Former Pirtek Franchisee Recently Joins Hydraquip
Karl May began his career as a Mobile Hose Service Technician at Pirtek, supporting the On Site Hose Service with repairs and diagnoses of hydraulic equipment. After building a strong solid client base and gaining a wealth of experience, Karl recognised a new opportunity that would see him owning not one but two of his own Pirtek franchises in Preston and Wigan.
From the success of these two branches in the North West of England, Karl had originally purchased the Wigan franchise after it gone bankrupt and sold it two years later as a profitable entity. May commented ‘With ever increasing financial demands from Pirtek UK, I sold Preston because it was the right time and the right offer’.
Looking for a new challenge Karl May approached Hydraquip ‘I saw the opportunities section on the Hydraquip website and really liked the way Hydraquip don’t really advertise for people, they invite you to come forward and sell yourself to them. That really appealed to me’.
May added ‘I feel I have a great understanding of what a client requires form their suppliers and I buy into the ethos of proactive reaction to the needs of every single client. They are all so very different. My account management skills suit me to this high paced industry and let’s be honest you cannot sit behind a desk within the hydraulic hose game you need to be out seeing clients face to face on a daily basis and that is the best part of the job for me.‘
Hydraquip’s Managing Director Duncan MacBain spoke of his goal for the future ‘Hydraquip has its fingers on the pulse looking for new ventures and acquisitions which would complement its existing nationwide team. There is a great deal of opportunity in the North West of England for Hydraquip to develop it’s On Site Hydraulic Hose Repair Service and with the addition of Karl, we will be able to improve the level of service Hydraquip can offer customers in the North West area’.
MacBain added ‘Hydraquip are actively exploring new opportunities to grow its National 24/7 On Site Hose Service, with the first period of this year proving to be a positive one. Hydraquip reacted quickly to the collapse of one if its competitors BMI Hose UK and whilst other companies discussed the opportunity, within a blink of an eye Hydraquip had recruited the ex BMI Hose hydraulic engineers and a number of fully fitted VW crafter vehicles to expand their 24 hour On Site National Hose Service. The start of the second period also proved a success, with its most recent acquisition of The Linden Group on the 2nd September 2013. Linden which is understood to have been just hours away from closure, specializes in hydraulic components, supplying adaptors, pumps and motors for hoses for Sunderland based Japanese carmaker Nissan, digger and dumper truck maker Terex, and a number or local farmers.
Hydraquip claim that as the largest UK independent Hydraulic Hose company in the UK, Hydraquip is going from strength to strength. In total, 68 On Site Hydraulic Hose Service Vans are on the road providing a nationwide service in UK, along with a further 10 new service vans in the pipe line. 8 of which have been reserved for the North West area. Hydraquip aspire to have at least 100 fully owned hydraulic service vans within the next 12 months, this is no pipe dream with funding and a firm strategic plan in place. In line with these plans Hydraquip are looking to recruit Mobile Hose Service Engineers who see themselves working for a dynamic and growing company.
For business enquiries Duncan MacBain can be contacted in confidence via email Duncan@hydraquip.co.uk
