Family-owned hire specialists, Rocket Rentals Limited and Bison Plant Hire, have signaled their intent to continue expanding throughout 2015 and beyond after putting pen to paper on a new deal with machinery dealer Chepstow Construction Equipment for the supply of 10 market-leading Kubota mini-excavators.
Dursley, Gloucestershire-based Rocket Rentals Limited, owned and run by Simon Tomblin, has enjoyed strong sales and growth since its formation in 2003, thanks in part to the excellent relationships it has formed with local dealer Chepstow Construction Equipment and the Kubota brand.
Last month saw the arrival of four new Kubota mini-excavators to the forecourt – 2 x U17-3 and 2 x U48-4 zero tail models, machines that will bolster the company’s growing machinery fleet.
“We supply excavators ranging from 1-22 tonne to a broad customer base, but we’ve taken a special interest in Kubota’s 5-8 tonne range over the past two years as they’re extremely popular in the market thanks to their versatility, reliability and superior build quality,” Simon explains.
25 miles westof Rocket Rentals Limited is the home of Bison Plant Hire, a company owned and managed by Simon’s brother, Guy Tomblin, and one that is enjoying similar success. In March, Bison signed a deal with Chepstow Construction Equipment for six new Kubota machines – 4 x U48-4 and 2 x KX080-4 – cementing Kubota as what is fast becoming the company’s preferred brand.
“Bison specialises in both operated and self-drive plant hire and have been buying Kubota for seven years now. We run machines in 1.5, 3, 5, 6 and 8 tonne ranges,” adds Guy. “We’re very particular about the brands we buy; reliability is absolutely key to ensure we’re meeting the demands of our broad customer base, which includes main contractors, ground workers, local builders and landscapers.
“Developing strong partnership is important to us, too, and we’re fortunate to have built a strong foundation with Kubota and Ian at Chepstow, whose high standards and commitment to excellent customer service marries well with our own business ethos,” he adds.
The continued growth in the house building market in the South West over the past 18-months has accelerated the demand for compact plant, with Bison Hire and Rocket Rentals Limited enjoying the benefits of this, with both reporting strong interest in the Kubota product.
“For our customers, the Kubota build quality ensures a level of reliability and performance that isn’t matched on the market, certainly in the lower tonne categories,” reveals Simon. “For us, Kubota is an attractive proposition for a number of key reasons: its warranties are excellent, the machines have a strong residual value, there is excellent customer acceptance of the product and Kubota’s Anti Theft Plus adds an extra layer of protection.”
Ian Whiting, Sales Director for Chepstow Construction Equipment commented on the deal: “We’re delighted to help both companies meet their growing demand for the latest Kubota equipment.
“We’ve worked closely with Bison and Rocket over the last 12-months to develop what we feel is now a strong dealer-customer partnership. It’s vital that as the dealer we understand the specific client base of our customer, their individual circumstances and how to tailor our service to their needs. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Guy and Simon this year and beyond.”
