Family Run Welsh Business Voted Best In UK

Miles Hire, the independent plant and tool hire specialists, have beaten off stiff competition from national hire firms to win UK Hire Company of the Year.  The award, which is issued by the Hire Association of Europe, is considered the highest achievement in the UK hire sector and is a real coup for the family run business.

The company, which has its head office in Swansea and depots throughout South Wales, has been in the family for two generations and has been through some challenging periods, the award is the perfect recognition for their ambition and tenacity.

Director Ryan Miles picks up the story, “Plant and tool hire has been in our family for over 30 years.  Before Miles Hire there was DSM plant hire, our fathers hire company (David Sydney Miles: DSM), which was dissolved into Miles Hire 14 years ago when it became the three of us, myself, Darren and our father. When our father passed away suddenly 11 years ago, we were left with a fledgeling business that was about to hit the rocky shores of a recession.

“It was a trial by fire without our father’s experience but we battled through, working all the hours we could to keep Miles Hire going, chasing down every opportunity but maintaining the belief that our father instilled in us about customer service being our top priority.  This was challenging when competitors were trying to give equipment away at rates we could not match but we continued that belief even during difficult times.  Not only is it now one of our greatest strengths, but it’s also what sets us apart from the competition and keeps customers coming back”.

Alongside a strong belief in keeping customer service at the core of everything they do, the team understands the power of relationship building with customers no matter who they are or what they need.

Darren Miles continues “Another advantage we believe in Miles Hire’s success has been working with others, whether that has been other independent hire companies or builders merchants or large nationals.  Building up respect with these companies has allowed us to open three further depots inside independent builders merchants and passing business between us all has benefited each company and more importantly, the customer”.

In addition to focusing on their own business, the brothers have also looked at ways to develop the trades and construction sector across South Wales as founding members of the ‘Builders Breakfast Exhibition’.  Ryan Miles explains, “There are a lot of multi-million-pound projects underway in the local area however from our own experience and that of our customers, the general feeling was the big projects were out of reach. After contacting the local authority and Welsh Government, it became apparent the projects were not closed to “the little guy” however there was a disconnect between the project managers and local trades as neither knew how to talk to the other.

“Out of this revelation was born the Builders Breakfast Exhibition, an event designed so both parties could talk to each other.  We held the first event in February 2016 and attracted over 15 exhibitors, 111 attendees and a presentation from the local authority on its £500m redevelopment plans for Swansea City Centre and details of how local businesses can get involved. We reviewed the event and have planned additional Builders Breakfast Exhibition events across Wales during 2017 and 2018 and have attracted landmark projects such as the Tidal Lagoon to engage with the local trades and construction sector”.

These are some of the key headlines from Miles Hire however the final word is from Darren Miles; “I feel we make a great effort in the hire industry in trying to make a positive difference, whether to our staff, our customers or our city and that I think it has benefited us all and are extremely proud to have won the Company of the Year Award”

Independent Businesses Building for the Future

Four independent businesses in Swansea are coming together to help the construction sector across South Wales.

The four companies, all second generation, family-run organisations, have teamed up to offer customers an end to end service that covers everything from tool hire and building materials to scaffolding and secure storage.

The businesses – Miles Hire, Exall and Jones, Swan Scaffolding and Store-It Wales – have been working together informally for many years but all saw the benefit of joining forces to help each other grow.

Established Partnership

Tom Hole, Manager of the Killay branch of local builders merchants Exall and Jones, has been working for the family business since leaving school and was one of the first to see the opportunity of collaborating.

“We get hundreds of tradesmen walking through our doors each week to purchase raw materials for the various projects they are working on,” said Tom, “and we are frequently asked for contacts who can help out with everything from plant hire to scaffolding and more.  We already had a relationship with Miles Hire, but the repeated request for scaffolding and safe storage got us thinking on how we could roll-out the model we had with Miles Hire to other local businesses.”

The relationship with Miles Hire is certainly established, with both firms working proactively together for over 20 years; a partnership that was set up by Tom’s grandfather John Exall and David Miles, father of Miles Hire Director, Ryan Miles.

“We’ve been hiring plant, power tool and powered access equipment to tradesmen and members of the public for over thirty years and have been working closely with Exall and Jones for the majority of that time,” said Ryan.

“Any tradesman that enquired with Exall & Jones about hiring equipment were sent to us, and any person asking about building materials were sent to Exall & Jones,” said Ryan.

New Opportunities

While this method worked well, the two businesses have developed the process further and now have extensive marketing materials at each others site, exclusive promotional offers for each other’s customers, regular “open-days” to exhibit equipment and materials as well as cards to help each business track the success of the referral system.

“We encourage our counter teams to use the relationships they have with customers to find out about the projects they are working on and actively look for opportunities to refer the services of the other business, and it was from these discussions that we realised we needed a partner in the scaffolding and safe storage business.” continued Ryan.

Step forward, Gareth Rees-Jones and Lloyd Cole.

Gareth, who runs Swan Scaffolding and Lloyd, who runs Store-it Wales, both oversee second-generation, family-run businesses, something that resonated with Ryan and Tom.

“The similarity was clear to see, but more importantly, both Gareth and Lloyd shared our vision for collaboration and understood the strength of working together to help each other’s business grow,” said Tom.

As specialists in residential and commercial scaffolding, Gareth’s company has almost 50 years of experience working with customers across the region and saw the value of working together immediately.

“There are lots of nationals in the area offering similar services, so to be able to recommend a local, family-run firm that we know will do a good job is of huge benefit to our, and the reciprocal arrangement is the icing on the cake,” said Gareth.

Independent storage specialists, Store-it Wales, are the latest business to join the group and offer businesses in the construction sector secure on and off-site storage solutions.  When Lloyd was introduced to the other members and saw how the partnership would work, he too saw the benefit.

“Many of the tradesmen who use our services are family run, independent businesses themselves, so to be able to refer them to similar organizations not only helps everyone concerned but really does keep business local, something I am passionate about,” said Lloyd.

This approach of partnering local independent businesses gives the group the combined strength of a much larger firm and all four businessmen have bought into the concept of “together-stronger”.

“We meet monthly to identify opportunities, monitor the progress of the partnership and brainstorm new ideas,” said Tom, “and have recently launched a new design for our 1-ton sling bags that feature the logos of all four partner firms.”

The Future

As the partnership goes from strength to strength, they are actively looking for new businesses to join the group as they seek to offer the construction sector a “one-stop-shop” for professional trades to get all the services they need to operate successfully.

Going the Extra Mile for our Customers

As well as getting equipment onsite fast, we also go the extra mile for our customers when they need emergency help, which is precisely what happened a few weeks ago to Green’s Carpentry.

As part of a full property renovation, they had ordered several packs of bricks that had been delivered to site a few days prior.

These then had to be moved, so Green’s hired a crane for a day (from another hire company) to get the job done.

As arranged, the crane arrived on site but did not come with the requested brick grab and the company said they couldn’t get one there for a day or two!

The potential financial loss for a team of bricklayers as well as the daily hire cost of the crane was a real issue for Green’s until Andy Green called Miles Hire.

While we don’t stock brick grabs, we knew a company that did, and within 15 minutes of taking the call from Andy, we were on our way to collect the grab from Newport to deliver it to Andy’s site in Swansea.

All in all, Andy lost less than 3 hours of downtime at the site thanks to the proactive, customer focussed approach of Miles Hire.

Andy said, “We’ve used Miles Hire for a while, and I knew that if they could help us, they would and fair play to them, they went above and beyond to get us the brick grab. Not only did they keep our project on track, but it’s great to know a company like Miles Hire is there when you need emergency help.”

If this sounds like the sort of service you want, call 01792 646566 or email [email protected] the next time you need to hire equipment in an emergency and if we can help, you know we will!

Welsh Hire Firm Rated Best in the UK

Independent, family-run hire company Miles Hire have been recognised for their excellent customer service at a recent industry event in Coventry.

The firm, run by brothers Darren and Ryan Miles, won the award for “Outstanding Customer Service” at the Executive Hire Show at the Ricoh Arena.

The award recognises dedication to customer service and the Swansea based company beat many national firms to “bring home the gold” in this hard-fought category.

“The win is recognition for the commitment and hard work each and every one of our team put in day in day out,” said company director Darren Miles, “and in a sector as competitive as ours with many national firms competing on price, we know it’s our service that sets us apart and is why our customers keep coming back to us.”

Their commitment to excellent service is actively demonstrated with the firm’s guarantee to get equipment on site within 2-hours of receiving an order, something they achieve through effective teamwork and technology, as director Ryan Miles explained.

“We have invested time and energy in developing a streamlined process that uses technology to match available products with the relevant depot and logistics team to get equipment on site as fast as possible,” said Ryan.

“Our real-time mapping software allows us to pinpoint the location of nearby delivery drivers, so in seconds, we can match the order with the nearest driver and the equipment is automatically updated to the driver’s schedule,” continued Ryan.

In an industry where the late delivery of equipment can mean workers have to ‘down-tools’ and sites lose money, the guaranteed 2-hour delivery window makes a huge difference.

“We work with a wide range of customers from one-man-bands to large contractors, and the feedback we have from all businesses is that they can trust us to get equipment onsite fast,” said Darren.

The win is the second time the Swansea based company has beaten stiff competition from much larger firms to take a UK wide award, as director Ryan Miles explained.

“In 2017, we won Plant, Tool & Equipment Hire Company of the Year at the Hire Association of Europe’s awards in London and came runners up in 2018,” said Ryan “so to win another prestigious award such as this gives us the confidence to carry on developing and innovating.”

With depots throughout South Wales, this small business certainly punches above its weight and has attracted attention from the likes of JCB who recently approached the firm to stock their products.

Darren Miles continued, “When the likes of JCB approach you, you know you’re doing something right, and with our accelerated growth plans, we hope to be a much larger organisation over the next 5 years.”

As the firm goes from strength to strength, the award is a demonstration that bigger is not always better and that independent, family-run businesses such as Miles Hire can make a difference.

A digital upgrade transforms customer experience at award-winning firm, Miles Hire.

New click and collect service offers convenient hire transactions.

Independent, family-run businesses across the country have been severely impacted by the recent coronavirus outbreak. While many of these companies may have stood still under the pressure of such unprecedented times, for Miles Hire, the story is very different. Despite lockdown having a significant effect on their usual operations, Miles Hire, one of the most trusted tool and plant hire companies in South Wales, thought outside the box and triumphed over adversity by digitally reforming their standard procedures. They now provide customers with a seamless click and collect hire transactions to ensure essential works can continue safely.

Today, Miles Hire, renowned for their award-winning customer service, and recently recognised for their efforts in delivering equipment to the NHS; launch their new ‘Digital Hire Desk’ – an online platform they have successfully designed and developed within just a few short weeks. Their new web-based service means that customers will be able to browse and select tools from a wide range of stock, before quickly and easily book an allocated time slot for collection at one of Miles Hires’ local depots.

With thousands across the country now furloughed, many are taking to finishing off home and garden renovations and organisations are using the quieter time of lessened footfall to focus on their building works and site developments.

As such, the coronavirus outbreak has seen high demand and lengthy queues for builders’ merchants and relative businesses, such as tool and plant hire firms across the UK, and Miles Hire is hopeful that the quick turnaround of their new click and collect initiative will alleviate some of the problems associated with the elevated influx of demand. For a local, independent firm like Miles Hire, the quick development and turnaround of such a complex online ordering system is revolutionary and will now create a safer and more convenient customer experience, during difficult and unprecedented times. Darren Miles, Company Director at Miles Hire, commented, “We know that it’s so important that people can still access essential tools and equipment for necessary building works and renovations. We’ve seen a steady increase in demand for our products and services right now, and social distancing restrictions have made it difficult for us to operate in our usual way. We decided the best way to ensure customer and staff safety, whilst still providing the customer service we’re renowned for, was to utilise what was available to us on the internet.” Ryan Miles, Co-Director, added “We came up with the idea of launching our very own ‘Digital Hire Desk’, to provide our customers with a quick and easy ordering process where they can book their products online and then collect from our depot at within an allocated time slot. We’re really proud of how quickly we were able to develop our new online platform. As a small, independent firm we’ve never needed to something like this before, but it’s worked out well and we’re hoping our customers find it convenient and easy to use.”

For comments or further information, please contact Ross Jones at Ouma; [email protected]

About Miles Hire: Established for over a decade, Miles Hire is a family-run plant and tool hire company with depots based in Swansea, Cardiff and Bridgend. Brothers and Company Directors, Ryan and Darren Miles currently head up operations at the South Wales firm and have been recognised for their great efforts in achieving safe standards in hiring tools and equipment. The company has a wide range of equipment in their showroom to meet the needs of construction, glazing and engineering industries along with the DIY enthusiast.

They offer a vast range of equipment from leading manufacturers like KUBOTA and their stock includes mini diggers, dumpers, hoists and cement mixers to scaffolding and safety clothing. Their diggers accommodate all needs and range from micro up to 3 ton. They also offer different sizes of dumpers. While their range of scaffolding includes the latest lightweight aluminum clean towers that are ideal for shops, hospitals and showrooms.

Miles Hire welcome sister Jo-Ann to complete the family triad at South Wales’ leading tool and plant hire firm.

Miles Hire– established plant and tool hire firm based in South Wales, has some very exciting company news to share with their customers this month. From dumpers, diggers and rollers for large construction projects through to cement mixers, tile cutters and power tools for home renovations; for decades – Miles Hire has sat at the helm of their industry, providing hire products delivered with first-class service.

Until now, directors and brothers, Ryan and Darren Miles have headed up operations at the award-winning firm but on July 10th, 2020, they were joined by fellow sibling Jo-Ann Miles, who has become their new Head of Customer Communications.  Jo-Ann’s latest involvement with Miles Hire will mean all three children will now be working at the family business passed down to them by their much-loved father, David.

Jo-Ann’s introduction to the company follows the retirement of Gwyn Morris, former Business Development Manager, who has now decided to retire from the firm after four years at Miles Hire. Gwyn says he has enjoyed his time working for the company and is excited to be passing the torch to Jo-Ann joining, following his departure; “I’ve no doubt Jo-Ann will thoroughly enjoy her new role at the company as I have done for so many years. I think for the whole family, Jo-Ann joining the team will feel much like the final piece to Miles Hire, as the three of them come to work together.”

Jo-Ann’s much anticipated position at the family-run business will see her take on the responsibility of the company’s sales operations and customer relationships as she works in her new face-to-face role, covering all three depots in Bridgend, Swansea and Cardiff.
“Our customers will absolutely love Jo-Ann,” brother and Director, Darren Miles commented, “Throughout her career, she has clocked up years of experience in customer care and her warm and friendly approach will mean she’ll prove an invaluable personal asset to our company. I’m so excited that Jo-Ann will be joining us.”

Ryan Miles also commented on the news of their sister, Jo-Ann, becoming part of the company, saying he believed their father would be proud to see the three children working together in the family business. “She is a highly respected business person in her own right and we look forward to what she can bring to the family firm”

When asked how she felt about taking up the new position at Miles Hire, Jo-Ann expressed she was excited and enthusiastic about working with her brothers and the rest of the team; “It’s a little bit different from anything I’ve ever done before, but I’m excited by the prospect of starting something new. My experience in customer care should see me settle in well, and I’m looking forward to meeting the regular customers that frequent Miles Hire.”

About Miles Hire:

Established for over a decade, Miles Hire is a family-run plant and tool hire company with depots based in Swansea, Cardiff and Bridgend. Spearheaded by Brothers and Company Directors, Ryan and Darren Miles, following the passing of their beloved father, David, the South Wales firm have been recognised for their efforts in achieving safe standards in hiring tools and equipment, and customer service at the national level. The company has a wide range of equipment in-stock at their depots to meet the needs of construction, glazing and engineering industries along with DIY enthusiasts.

Miles Hire recently made local news for the innovative launch of their latest ‘Digital Hiredesk’ – a quick and easy web-based platform which enables customers to use a fast and efficient click-and-collect service.

They offer a vast range of equipment from leading manufacturers such as KUBOTA and their stock includes mini diggers, dumpers, hoists and cement mixers to scaffolding and safety clothing. Their diggers accommodate all needs and range from micro up to 3 tonnes. They also offer different sizes of dumpers. While their range of scaffolding includes the latest lightweight aluminium clean towers that are ideal for shops, hospitals and showrooms.

Miles Hire triumph at the Hire Awards of Excellence 2020, as they are crowned winners

Local family-run company, Miles Hire, triumph at the Hire Awards of Excellence 2020, as they are crowned winners at this years’ prestigious international awards event.

South Wales based plant and tool hire specialists, Miles Hire, have been recently recognised for their commendable success within the hire industry, winning an international award presented to them by Hire Association Europe. Scooping up the accolade for ‘SafeHire Plant, Tool And Equipment Hire Company Of The Year‘, Miles Hire successfully triumphed over several shortlisted competitors to secure the winning title for 2020.

Due to current coronavirus restrictions, this years’ prestigious event was held as a virtual celebration, but for the finalists shortlisted by HAE for their hard work and contribution to the hire industry, the much-anticipated event was no less spectacular.

Proud of their most recent achievement, Ryan Miles, Co-director at Miles Hire, said he felt the award was recognition of the collaborative work of the teams behind the family-run independent brand. “For us, winning this award is truly something to be proud of. It represents the solidarity of our teams who have all worked tirelessly throughout this year to continue providing essential tool hire both to the trades and general public. We pride ourselves on our high standards and commitment to delivering exceptional customer care and as an independent business, to be recognised for the work we do is really a tremendous achievement.”

Brothers Ryan and Darren Miles, whom both head up operations at the family-run enterprise now spanning two generations, are also passionate about community spirit, and have more recently made headlines for supporting Nick Knowles and the DIY SOS teams through a local project close to home. Providing essential tool and plant hire equipment for all trades on site, Miles Hire have contributed to the improvement of facilities for Swansea-based organisation, Surfability – >a Community Interest Company that provides surfing lessons and experiences for people with disabilities and learning difficulties.

Co-Director, Darren Miles, says their involvement on the project has been a great opportunity for the business. “We’re inspired by Surfability, and their mission to provide on-the-water experiences for people with life-long disabilities and learning difficulties. It’s been incredible to be able to support them by providing the equipment they’ve needed to facilitate the improvements on site.”

Ben Clifford, Surfability, also commented. “I’m just so grateful to everyone who has contributed to the build. It shows what an amazing community we have here in Swansea. The building will allow us to make surfing accessible for even more people and will take our operations to the next level.”

Throughout the unprecedented challenges of COVID-19, Miles Hire have continued to operate across all three depots in Bridgend, Swansea and Cardiff, providing essential tool and equipment hire to those who need it. Earlier this year, they launched their Digital Hiredesk – an innovative web-based platform, developed to create a simplified ordering process during more difficult times. Their new click-and-collect ordering system has proved popular amongst customers, both old and new.

About Miles Hire:

Established for over a decade, Miles Hire are a family-run plant and tool hire company with depots based in Swansea, Cardiff and Bridgend. Brothers and Company Directors, Ryan and Darren Miles currently head up operations at the South Wales firm and have been recognised for their great efforts in achieving safe standards in hiring tools and equipment.

The company has a wide range of equipment in their showroom to meet the needs of construction, glazing and engineering industries along with the DIY enthusiast.

They offer a vast range of equipment from leading manufacturers like KUBOTA and their stock includes mini diggers, dumpers, hoists and cement mixers to scaffolding and safety clothing. Their diggers accommodate all needs and range from micro up to 3 ton. They also offer different sizes of dumpers. While their range of scaffolding includes the latest lightweight aluminium scaffold towers that are ideal for shops, hospitals and showrooms.

About Hire Association Europe:

Hire Association Europe (HAE) was formed in 1974 and is often referred to as ‘The Association’ by its members. HAE is a Birmingham based industry-leading trade body representing plant, tool and equipment hire with a membership base of 800 members based in the UK, Europe and across other parts of the world.

Each year, they host the “Hire Awards of Excellence”, where they select and shortlist hire companies for titles including Hire Industry Product of the Year, Hire Industry Supplier of the Year and of course, SafeHire Plant, Tool & Equipment Hire Company of the Year (Turnover up to £10 million). This years’ awards ceremony was a virtual event, although next year promises a celebration held at Gorsvenor House, London.

Miles Hire Appoints New Business Development Manager

Independent, family run hire firm Miles Hire have appointed Gwynn Morris as their new Business Development Manager.

Gwyn joins the firm after 30 years working in the Access Equipment Industry.
He brings a wealth of experience in the hire of Scissor Lifts, Access Towers & Platforms and is looking forward to developing this side of the business as well as plant and tool hire.

Gwyn commented “I’ve known brothers Darren and Ryan Miles for many years and the prospect of a new challenge combined with the focus they put on excellent customer service really appealed to me. Miles Hire is a growing company, and the network of depots across South Wales allows me to keep in contact with the businesses I’ve dealt with for many years as well as building new relationships”.

Fluent Welsh speaker Gwyn, who lives in Cwmafan and is an ardent Aberavon RFC fan, is based out of the head office in Swansea but frequently travels across South Wales to visit customers as well as visiting the depots in Bridgend and Miskin.