Fork
Rent plc expands its fleet
2005 was a busy year for one of HM Plant’s most loyal clients, Fork
Rent. Over the 12-month period, the Ipswich-based plant hire company purchased
40 Hitachi Zaxis excavators, including a ZX80SBLC with swing-offset boom
capability, a ZX130LC and ZX210LC.
Fork
Rent now has over 850 machines in its hire fleet, a range that includes
mini to full-size excavators, dumpers, loaders and telehandlers. Over
its 30-year history, the company has grown considerably from an ailing
industrial forklift hire business to a nationwide plant, truck and van
hire empire. Originally run by the late Percy Nicholls, Fork Rent is now
managed by his son Guy and daughter Trudi.
The long-standing association between Fork Rent and HM Plant is something
that the new management team plans to continue in the immediate future.
Fork Rent’s Managing Director Guy Nicholls explains: “We have
used Hitachi products for many years as they offer a totally reliable
service. Not only that but HM Plant keeps its delivery promises and that
is rarer than you might think.
“Hitachi products give us less grief than a lot of the other machines
we operate. Our service records prove that the Hitachi excavators last
longer than other equipment. For this reason, we fully expect the Zaxis
series to prove even more reliable. We have high expectations for our
new swing-offset ZX80SBs, particularly as construction sites are getting
tighter and tighter in terms of available machine space.”
This is something Fork Rent has to worry about on behalf of its customers
– all of its hire fleet is absolutely non-operated machinery.
“We weighed-up the options and decided that we didn’t want
to get involved in the potential hassle of having lots of operators, vans,
or possible personal problems that could interfere with the smooth running
of the business,” continues Guy. “It has proved to be a good
decision and the majority of plant hirers now operate this way.”
The expansion of Fork Rent’s fleet is set to continue. With the
planned addition of more Hitachi Zaxis excavators in the coming months,
the company is set for an even busier 2006!