In the pipeline

The fastest emergency hose replacement service there is

Quarter 1 2011

Reachingnew heights

Looking Back, Forging Ahead

Cont

ents

Published by Pirtek (UK) Limited35 Acton Park Estate, The Vale, Acton, London W3 7QETel 020 8749 8444 Fax 020 8749 8333 E-mail info@pirtek.co.uk

As 2010 draws to a close and 2011 begins, it is the ideal time to look back at the past12 months and to lay foundations for those to come.The history books will show that 2010 was the year in which a number of new termsentered common parlance: iPad, Apple’s highly addictive tablet computer; apps, theprograms used to drive a variety of functions on computers and smart phones;Wikileaks, a whistle-blowing website or a threat to national security, depending uponyour viewpoint; and ConDemNation, the less-than-complimentary term for the countryunder a Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition Government. 2010 will also beremembered as the year in which the term austerity was redefined from its originaldefinition of sternness to mean Government-enforced thrift.But, with the dawning of a new year, we can all look ahead with a greater degree ofpositivity. Economists suggest that the UK is now officially out of recession; and whiledevelopments in Ireland – where Pirtek has a strong presence – and elsewhere in theEurozone are a continuing cause for concern, the future certainly looks considerablybrighter today than it did this time last year.Here at Pirtek, we have added new Centres; increased our product and service offering;introduced a new iPhone and iPad app to improve our service still further; and we haveseen our name on the TV and on the British Touring Car Championship winner’s podiummore than ever before. And with the London Olympic year just a year away, we can allexpect to see a gradual (and long overdue) return of the feel-good factor.So, as we digest the last of the leftover turkey, put away the Port for another year, andsettle back to watch the long-haul holiday and Easter egg TV advertisements begin, letus all look forward to a year that promises greater political stability, renewed economicvigour, increased consumer confidence...and Pirtek Racing’s Andrew Jordan making thewinner’s podium his own.Happy New Year

Best regardsKelvin Roberts, Chairman, Pirtek Europe

School is in Session 3Up the Junction 4Hidden Assets 5Red Funnel Day 6Centre Stage 7Well Oiled 8Uplifting Experience 9

Numbers Stack up 10Competition 11BTCC 12

Faced with a tight project deadline onthe demolition of a former high schoolbuilding in South London, contractorTilley & Barrett had drafted in a pair ofhigh reach excavators that were slowlyand methodically munching their waythrough the seven-storey block. Butjust an hour after work began, one ofthe excavators blew a hydraulic hose,bringing the machine and a portion ofthe contract to a standstill.Since the machine was on hire, Tilley &Barrett’s managing director andindustry veteran Paul Brownimmediately called the rental company,only to be told that it could be severalhours before an engineer could be onsite. Enter stage right In the Pipeline’sMark Anthony - who was on site toshoot a demolition video – armed withhis trusty iPhone complete with thenewly-installed Pirtek app. “As soon as

An exclusive video to accompany thisstory can be found at:http://tinyurl.com/286tx4q

Above TheiPhone app thatsaved the day

Right the ultrahigh demolitionexcavator,temporarilygrounded untilPirtek Greenwicharrived

the hose blew, I dug the phone out of mypocket and showed the Tilley & Barrettguys just how the app worked. And theywere really impressed,” Anthony says.“In fact, we used it to place a call toPirtek Greenwich for an emergency callout.” With the video shoot halted whilethe machine was out of action, Anthony,Brown and National Federation ofDemolition Contractors’ chief executiveHoward Button walked round the cornerfor a well-earned cup of tea and a baconsandwich. “By the time we got back, thehose had been replaced and the PirtekMSST was packing up, ready to leavethe site,” Anthony says. “Pirtek arrivedon site about 25 minutes after we madethe call and within 15 minutes, they hadthe machine fixed,” concludes PaulBrown. “So a big thanks to them and tothe iPhone app for getting us up andrunning again so quickly.”

Right Place, Right Phone, Right Time

In the pipeline 3

Quarter 1 2011

Regular readers of In the Pipeline willbe aware that all Pirtek employees –from directors, managers and adminstaff to mobile sales and servicetechnicians and trade counterpersonnel – are required to attend thecompany’s National Training Centre ona regular basis to help develop,maintain and hone their skills in avariety of work and health and safety-related areas.What you may not know, however, isthat the purpose-built facility inBirmingham is also equipped to providea variety of external training servicesfor its customers ranging from the moreobvious hydraulic safety awareness andworking safely with hydraulic hosesthrough to SPA Quarry Passporttraining.

School is in Session“In recent months, we have run trainingcourses for some of the biggest andbest-known names in British industry,”says Pirtek’s national training, healthand safety manager, Martyn Smart.“These include British Sugar, theEnvironment Agency, Corus, BP andCastrol.”Smart is keen to point out that thesehighly specialised training courses canalso be run at the customers’ premisesto include theory and practical sessionswithin a familiar workplace. “We realisethat some companies are unable tospare their staff for training inBirmingham so we will gladly take ourcourses to them if necessary,” Smartconcludes. “The trainees often preferthis approach as it means they’reworking in a familiar environment and

Worcester-based WHC HireServices is an experienced hirecompany specialising in the rentalof large plant to contractors, civilengineers, groundworkcontractors, builders andcommercial clients throughout theWest Midlands. Purchased in 1997from the original owners, thecompany has developed from asmall tool hire company to one ofthe region’s leading independentplant hire companies.As the company has expanded - tocover an area from Welshpool toCoventry and Bristol toChesterfield – and its fleet hasdiversified, it became necessary tobring all hydraulic maintenanceand repair work under one roof.But it was not without some soulsearching, as hire manager DavidCreswell explains. "We obviouslywanted the best hydraulic service

AddingValue

available but we also wanted valuefor money. When we werecontacted by Jason Woods atPirtek Worcester, we had a pre-conceived idea that Pirtek wouldbe too expensive. We werepleasantly surprised when he notonly offered a superb service withexcellent response times but hesat down and worked out a veryattractive pricing policy for thecompany," he says. "Our companyhas a diverse fleet ranging frommini diggers to 16 tonneexcavators, dump trucks androllers to hammers and pumps.With important customers such asSevern Trent Water, it isimperative to ensure every bit ofkit works, every time. Although wehave extensive workshop facilities,it is reassuring to have Pirtek as aback up in the field. That servicehas now expanded to a nationallevel with Pirtek Worcester actingas the national contact point forPirtek's 90 national Centres. Onecall gets any problem sortedquickly."."

with equipment and tooling they’re usedto.”A full 2011 Training Course planner isavailable on request from MartynSmart: Martyn.Smart@pirtek.co.uk

Martyn in fullflow at thetraining suite inDigbeth,Birmingham

Above WHChire managerDavidCresswell (l)with Worcesterlicencee JasonWoods

Left, David withone Pirtek‘made earlier’ -one of theregular usestock items

Customer instructions on how to reach a stranded vehicle on site can sometimes be alittle vague, and, on occasions, more than a little misleading. But Pirtek prides itselfon upholding its Anytime. Anywhere. ETA 1 Hour service promise, no matter hownebulous the directions. Such was the case recently when Pirtek Basildon was askedto replace a leaking hose on a Bell B30D articulated dumptruck being used on theRoyal Society for the Protection of Birds’ sanctuary at Bowers Marsh in Essex.When asked for a specific location for the broken down truck, the answer came: "Youknow the marshes behind the Pitsea landfill? Good. Well go past the cemetery, outpast the farm and it's about a mile out on the marshes." Armed with this informationMSST Jon Bell headed in the general direction and, after additional instructions fromseveral site workers, eventually located the ADT nearly three miles out on themarshes. The truck was one of a fleet used by civil engineers to move 350,000m3 ofsoil for the new saltwater lagoons, footdrains and landscaped islands of the new1,500 hectare Wat Tyler Park, part of the Thames Gateway regeneration. The hose was replaced, the ADT tested and pronounced fit for purpose once again,and put back to work, much to the amusement of Jon Bell. "I love the way thatoperators assume the service van has four-wheel drive and that we can actually getout onto the marshes fully loaded,” he concludes. “But I can now see why theinstructions were a little hazy; there is literally nothing for miles around. Good jobI've got a good sense of direction and a much better sense of distance than the ADTdriver."

Up the Junction

Above left ,Mac extendingfuel hoses for a generator

Right, Notescapees from

the BluesBothers but

PirtekReading’s

Martin Mack (l)and Paul Elliot

from LaingO’Rourke

Going theExtra Mile

www.pirtek-europe.com

Anyone who has driven to Reading willknow that gaining access to the townfrom the M4 is nothing short of anightmare. However, a two-year, £62.6million road improvement scheme atthe A33 (Junction 11) is set totransform traffic flow. Maincontractor Laing O’Rourke has beencharged with work on this junction andthe construction of two new junctionson the M4. With such a massive civilengineering contract on their doorstep,Pirtek Reading Licensee Darren Squirevisited the site to investigate how hecould help in the fulfilment of thecontract. Meeting with site supervisor,Paul Elliot, Darren was told that LaingO'Rourke and its plant company Select

would only deal with approvedcompanies, and that Pirtek would haveto meet some very specific and strictcriteria to become one of thesecompanies. "Having no local contactand having to go through call centres isthe bane of my life,” says Paul Elliot. "Istressed to Pirtek the need for personalcontact, good local knowledge, and theability to respond any call out at anyhour. I was pleasantly surprised whenPirtek not only agreed but then offeredto provide a dedicated engineer for theduration of this important contract.”Martin Mack (or Mac as he prefers to beknown because there are a number ofMartins at the Pirtek Reading Centre)became the dedicated MSST and has

worked alongside Paul Elliot since theinception of the project. "Mac hasworked on just about every bit of kit onthe site, ranging from dumpers,compactors, excavators andgenerators. And he’s fixed them all. I can contact Mac directly or throughPirtek Reading and describe theproblem and he comes equipped withthe right parts, and just puts it rightwithout fuss.” Motorists will be pleased to know that,thanks to Laing O’Rourke (with thesupport of Pirtek Reading) the newroad scheme is well on target and thattraffic flow has dramatically improvedeven before the completion of thescheme.

5In the pipelineHidden Assets

London-based Terrafirma PlantLimited has so much faith in personalreferrals and retaining business fromexisting business partners, that itdoesn't advertise its services or evenhave a company website."The company has 11 years of firstrate experience in the utilities marketand has grown to 50+ employees now.We are a tier 2 contractor, we do allthe utility work for the majorcontractors but we are fairly unique in

that we deal with gas, water, sewerage and electricity projects. We run our own fleetof Case top cutters and mini diggers, HGV and grab wagons. As a result we have beeninvolved with some high profile work such as the Olympics,” explains commercialmanager Dave Charles. “Because of our versatility, we were recently awarded thecontract for the A3/Elephant & Castle utilities work. We provided new gas, watermains and an 8-way electric system, which saved 34 weeks of disruption forSouthern Gas and Morrisons.” Charles says that he chooses to use Pirtek’s on-site emergency hose replacementservice partly because it’s reliable but also because he believe the two companieshave much in common. “We are very much the specialists in our field which is why weappreciate Pirtek,” he says. “They are very much the recognised specialist in theirs." Charles reports that Pirtek Docklands has provided some unusual services toTerrafirma, including the investigation and £15,000 repair of a top cutter that wasdamaged through third party contamination. “Our top cutters receive a lot ofvibration when in operation, which puts a lot of strain on the hydraulics. Theyconstantly need repairs which, in extreme circumstances, means the machine is non-operational and the project grinds to a halt. Pirtek will constantly check the cuttersare fit for purpose and should they fail at any time, they are on site instantly,” heconcludes. “Pirtek Docklands has never let us down. They have provided anemergency hydraulic service, carried out refurbishment work and supplied specialisthoses, valves and even winches. We could use other hydraulic companies but Pirtekare like us. They keep their promises."

Terrafirma’s commercial managerDave Charles, with one of thecompany’s vital top cutters (left)

Swindon based Hi-Reach Accessprovides boom lifts, scissor lifts,and a variety of trailer-mountedaccess platforms and roughterrain forklifts from its fivenational depots, while sistercompany Ecolift supplementsthis service with a range of ratherunique mini (spider) cranes. "We have a large and very diverse fleet that is constantlybeing upgraded. As well as the standard platforms, weprovide a lot of machines for niche markets, such as the 3.5tonne Cabstar platforms, which have proved very popular,”explains foreman Barry Green. “But the Ecolift mini craneshave been real stars in the popularity stakes. Because theyare lightweight, they can be raised onto the top of a buildingand used to lift glazing panels into position. We now offerfive ranges of spider crane to fit just about any application." Green admits that keeping the 150-vehicle fleet in tip-topcondition is no mean feat. “Customers do the strangestthings to our machines, and we do get them back in a bit of astate sometimes. However with the support of Pirtek toback us up, there isn't much we can't get back on the roadquickly," he says. "We are a longstanding Pirtek nationalaccount, and we know there will be an engineer on site withinthe hour, no matter where in the country the machine hasencountered a problem. We've always been pleasedwith their service, as they have some reallygood engineers who really knowtheir stuff."

On the Upand Up

Quarter 1 2011

Foreman Barry Green with one ofthe Hi-Reach ‘spider cranes’

Red Funnel DayAnyone travelling to the Isle of Wightover the past 150 years will have comeinto contact with the Red Funnel linewhich operates the ferry servicesbetween Cowes and Southampton.The company operates three car ferriesthat carry 200 cars and 800 passengerson the 55 minute journey. Tosupplement these, the company hasthree Red Jet Hi-speed catamarans thatcomplete the journey in just 25minutes. Between them, the ships carry3,000,000 passengers on 37,000journeys, covering a staggering724,000 kilometres every year on thisrelatively short-haul crossing. Responsibility for maintaining theseaworthiness of these vessels falls toSupervising Engineer Steve Gillett.“We usually run two vessels of eachclass on the regular service and bringthe third vessel into action when it gets

busy. This allows time for maintenanceon a rotating basis for each craft. Werun a big engineering section at thecompany to ensure everything runssafely and smoothly. However even thebest laid plans can't foresee a partsfailure, which is where PirtekSouthampton provide such a vital partof our maintenance programme,”Gillett says. “They have oftenattended an out of hours call out, andthey always seem to have those oddparts that we don't have in our stores,including US Imperial and even odd,very fine French threaded fixtures."Gillett’s sentiments are echoed byMaintenance Supervisor Steve Day."For years we have used the PirtekSouthampton trade counter to help ustrack down parts. But recently, wehave also started to use the on-siteservice which has proved equally

excellent,” Steve Day concludes.“Thankfully we don't have to call themout very often but when we do they arenot just quick but they have provedthey have a very clear understanding ofthe marine sector and its needs.”

Playing the FieldWhen the call went out to attend a 13tonne drilling rig with a leaking hydraulichose, Pirtek Watford MSST James Doveprobably didn't expect to find the Van-Elle SM400 Soil Mec in the playground ofShepherd Primary School inRickmansworth, Hertfordshire.The school had noticed that theplayground was suffering subsidence and,after investigation, it was found that thechalk sub soil was being eroded byunderground water. A specialist teamfrom Van-Elle had been called in fromNewcastle and were in the process ofdrilling 22 bores to a depth of 10 metres,into which they were pumping 40 tonnesof liquid cement to stabilize the sub-soil. But site foreman Chris Hendersonnoticed the main drill hose had sprung aleak. "We were on the penultimate day ofthe project with practically all the borescomplete, and 13 tonnes of the cement already in place when the hose went. Wehad promised to be off site the following day so we had to act fast,” Hendersonconcludes. “As a Pirtek national account we had access to all their Centres andtracked down Pirtek Watford as our nearest point of contact. They arrived veryquickly and repaired the hose within the hour. Everyone, especially our client, wasvery impressed.”

Skip to the LooA medal for services above the call of duty must goto James Dove MSST of Pirtek Watford, when heattended a failed 20 m3 Geesink Norba Ro-Rohospital 731 compacter skip at Harefield Hospitalrecently. The skip had been badly overloaded, which in turnhad forced rubbish to overflow and rot around the hydraulicplate and then into the control system, breaking thehydraulic pipe mounts and damaging the hydraulic pipesthat operate the internal rams. When the Geesinknorbaengineer arrived on site, he immediately contacted PirtekWatford to say the machine would need replacement hosesand possibly some internal remedial work. In the meantimehe asked the hospital maintenance staff to clear the wastematerial. A wheelie bin of some unspeakable material laterand the hoses were revealed. To the amazement ofthe Geesinknorba engineer, Dove then undertook theremoval and replacement of the damaged hoses andaided with the refitting of the mounts. "That is not ajob I would have asked anyone toundertaken" he said. "But it says alot about the level of serviceexpected of a Pirtek engineer."“This is the dark side of thebusiness nobody warns youabout,” James Dove concludes. “I think the best course of actionnow would be to go and burn allmy clothing."

www.pirtek-europe.com

Southampton’sNick Edwardswith RedFunnel’s SteveGillett

In the pipeline 7

Pirtek TakesCentre StageOn 24 November 2010 the iconic RoyalShakespeare and Swan Theatres inStratford-upon-Avon reopened after athree and a half year redevelopment aspart of the Royal ShakespeareCompany (RSC) £112.8 milliontransformation project that involvedPirtek Birmingham supported by PirtekRedditch. The building now features abrand new 1,040 seat thrust stageauditorium, 36 metre high tower, newexhibition spaces, Rooftop Restaurantand Riverside Café with terrace,restored 1930s features and improvedpublic areas including the new WestonSquare. "It was certainly one of the most unusualprojects we have tackled. We have hadtwo MSSTs working solidly at Stratfordfor two and a half months, that's over500 hours. We started in August andcompleted at the end of October.Although we tendered for the work andwon the contract on price, the RSC wasalso impressed with our insurancecover, comprehensive health and safetyprocedures, and in-house trainingprogrammes that meant that everyengineer supplied to the project, wasfully qualified,” says Pirtek BirminghamLicensee Andy Connell. “We pitchedagainst five other companies, presenteda work schedule and plans to complywith the requirements of the project,but it soon became clear as workprogressed, that we could improvemany of the practical, operational andeven aesthetic elements of thehydraulic work. Apparently we were theonly company prepared to do theconstruction work on site, rather thanmanufacture off site and install later. "In fact, this flexibility proved invaluableas Peter Bailey, Deputy TechnicalDirector for the RSC explains, "As themain construction and upgrades hadalready been done, the permanenthydraulic systems had to be installed tofit round the structures. There were nodrawings or designs at this stage, so ourengineers ended up taking photographsof each area of the site and thenindicated to Pirtek where we wanted thepipes to run and what they were to

power,” he says. “Effectively we needtwo hydraulic rings, one for eachtheatre. The rings had to run from thepowerhouse compressor plant, intothe basements of each building, wherethey were split into six outlets in theRoyal Shakespeare Theatre and afurther three in the Swan. Thesystem powers the accumulators andrams that control everything frommoving the scenery to operating thesmallest items on stage, such asopening a window. As Pirtek wasprepared to work on site, it allowed aflexible approach as plans could beamended and a better solution couldbe found if a problem wasencountered at the time." The project involved the installationof 166 metres of 38 mm steel pipe,together with 134 metres of 42 mmand 126 metres of 25 mm pipe.Pirtek Birmingham demonstratedthat, by routing through thepowerhouse walls and keeping thepipes inside, ugly external fittingscould be avoided. "I have to take myhat off to our MSSTs, Ian Cochran andAshley Cotterell. They worked in verycramped, difficult conditions, oftenmaking suggestions that wereadvantageous to the customer, butthat would entail extra work forthemselves,” Andy Connell says.“However, when the site agentcommended our work andcomplimented our staff on their neatand tidy work, it made it allworthwhile. I also have to thankPirtek Redditch for providing backupduring the project. They made sureour existing customers received ournormal rapid response service."With all the pipework in place and thesystem just awaiting the compressorto be fitted, Peter Bailey has the finalword. "We are a happy customer andare very pleased with the work thatPirtek has done. They were able toaddress the complexities of theproject and the client, as well as thebuilding, and have risen to theoccasion,” he concludes. “There werea considerable number of people and

Quarter 1 2011

The completed RSC and Swan Theatres

Part of the massive refurbishment programme nearing completion

Ian Cochran (l)Ashley Cotterell

bodies to satisfy, as the site is ofnational importance. I'm happy to sayPirtek fulfilled all our requirements."The building reopened to the public on24th November for preview events totest all the new facilities before the firstfull Shakespeare performance is stagedin February 2011. For those wishing to see a show andenjoy the end result of Pirtek’shandiwork, you can find moreinformation on www.rsc.org.uk or byphoning the RSC’s ticket hotline on0844 800 1110.

Well OiledVeolia Environmental Services andPirtek share a common belief in caringfor the environment. So when thewaste management giant recognisedthe potential danger caused by oil andhydraulic spillages, Veolia called inPirtek Harlow to advise and train their40+ crew members in how to safelycope with these problems.Under the guidance of Harlow depotsenior supervisor Sharon Knight, Veoliahave instigated a programme of trainingtheir operatives in how best to copewith such spillages. Originally started asa joint training session between Fentexand Pirtek, Pirtek Harlow has now takenover the project.Lee Tubb, brother of Pirtek Harlowlicensee Perry, usually trains two orthree teams (five to six people) at theVeolia site. He runs through the kitcarried on the Veolia vehicles and thenuses two Pirtek safety videos tohighlight the problems posed by aspillage, how to cope with them and thepotential dangers the crews may

encounter. The basic concept revolvesaround the four safety principles ofidentify, secure, protect and dispose.Lee Tubb then describes the differentspillage products including booms, matsand granular products, and theirsuitability in different applications.Finally he uses the mats in a practicaldemonstration to show theirabsorbency and water resistance andhow they should be used in situ. Thesession ends with a question and answersession. "Veolia believes in on-going training andwe expect our personnel to continuallyimprove on their skills. We realised along time ago the importance ofenvironmental pollution and took a pro-active stance to deal with it,” SharonKnight says. “With our longstandingconnections with Pirtek, they were theobvious people to consult. Lee Tubbnow does all our spillage training andrefresher courses, and we expect theentire staff to have attended one of hiscourses during the year."

Veolia’s seniorsupervisorSharonKnight, withPirtekHarlow’s LeeTubb

www.pirtek-europe.com

Lee Tubb is clearlydelighted to have beeninvited to participate inthis important trainingprogramme. "It's a greatcompliment to Pirtek to

be invited to participate in theenvironmental training of a marketleading company like Veolia,” heconcludes. “This training programmehas been a great success and we arehoping to roll out this service to otherconcerned customers in our local area."

The 2.6 hectare Pearsons MaterialRecycling Facility in Thetfordboasts a recovery and recyclingrate of 85 percent from the 130tonnes of mixed commercial,industrial and domestic wastebrought onto the site every day."To achieve this remarkably highpercentage, Pearsons take a verydifferent approach to sorting thewaste," says site supervisor SeanSteven. "All the waste is hand-sorted on two picking stationsbefore being segregated andfurther sorted by our Carmac LSUC1200 plant. This allows us to sortthe material more accurately.Apart from food waste, whichcurrently goes to landfill, prettymuch everything else can berecycled. We recycle all the usualproducts, glass, wood, paper, card,plastics, metal, aggregates, green

Recycle, Reusewaste plus a variety of some reallynasty products that other siteswon't touch."Steven reports that this toughoperating environment placesspecial demands upon theequipment, which is why they haveentrusted its care to Pirtek Norwichand, more specifically, MSST GavinHancy. “Gavin is constantly on sitereplacing damaged hoses on theFuchs handlers or the wheel loadersin the yard. We also have a KESystems baler that requiresattention from time to time,” hesays. “But where Pirtek reallycomes into its own is on the Carmacplant. The constant movement andvibration takes a heavy toll on thebelts and hoses of the flexdecksand trommels. Gavin plays a majorrole in maintaining the plant,coming equipped with just about

every strange part, hose and fixtureyou can imagine to keep everythingworking. I can honestly say heprovides the best hydraulic servicewe have ever had.”

Above, Norwich MSST Gavin Hancy (l),with Pearson’s site supervisor SeanSteven, supported by Norwichtechnical sales rep, Steve GreenLeft, Sean with one of the hardworking Fuchs handlers

9In the pipeline

A-Plant is one of those names that issynonymous with the UKconstruction industry. Founded in1947, the company has grown intoone of the giants of plant hire. Afterbeing listed in 1986, the companyexpanded through a series ofacquisitions that saw it break out ofthe UK and into the US market in1990. It is now one of the largest

Uplifting Experience

non-operated equipment rentalcompanies in the world and formspart of FTSE-250 company asAshtead Group plc.A-Plant's Powered Access workshopco-ordinator, Sheila O'Callaghan,based at Brentwood, proudly statesthat the company has continued togrow because of the vast array ofequipment readily available to

companies. "For example, ourPowered Access division has a hugerange of equipment, with a hire fleetof more than 2,000 units, fromscissor lifts and telescopic booms topowered personnel lifts and trailermounts. Over 600 units are availablefrom this depot alone,” she says.“Our fleet is modern and well-maintained, and we offer truenational coverage, experiencedtechnical support, safety advice andindependently-approved PoweredAccess Safety Training Courses." To keep this vast equipment fleetrunning would be a logisticalnightmare, O’Callaghan says, if itweren’t for the input and support ofPirtek Basildon. "To ensure our fleetis maintained to the highest level, werely on expert help in our servicedepartment. This depot has employedPirtek Basildon for over five years,and I can truly say that they provide asuperb service. I simply can't fault it,”she concludes. “Pirtek gets a bigthumbs-up from all of us."

Quarter 1 2011

The A-Plantcrew thoughtenough ofBasildonMSST Jon Bellto stand in therain to havetheir picturetaken withhim!

When Widnes Skip Hire recentlychanged its name to WSRRecycling, it did so to overcomecustomer misconceptions aboutthe company that generallyoverlooked the highly successfulrecycling side of the business.And to demonstrate that WSRRecycling can be equally guilty ofmaking incorrect assumptions, thecompany admits that it had initiallydismissed Pirtek’s hosereplacement service asprohibitively expensive. “It turnedout that Pirtek Liverpool wasactually cheaper than ourincumbent supplier,” says WSRrecycling manager Don Bradfield."We started using Pirtek Liverpoolafter they paid us a visit with theirparts catalogue. After we hadchatted through a couple of things

Buying on Value, Not Price

and sorted out the pricing, wedecided to give them a go the verynext day. Since then they haveattended all our breakdowns.”Bradfield reports that Pirtek’s no-

fuss approach is equally importantas its competitive pricing. “Whatwe like about them is that we don'thave to remove the hoses andpresent them to the engineer.Steve Cook, our regular MSST,arrives on site, removes thedamaged hose, makes a new one onsite and then replaces it on themachine,” he concludes.“Absolutely no fuss at all.”

LiverpoolMSST SteveCook

WSRrecyclingmanager DonBradfield.

777 is renowned for its ultra-highdemolition excavators. But thecompany also runs a huge range of largeplant hire machinery that is used acrossthe UK. "The only problem with havingplant scattered all over the country isgetting to it in a hurry when somethinggoes wrong,” says workshop and plantmanager Rob Jarman. "If anythingstops working, the hirer will take greatdelight in deducting money off our bill.Although we have extensive workshopsand take great pride in ensuring thatevery piece of kit that goes out worksproperly, parts fail and machines getdamaged. It is in the interests ofeveryone to get that machine back intoaction as quickly as possible, as all thetime it's not working, it's not earning!”For this reason, 777 calls upon theservices of Pirtek; an initial contactmade through Pirtek Mitcham evolving

(Above) PirtekMitcham’sMSST AdrianMarriott and 777 workshopand plantmanager, RobJarman

The Numbers Stack Upinto a national service. “We use PirtekMitcham as our primary point of contact.I simply phone them, tell them what's gonewrong and where it is and they takeownership of the problem. Iknow they will pull out thestops to get it back to work.”Jarman says that he constantlychecks Pirtek’s pricingstructure against that of itscompetitors, but has continuedto work with Pirtek for morethan seven years. “I have hadlong conversations with PirtekMitcham on pricing, and we have achievedthat. But I am always looking for value formoney and have continued to exploreusing other suppliers. But I still use Pirtekfor a reason,” he concludes. “They providean excellent service, their emergencyresponse is excellent, and the productsare first class.”

Breathing new life into what was oncethe industrial heartland ofKidderminster is no easy task. Theheavy industries that took twocenturies to establish have disappearedin less than 20 years, with little toreplace them.So it is heartening to find LawrenceRecycling taking over one of thesevacant sites to develop Forge Recycling.The 6.4 hectare site has the capacity tosort 250,000 tonnes of waste annually,recycling 90 percent of the mixed wasteand construction and demolition wastethat passes through its gates. Themassive covered site, once used tomanufacture ship prop-shafts, is nowused to sort, segregate and recyclecardboard, plastics, paper, brick rubble,concrete, soils, glass, green waste, wood,plasterboard and metals before they arere-processed for use in the manufactureof new products. The site originallyhandled around 65,000 tonnes/yearwhen it started but is currently runningat 100,000 tonnes/year as the businesshas expanded. It is hoped that the sitewill be allowed to expand to ultimatelyprocess 500,000 tonnes/year fromcommercial, office and construction and

demolition customers within an 80kilometre radius of the site. However, keeping this massive site inworking order is no mean feat, asmaintenance manager Lee Hodgesonpoints out. "We have a static Kivercotrommel, JMM Moldrow blower andpicking station, material handlers, anumber of wheel loaders, a new baleingfacility, a large fleet of dustbin lorriesand 18 skip carriers to keepoperational,” Hodgeson says.“Thankfully, the company has had alongstanding relationship with PirtekKidderminster and know they can alwaysturn to them to get things moving againif we have an unscheduled maintenanceproblem. Their response time isexcellent. They may come in to repairthe hydraulics on the dustbin trucks butwill quite happily turn their hand tomaintaining a piece of static machineryon the same visit. "This sentiment isechoed by managing director DavidLawrence. "We’ve used Pirtek for manyyears and their service stands out fromall the other hydraulic companies, whichis essential when machines are brokendown and can’t work. As a result we haveused Pirtek for 14 years and will

continue to do so."This close relationship has even resultedin Pirtek Kidderminster and PirtekWorcester sponsoring local under-14football team "the Lions" that countsLee Hodgeson’s son among its players.Pirtek Licensee Jason Woods suppliednew kit to the team when they were indanger of folding due to lack of funds.Resplendent in their new Pirtek-brandedkit, the team has gone on to win its localchampionship.

Forging Ahead

Above, the Lionsresplendent inPirtek stripBelow, MDDavid Lawrence(right) withWorcester’sJason Woods,Bottom right,Jason and LeeHodgeson

(Right) One of777’s famous hi-reach demolition

excavators

www.pirtek-europe.com

11In the pipeline

Although the British Touring CarChampionships is over for anotherseason (see back page), Pirtek is already looking forwardto another action-packed seasonof racing up and down the UK. And the company is offering onelucky reader the chance to win apair of tickets to the BTCCmeeting at Oulton Park on 5 June2011. To win these coveted tickets, youneed to answer one simplequestion; but you might like totake a look at this videofirst:http://tinyurl.com/23y83j7How many moustaches feature inthe opening sequence of Pirtek’s“Big Shave-off” video? Please email your answer toinfo@pirtek.co.uk.The winner will be drawn from thecorrect entries on 10.03.2011. For further information, go towww.pirtek.co.uk.

Congratuations to competitionwinner Alan Griffiths of EnterpriseFleet & Plant Hire Ltd who has wonan Apple iphone 4 i in the ITP 42010 competition . He will of course be using the newapp!

Competition

“Best Moustache for Movember2010” goes to Lee Jenkins fromPirtek Northampton 2nd Martin Mack from PirtekReading, 3rd Kevin Hazard from PirtekLiverpool , 4th Neil Sherwood from Pirtek Poole

A team from Pirtek Ellesmere Portalso took part in the northernround of The Prostate CancerCharity Tour of Britain onSaturday 18th September.Determined to be noticed and gainmaximum publicity for the event,the team opted for some‘alternative’ eye catching kit. The frighteningly attired ‘TeamGorgeous’ were certainly hard tomiss - well done guys, that tookreal courage. We are pleased tosay the new look will not beadopted for MSSTs on regularcustomer call outs.

On yourbike 2!

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

sign up now at

tourride.co.uk

using promo

code TOB10

The Prostate Cancer Charity Tour Ride 2010

South West 5th September London 18th September Stoke-on-Trent 26th September

We are offering Pirtek staff the chance to take part for half price!

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ales (1005541) and in Scotland (SCO39332.)

To sign up contact:andy.rogers@pirtek.co.uk07769 645 469jenny.bull@prostrate-cancer.org.uk

020 8222 7622

Quarter 1 2011

There were times during November whencustomers visiting Pirtek UK’s West Londonheadquarters or some of its 90+ dedicated HoseCentres may have felt that they had walked into aCharles Bronson/Tom Selleck tribute. Together with a huge number of companies andindividuals, many of Pirtek’s (male!) staff grewmoustaches as part of the Movember campaign toraise funds for and awareness of The ProstateCancer Charity. The team raised more than £4,000for the charity but when the end of Novembercame, they gathered at Pirtek’s HQ for the bigshave-off, courtesy of Big Jim’s Trims of Ealing. “The Pirtek team did a great job in difficultgrowing conditions, and we are delighted to becontributing more than £4,000 to such aworthwhile cause,” says Pirtek’s businessdevelopment director and temporary moustache-in-chief Alistair Wiggins. “It’s particularly pleasingto be making this donation as The Prostate CancerCharity is Pirtek’s nominated charity. Many thanksto all who have participated and to all those peoplearound the country who have supported us sogenerously.”An exclusive video of the “big shave-off” can be viewed here:http://tinyurl.com/23y83j7

In the pipeline

UK 0800 38 24 38 ROI 1800 74 78 35 www.pirtek-europe.com

Rising British Touring CarChampionship star AndrewJordan’s win in the final race ofthe season fired an earlywarning to his rivals that he willbe the man to catch in 2011.An action-packed weekend ofracing at Brands Hatch provided afitting end to one of the most hotly-contested British Touring CarChampionships of recent years.And it was telling thatPirtek Racing’s ownAndrew Jordan stolethe plaudits, winningthe final race of theseason from a well-earned pole positionand signalling hisintent for the 2011season.Into the first cornerJordan establishedan advantage afteranother lightningstart to the race which he went on to leadfrom lights to flag. With twosafety car intervals in the race,Jordan was able to pull awayfrom the chasing BMW of StevenKane by making impressiverestarts. After 27 laps of toughracing Jordan crossed the line totake an impressive second victoryin the BTCC this season.As a result, the Pirtek Racing teamfinished the season in 7th in the IndependentDrivers Championship and 6th in theIndependent Team’s Championship, 10th inthe Overall Drivers Standings and 8th in theOverall Teams standings.“I’m surprised and delighted that we cameaway from the final race with another win.We had been struggling with the car thisweekend and going into the last race I wasn’t

BTCC 20113 April Brands Hatch, Kent 17 April Donington Park,

Leicestershire 1 May Thruxton, Hampshire 5 June Oulton Park, Cheshire 19 June Croft, North Yorkshire 7 August Snetterton, Norfolk 4 Sept Knockhill, Fife 18 Sept Rockingham,

Northamptonshire 2 October Brands Hatch, Kent 16 October Silverstone,

Northamptonshire

confident we had the pace to keep Kanebehind us, although we were still aimingfor a podium,” Jordan says. “To end theseason this way is fantastic. We havehad a mixed year but, when the chipswere down, the Pirtek team just workeven harder and we are lucky to havesuch a dedicated team behind us. Wehave had fantastic support from Pirtekand CBT and without them we wouldn’tbe here so I thank them for their backingthis year. Fingers crossed we’ll be backin 2011 to mount a challenge on theIndependent Championship and fightfor more wins.”

Perfect End to Debut Season