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Six years ago, Rawstone Hire boss Greg Pring was general manager of the Godstone, Surrey depot of Essex-based Rawley Plant.
Strongly ambitious, he realised that considerable investment was needed if the depot was to improve its sales figures and guarantee its future.
As the existing owners at the time were unwilling to provide the level of investment required, he and his wife Carol prompted a management buy-out in January 2004, and Rawstone Hire was born. Since buying the plant and tool hire branch in Surrey where he was general manager, Greg has invested heavily in plant and machinery, including over 40 Kubota mini excavators, and this has helped boost sales by 50 per cent, lifting turnover to beyond the one million pound mark.
Greg, who had been in the construction industry for 30 years, and Carol, with a banking background, took over the 1.5 acre premises as well as all the plant and equipment.
They retained the four members of staff who are still with them today.
Said Greg: "We wanted to ensure our personal long term financial stability and really believed in the future of the business if it had a strong injection of capital.
Everyone has worked long hours to make it a success, and luckily things have gone from strength to strength.
We have been able to increase sales levels by 50 per cent in the last 18 months and are looking to achieve even more."
They have also taken on two more employees.
Its plant and equipment holding has been increased considerably, representing an investment of three quarters of a million pounds.
This has included the purchase of various pieces of plant plus upgrading and extending the small tool range, with the addition of gardening and landscaping equipment.
When the Prings bought the business they inherited a mixed fleet of 12 Kubota and JCB mini excavators, including 3, 4 and 5 tonne models.
Reacting to the views of their customers, they decided to standardise on Kubota minis.
They now have a fleet of more than 40, with 30 units bought so far this year and four awaiting delivery.
The latest arrival is an 8.2tonne KX080-3, the largest of the 18 models available from Kubota.
It has a maximum digging depth of 4,600mm, is only 2,200mm wide with a reduced tail swing design, and is fitted with a blade with offset boom and an electric re-fuelling pump.
In its rapidly expanding Kubota fleet are machines from across the KX range as well as zero tail swing models.
All have been fitted with Klac quick hitches for ease of bucket changes and for use with Kubota hydraulic breakers and hydraulic driven auger units.
There has also been investment in telehandlers, material hoists, hi-tip and swivel tip site dumpers, compact path rollers and a 26 tonne capacity plant lorry which will allow the company to expand into larger equipment.
The hire shop has had its stock expanded and now carries large quantities of diamond cutting discs, contractors tools, safety boots and protective clothing.
Rawstone's customers lie within a 30 mile radius of the depot, covering most of London and the Home Counties, helped by its convenient location minutes from Junction 6 of the M25.
An aggressive marketing and advertising programme, including the launch of the web site has brought in a lot of new business and aided the sales growth.
Said Greg: "Excavator hire makes up a large chunk of our business which is why 75 per cent of the spend on new plant has been on Kubota minis.
They are extremely reliable machines and our customers like them because they are easy to operate.
They offer excellent access into awkward spots, with tight turning circles and good digging depths.
They are also competitively priced with good residual values."
He added that Kubota's unique 'ANTI-THEFT' security system, the first and still the only one of its kind fitted as standard equipment by a mini excavator manufacturer, had already proved its worth on several occasion in recent months.
"Demand for the latest KX080-3 has been phenomenal" he went on.
"We have had it for three months and it has been out on hire every day since it arrived.
Customers like it because of its performance and the enhanced cab with its air conditioning".
He plans to buy more Kubota minis, particularly the bigger machines, as he sees a growing demand for them from contractors carrying out groundwork on bigger sites.
The future looks bright for the small hire business, in part due to the constant demand for its Kubota minis, and there are plans to open a second depot in the South East, at a location still to be decided.
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