A moving experience

Every day sees the emergence of new companies in all types of business. However, those who specialise in Plant Hire know that the secret of their success is a long established commitment to their clients. Hinch Plant Hire is one such company and Irish Trucker caught up with director Trevor Hinch, who explained how the Laois based firm have stood the test of time.

Hinch Plant Hire Ltd. have an extensive fleet of trucks at their disposal

Hinch Plant Hire was established in 1968 by Trevor's father Fintan, who is still actively involved in the company. From a time when a plant hire business consisted of an old JCB and maybe a tractor and trailer, the Hinch's have moved with the times and now possess a modern fleet that includes 12 trucks, 25 track excavators, 10 JCB’s and 10 Volvo off-road dumpers.
"We have built up the fleet over the years. It is important to have machinery that is in good working order and need little maintenance. Our trucks vary from Renault, DAF, Volvo, Scania and Mercedes," said Trevor.

Based in Mountmellick, Co. Laois, the firm are ideally based to service all Leinster counties and the South-East. Specialising in Demolition, Site Work and Road Building, Hinch Plant Hire offer a wide range of services to their clients and it is no surprise to hear that the company can list many state businesses as their employees.
"A big part of our business comes from the local authorities like Offaly and Laois County Councils and the ESB, while we also do site clearance work for Coillte. In that instance we clear land for the plantation of trees," added Trevor.

Ailish Flanagan (administrator), Trevor Hinch and Tom Donoher (foreman)

"We also have ongoing work with the ESB where we put up poles for them. The company has also been involved in many road projects and we are currently working on the N7 road works. In some cases we lease out a machine and driver to the council when needed."

One of the biggest private jobs, Hinch Plant Hire are currently working on is the new Dunne Stores development in Tullamore, where John Sisk and Sons are contractors. This consists of site clearance and general groundwork for the project.
Hinch’s' have worked on many housing developments in the midlands and their reputation for reliability, quality of work and meeting time schedules precedes them. As one of Leinster's top Plant hire companies, it is no surprise to hear that Hinch's are in great demand from many construction firms.
Another string to the company's bow is that they have their own landfill sites, three in total situated in Portlaoise, Mountmellick and Tullamore. These are used for any waste material that the groundwork’s division produce while developing a project and Trevor revealed the site's are very useful indeed.

Fintan Hinch stands in front of one of the many pieces of plant that Hinch Plant Hire Ltd. have in their possession

"It is important to have a place to transport waste like earth, stone and rubble from a development and with us having our own landfill sites, it means that we do not have to rely on other companies to take the waste."
Having their own gravel pit means that the company can receive loads of crushed stone at any moment when necessary and this helps speed up the work on a project. The Bulk excavation end of the business is a source of a large quantity of their work.
"Our gravel pit is located in Tullamore, while we also have the three landfill sites at the different locations. This mean we are not dependant on others and we can go through almost every stage of development on our own means," pointed out Trevor.
At present there are 65 people employed by the plant hire business, most of whom are highly skilled workers. The friendly working environment at Hinch Plant Hire is evident when Trevor points out that the majority of the staff have been with the company for over twenty years.

Jack Hinch sets out on another delivery

"Some of the lads have been with us for 30 years, while a lot more would have 20 years service at this stage. Usually when someone starts here he ends up staying for the long haul," revealed Trevor.
"Most of the employees are highly experienced in their field, some as truck drivers, others on the machinery, while we have four fitters and the office staff also. The fitters are generally in the workshop, but can be called out to a site at any time, which could be anywhere in the Province."

"We are fortunate to have such a loyal workforce as it can be very hard to get reliable staff. In the office Teresa Hamill, Sylvia Hinch and Eilish Flanagan all make sure that everything is in order with regards the paperwork and they keep us all in check," stressed Trevor.

The company place a great emphasis on people management and the scale of their expectations is measured by the fact that Hinch Plant Hire have been awarded the Foundation Mark, which is awarded by Excellence Ireland. This body audit and award companies for quality standards in the country. The standard is based on the European Business Excellence model and consists of the following modules; Leadership and Planning, People Management; Management of Resources and Operations and Process Management.

The trucks are kept in pristine condition, thus meaning less maintenance

As part of their ongoing efforts to make the work place a more friendly environment, Hinch Plant Hire are currently implementing a new programme where excellence through people is the main focus of their objective.
Hinch Plant Hire have in their possession a mobile crusher that can be transported to a site when necessary, while their haulage licence allows them to carry machinery on their low loaders generally.
"Overall we are quite busy at the moment and with a number of projects about to start up, there is plenty of work for the foreseeable future. As yet we have no plans to extend the fleet, but that could all change. It is important to keep all the equipment up to date," he stressed.

Hinch Plant Hire are at the forefront of their business for the best part of 37 years now and are going from strength to strength all the time, so the future looks very bright indeed for the Mountmellick-based firm.