32
IRN JANUARY 2014
SPEEDY HIRE INTERVIEW
completed in 2017, but promising results so far have
prompted Speedy to bring the finish date forward by
two years to 2015.
Behind the scenes at Speedy the job of
implementing the new UK depot structure continues
apace. The aim is no less than a transformation of
the existing national network of more than 400
‘standard’ locations to a much smaller, three-tier
network comprising a spine of seven Multi Service
Centres (MSC) augmented by 40 Superstores and a
further 130 to 170 local Express locations.
Delivery team
Colin Naylor, operations director for Speedy
Services in the UK and Ireland, is one of the team
who has to deliver this new network. Speaking to
IRN
at the newest MSC, in Glasgow - and before the
Middle East problems were made public - he paints a
credible picture of why the new structure will work.
“It’s all about optimising the operation”, he says,
“We would rather have the right product in 50
locations than the wrong product at 200 locations.”
In essence, the MSC will consolidate existing
multiple locations in major urban areas – eight
existing locations will be collapsed into the new
Glasgow MSC – and provide a logistical and workshop
hub serving Superstores and Express centres and
linking with other MSC hubs to deliver equipment to
where it is needed in the country.
The Superstores are a step down in size and
designed to house ‘clean’ equipment such as lifting,
surveying and tools. These will have a trade desk
and will be a ‘shopfront’ for customers; “Superstores
will be highly visible, with foot traffic and trade
counter facilities”, says Mr Naylor. In some cases,
Superstores will be sited within an MSC, which is the
case at the new site in Cambuslang, Glasgow.
S
peedy Hire has plenty on its corporate mind
just now, with accounting irregularities in its
Middle East operation creating all the wrong
kinds of headlines and leading to the untimely
resignation of CEO Steve Corcoran, who, although
not implicated personally, is to leave the company.
That ongoing trauma – with investigations still
underway at the time of writing – comes at a
particularly unfortunate time for the UK business
because there were signs that its fortunes were
finally improving, with evidence that market
demand was starting to increase.
In addition, it had just made the very positive
announcement to accelerate a major initiative to
restructure its branch network in the UK, a project
that is seen as important to the future of the
company. That work was originally scheduled to be
Speedy Hire’s newest Multi
Service Centre (MSC) in
Glasgow, UK, is part of
a project that will see a
complete restructuring its
depot network. Murray Pollok
visited the site and spoke to
the company’s Colin Naylor,
operations director for UK
and Ireland.
‘Wow’ factor
The MSC replaces eight Speedy locations
that were located in the Glasgow area.
Some of the MSCs will also house Superstores, which
include trade counters. This is the new trade counter at
the Glasgow MSC shortly before the official opening.
