This Is Guernsey

The new Project showroom at Bulwer Avenue. Left to right, Jan Looijenga, Bill Crawford, Martyn Guilbert, Andy Vaudin and Matt Thoumine. (0604630)

RETAIL and trade customers stand to benefit from Project Hire’s latest expansion. The firm, which has been based in Bulwer Avenue since 1992, has opened a new showroom.

Staff and guests celebrated with bacon rolls, drinks and a buffet at a ceremony that was attended by Commerce and Employment minister Carla McNulty Bauer.

Project Hire MD Martyn Guilbert said he’d had his eye on the extra space for the past 10 years. ‘For some time we’ve been at the point where we were unable to grow more because of the lack of space and finally it became available at the end of last year. The new showroom will create a much more customer-friendly experience, as well as allowing us to sell a larger range of products. We’ve recently branched out into mini and macro excavators, mini dump trucks and rollers and we’re adding more and more all the time.’

Project Hire was founded by Mr Guilbert and fellow director Bill Crawford in 1992.

‘We did it on quite a shoestring budget really and only had a quarter of the space that we do now,’ said Mr Guilbert.

‘We started off hiring non-mechanical access equipment such as step ladders and the like – anything without an engine basically.’

The company grew steadily and eventually moved into hiring and selling angle grinders and concrete mixers – basically anything for the small builder.’

After a few more years the firm was short of space and in 1999 it secured the lease on the other half of the building.

‘Guernsey being Guernsey means it’s never easy to find the right premises for your business, although it’s getting better than it used to be,’ said Mr Guilbert.

The firm was purchased by Norman Piette in 2002 and chief executive Tony Gallienne said he was impressed with the new showroom.

‘We had our own hire department back then but realised that Project Hire was doing a better job down the road from us.

‘The new showroom gives us a new resource for trade customers and an attractive space for retail customers.’

Deputy McNulty-Bauer praised the company for its training schemes, which it runs from an on-site centre.

‘To hear that Project Hire started in 1992 proves that from small acorns grow big oak trees.

‘Small businesses are the lifeblood of Guernsey, so congratulations to Martyn and Bill – I wish them more success for the future.’

Project Hire now employs 15 staff and is looking to recruit more qualified and experienced technicians for its workshop, said Mr Guilbert.

‘We’ve moved into new fields and probably have the biggest fleet of powered access platforms in the Channel Islands.

‘We do approximately the same amount of business in sales as hire these days. It’s a small market so we have to diversify as much as possible.

‘The plan now is to consolidate the business and get a return on this investment, while continuing to offer a high level of service to our customers.’