Company Profile

Three years on and the business partners have withstood the disruption of Covid and have successfully reshaped their business model. “We have four main streams to the business,” says Robin. “Firstly, there’s the equipment hire business which is growing nicely. We also offer a range of mechanical servicing, including warranty work, for small engine stuff. Then there’s an LPG filling facility and our Kärcher retail business.”.

Although the pair have only been in business for three years, they’ve been good friends for a long time and respectful of each other’s talents. “Robin does a great job with the admin, website and marketing, while I look after the workshop” says Graham, underplaying his mechanical skills. And it’s been Graham’s mechanical skills that has enabled the business to open their Kärcher retail operation. “I’d done a lot of servicing work with the Kärcher range over many years so knew the products really well,” says Graham. “We had a chat with Kärcher who wanted to develop their presence on the North Shore and so we quickly set up the retail operation”. “You would think it’s a bit counter-intuitive to offer a hire service alongside a retail operation,” says Graham “We get so many customers who fall in love with the commercial machines and so once having hired one they then want to buy one. We figured if they weren’t buying from us, they’d be purchasing from someone else”. The commitment to Kärcher comes with some stringent requirements: the business needed to ensure it had in-house technical expertise to back up its service commitment. As well as Graham’s wealth of knowledge the company also has two proficient mechanical apprentices who get exposure to a wide range of equipment and customers. However it’s the equipment hire side of the business that provides the financial momentum. “Our most popular hire items are mowers, chainsaws and garden equipment, especially at weekends,” says Robin. North Harbour Hire preferentially stocks a wide selection of Briggs & Stratton equipment, including the Echo range of garden products. “I think we’re seeing the continued growth of the major hardware retailers and the corresponding demise of the local lawn mower shop” says Robin. “While there’s a nice servicing opportunity for us, I think we’re also seeing many people understanding the environmental impact of buying lower-quality disposable equipment and instead hiring something that will do the job without going into landfill”. “There’s also the issue of space with current housing on the North Shore” continuing at a frantic pace,“ says Graham. “Our trailer business is going well, mainly because no one’s got space for a trailer these days”. Plans for continued growth are well underway. “We’d like to expand into a couple of new equipment categories, while being less reliant on our weekend business” says Robin. ■