Grabbing the work may 2009

Pilkington Skip and Grab Hire and Site Clearance is a company based in Enfield, Co Meath specialising in the hire of skips and grab trucks to a large customer base that covers the greater Dublin area.

The business was established five years ago by Alan Pilkington and he spoke to Irish Trucker about the success of the company over the last few years.
In this current economic climate, all businesses are taking a cautious approach to everyday life; it’s the only way that survival can be guaranteed. Alan admits that he is like everyone else in this manner, but feels that his current customer base will see him survive this turbulent time.
“I’ve built up a large customer base over the last five years and thankfully, they are all happy with the services that we provide. Hopefully, we can continue to provide the quality of service that they have become accustomed too,” said Alan.

Having worked with the SMC group for many years, Alan saw a niche in the market for skip and grab hire, which lead to the establishment of the company.
“I saw an opening to cater for big and small builders and decided to go for it. I’m delighted that things have gone really well since then. Of course, it was tough at the start, but that is part and parcel of business.”

The hard working staff. From, l/r: PJ Pilkington, Marcin Zajac, Gary Killeen, Alan Brogan, Alan Pilkington, Aidan Bagnall (sales), Kevin Lonican, Marcus Keogh (sign writer)

Alan and his staff service both the construction and demolition waste sector with licences to operate in Dun Laoghaire, Fingal, Rathdown, Dublin city and county areas with plans to obtain licences for the surrounding counties of Dublin.
Some of the customers that Pilkington’s work for include CLG Developments and Civil Engineering, Gerry McCloskey Ireland, TGD Civil Engineering and Benlawn Property Management Services to name just a few.

“I’m fortunate to have such a loyal base of customers that have been with me since almost the start and our aim is to ensure customer satisfaction. I realise that the customers have to be facilitated and in that regard we have tried to re-invent ourselves.”
Alan revealed that among the services that they provide is supplying sand and gravel in easy to use one-ton bags, which when emptied can be used to store construction and demolition materials for disposal.

“We will go to a site drop off the sand or gavel in the bags, and then when the customer is finished, they can put their waste in the bag and we will then take it away for recycling.
“It’s just another way for us to look after the customers and I can’t stress enough how important that is to do. Once they are happy, then we are happy.”

Check out the websiite for a complete range of the services provided

The appointment of a sales representative seems to have boosted business and Alan is very pleased with the way that side of the company has transpired.
“There certainly has been a lot more business brought in since the sales rep has been working with us. It has opened up new avenues and our customer base has increased because of it.”
Pilkington Skip and Grab Hire offer a wide range of skips from small to large, while they have six trucks on the road as well. The grab trucks can be hired on site and ease the burden of manual labour when clearing an area.

DAF is the preferred choice of truck for Alan as he believes that they are the most reliable and fuel efficient vehicle on the road at present, while maintenance is a key area to be looked after also.
“I find that DAF are the best trucks on the road for what I need them for. All our maintenance is done by a local fitter and I feel if you keep a vehicle well maintained then there will be little or no problems with it.

“There is plenty of competition in this industry and it is important to be able to deliver on time, otherwise lads are going to bring their business elsewhere, which is understandable.”
Alan ensures that the local community get something back and in that respect any jobs that need doing are completed by someone that lives in the area.

“I think it’s important to give something back to the local community and we try to do that in every case, especially with the way things are now.” As an example of this the company use a local tyre man and welder and source most of the parts they need from a local supplier.
These days money talks and on that front, Pilkington Skip and Grab Hire offer competitive rates that are rivalled by very few in their field of expertise.
“Our rates are very competitive and this reflects in the large customer base that we have. There is no point in charging astronomical prices, especially in this field as there are so many competitors.”

Alan has worked hard to establish the business

So what does the future hold for the business, Alan feels that no major changes will be made, although he stressed that it all depends on the customers.
“As I stated we have re-invented ourselves to cope with the demands, but with regards to expansion, there will be no major change in that area for the time being.
“But we are always looking for new ways in which to improve our services to the building and private sector.”