Boys Toys Pay Off
Skelton Plant Hire is a family run company in the heart of the Kentish countryside. The Managing Director and Founder of the company, Tim Skelton, grew up spending his weekends and school holidays driving tractors, excavators and anything with a steering wheel or handlebars.
It is not surprising that he returned from Agricultural University in Shropshire in 1988 with the dream of starting his own business. Beginning with a single skid steer loader, a much loved Bobcat 643, which Tim operated from one job to the next, Skelton Plant Hire has grown to be one of the leading plant and equipment rental companies in South East England. They now supply Kent and the surrounding counties with the highest quality plant and machinery.
“I started the business from a converted building on Stour Valley Business Park in Chartham and business boomed. I soon outgrew the first building and moved into a larger building on the same site. A few years later as our expansion continued we relocated into two purpose built facilities on CT3, a business park just outside Canterbury,” explained Tim.
In 2006, Skelton Plant Hire acquired a larger competitor and with it a second depot in Paddock Wood in the west of the county. Skelton Plant Hire is able to support a diverse customer base with plant and machinery large and small, from your local farm shop to the large cooperative farming groups, from the small builder to national contractor and from Mrs Smith to Karen Millen. “We have even been known to pop over to France with machinery to help with the maintenance of the Eurotunnel; and more recently we provided 18 telehandlers to a major rock concert!” said Tim. “In fact we have a customer base of thousands in all fields of business and pleasure, all of whom receive the same great service - our trademark.”
Asked what the keys to Skelton Plant Hire’s success are Tim is clear that there are three things. “Firstly our service. We employ 35 people from the local community who know the business and the customers. This means that we can deliver right first time and on time. Both of our depots are in prime commercial property locations with the best road and transport links, we are able to deliver fast and efficiently. Secondly we supply the leading brands of plant and equipment. We understand that trades and individuals are often reliant on our plant performing; with this in mind, we take reliability and quality very seriously. Thirdly we constantly reinvest in new plant and technology to drive down the full life costs of ownership. These three things help to maintain our competitiveness in a price sensitive market and retain repeat business time and time again.”
You can find out more about Skelton Plant Hire on their website at www.skelton.co.uk or by phoning them on 01304 840640.
More details on the Stour Valley Estates business parks and our other commercial properties to let can be found on this website, or by phoning our Property Manager Katie Dove on 01304 849210.
November 2011
