It has been 40 years since John Maddock set up Maddock Plant Hire from his home in Coleford and the firm is still going strong as a solid family-run business. Directors Gary Hopkins and Darren Wasley first took over the reins in 1999 and have kept pushing the machinery hire company forward ever since.
Maddock specialise in telescopic fork lifts and excavators for both large scale public sector jobs – such as schools, hospitals and police stations and also for domestic jobs like house extensions, foundations and so on.
“The big public sector jobs are important to us,” says Gary. “We go all over the country, but we want people in the Forest of Dean to know that we hire out diggers on a daily basis all over the area. Just come in and see us. You’ll be welcome.”
The company employs around 25 people and has more than 100 pieces of kit including 70 telescopic forklifts, about 20 excavators and 30 dumpers.
It’s a big operation. Some of the jobs they’re working on are pretty big as well. Our excavators and telescopic forklifts are working all over the country,” says Gary “That means all around the country, in London, Brighton, Southampton, Oxford, Bath, Swindon, Bristol, Cardiff, Swansea, Hereford, Worcester and Birmingham.
“For example, we’ve just completed a job at the Prince Charles Hospital, Merthyr Tydfil, and another at Aberystwyth University, along with two new Academies. We are open to any enquiries just let us know what you want and we will have the kit for the job.”
Providing a high quality of customer service is paramount to Maddock, says Gary. “This is what sets us a part from many of our competitors. We go the extra mile to ensure equipment is fully functioning when a customer takes delivery. To do this we service every piece of equipment each month. However, in the event of a piece of kit breaking down on the job, we guarantee one of our mechanics will be out within the hour to fix it. And this makes our customers very happy, that’s what they tell us.”
With a turnover of £4m last year and a busy order book for 2012, Maddock Plant Hire is confident it will grow its business further this year.
“Times are hard for everyone, not just people in the building business, but we’re positive and think there is a really promising future,” says Gary. “We are expanding into access equipment,” says Gary. “We have purchased two Gale 745 4×4 cherry pickers which have been very busy, and we plan to buy a few more in the spring.”
For further information tel: 01594 832530, or visit their website: www.maddockhire.co.uk.
