and very easy to use. The Takeuchi mini excavators are in great demand from contractors, builders and the home handyman. A note of caution here, they are such fun to use they can lead on to other impromptu projects starting around the home.

Stihl chainsaws, scrubb cutters and cleaners enjoy year-round demand. Lawnmowers. There are squadrons of them, for every conceivable lawn-cutting situation. Hand Tools. Popularity with professionals is the key to Hirequip lines which Include brands such as Metabo and Bosch.

HIRE MARKET CHANGES The Moorhouse Hirequip outlet is the latest in a series of major changes to the local hire market. The catalyst for the more market-responsive face of hire equipment in the city started in 1984 when Dunedin-based Hirequip Ltd bought out McKay Hire. As part of the package they inherited four hire depots at Manchester Street, Ferry Road, Sissons Road and Main South Road, Sockburn. Two years later the company also purchased Handy Hire Ltd, with two outlets. Temporarily the Hirequip chain had a total of six depots. Two were merged, and with the opening of the new centralised Moorhouse outlet the Waltham and Ferry Road outlets have been closed. Market forces, pure and simple, were behind this series of developments, according to the Managing Director of Hirequip, Stuart McKinlay. “The two older depots had simply outgrown the needs of the hire business,” he said. “Today clients require easy vehicle access and that is what they have at Moorhouse. Obviously the fixed costs of two outlets versus one prime site also came into the equation.” At the close of the seventh week at the new site Hirequip are delighted with the decision to relocate. “It confirms the truth of the old adage about service industries, that the key to success is location, location, location,” Stuart McKinlay said.