Construction Plant News investigates the relentless advance of Leeds-based Chippindale Plant, one of the fastest growing hirers in the north of England
The Chippindale journey began in 1949 when the business was founded by the eponymous Wilfred, with his descendants still at the helm of what is now one of the largest privately owned hire and sale companies in the UK. The company’s major growth can, however, be traced back to 2002 when the firm began rolling out its customer-focused depot style across the north of England.
Other significant milestones have included a move across the Pennines with the acquisition in 2014 of Wilmslow, one of the north west’s leading hirers, a deal which included the purchase of AG Site Services, a long established accommodation hirer with a full complement of canteens, temporary offices, drying rooms, toilets and storage units.
Today, the company has recently been announced by UK Top 100 law firm Ward Hadaway as one of Yorkshire’s
Fastest 50 growing companies for a second year running. In fact, Chippindale Plant has seen its turnover rise from £9m in 2012 to over £22m for 2016, so what is the secret of that success? Joint Managing Director, Nigel Chippindale, attributes it to a major investment in a modern hire fleet and infrastructure, including a network of nine depots. Over 80 per cent of the hire fleet is now equipped with the latest Tier 4i engines, for instance, whilst a variety of new site safety technologies have been added, such as green beacons on site dumpers as seatbelt warnings. “We now hope to maintain our growth by consolidating and strengthening our current depot network by investing in improvements across our Catterick, Manchester and Newcastle depots throughout 2017,” declares Nigel.
Chippindale Plant believes that it has been ideally placed to adapt to the more stringent environmental and safety demands that have been placed on the industry. Small enough to provide customers with expert knowledge, but large enough to have the financial clout to invest in the latest equipment that complies with all the new legislation, the company’s innovations have included a successful joint project with Volvo to promote site safety on excavators, whilst they are currently involved in an on-going productivity project for roadworks ground protection, which is being rolled out by a major utility company.
The full spectrum of equipment it supplies to the White Rose county and beyond is diverse, and includes a complete range of plant, tools, excavator attachments and site accommodation, whilst the company is a main dealer for Atlas Copco, Volvo, Bomag, Belle, Stihl, and Viking. Not only that but after being added to the global distributor network of Mecalac Construction (formerly Terex GB), TA site dumper units – from one to ten tonne payloads – have now been added to that ever growing portfolio, as well as the same manufacturer’s backhoe loaders.
With some seventy years of experience in the sector the move represents a perfect synergy for both parties, as Nigel explains: “This is a golden opportunity for our business to work with a highly-respected global brand. When assessing the quality of plant equipment, we look at its durability, technical features and engine specification. The TA site dumper range is manufactured to meet the highest quality standards, making it perfect for our customer base.”
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