Branch Manager Paul Johnston talks about the growth of Hydroscand UK in the North West.
We want Hydroscand to be the first choice for hose and fittings in the North West and we strive to achieve customer satisfaction through building relationships as well as through our extensive range of products and services:
- Fully stocked local branch
- While-you-wait hose repair
- 24/7 on-site hydraulic hose repair
- Preventative maintenance
The branch has certainly grown from the bottom up. We started out with one mobile van but no driver, so I was tasked to find an experienced mobile driver and technician and start serving the local area with our emergency breakdown service – which has proved to be a huge success.
We’ve gone from strength to strength and grown the team to ten, including six mobile hose technicians and fully-stocked vehicles, allowing us to reach a greater customer base.
We also have an experienced Area Sales Manager, Ian Jeffrey, who is dedicated to finding new opportunities and building relationships with local businesses. This is a role I was passionate about bringing in to the team to give us the cutting edge.
Ian and the team of mobile technicians are always ready to work with customers on their projects and help to find a solution that will reduce downtime.
In total the team has over 125 years of hydraulic, plant and technical experience and we are all passionate about giving our customers the best service possible.
Fully Stocked Local Trade Counter
Our busy trade counter in Widnes is fully-stocked with all kinds of hydraulic hose, fittings and accessories. Hose assemblies are created for you in the branch by our Hose Technicians while you wait, or made to order – all to your specific requirements.
Our BFPA-trained Branch Technicians all have the knowledge, experience and expertise to help you find a solution to any problem.
While you’re waiting in the branch you can browse our wide range of hose fittings and accessories such as oils and greases, gloves, wipes, spill kits, pneumatic products and much more.
HoseExpress Mobile Hose Repair Service
If your machinery or vehicle breaks down on-site one of our HoseExpress mobile technicians can go out to you to repair the problem, reducing costly downtime. We have six HoseExpress mobile workshops available 24/7 and they’re fully stocked with all the hose and accessories required for a swift repair.
Our HoseExpress team even has the capacity and capability to repair faults with hydraulic cylinders, valves and motors.
125-years Experience!
What we have to offer is more than products and accessories. We have a wealth of knowledge and expertise within the team. Our ten-strong team has over 125-years collective experience in hydraulics and plant and we draw on that, working together as a team to help our customers.
Customer Focus
We consider the customer in everything we do and the entire company is aligned to the needs of the customer. We constantly measure what our customers think about us and we strive to always exceed our customer´s expectations.
One of our metal recycling customers, based at the Liverpool docks, operates four pieces of expensive, heavy-duty machinery running 24-hours a day. If one of the machines suffers a hydraulic breakdown, the downtime can cost £10,000 per hour. To help the customer we make sure we have a HoseExpress van located nearby, so repairs are carried out quickly and downtime is minimised.
Preventative Maintenance Surveys
It is no surprise that downtime is a huge concern for our customers. The last thing they want is for a hose to blow at 3am when their vehicles are out sweeping streets, or for a machine to break down in the middle of a night shift.
We’ve worked together with our customers to come up with a preventative maintenance offering. We can visit the customer’s site when the machines or vehicles are not in use and carry-out checks, looking for signs of damage such as leaks, abrasion, tearing etc. We then go away and write up a report that recommends a programme of scheduled hose replacement.
“The whole point is to help the customer prevent costly emergency breakdown and repair by replacing the hose before it fails.” said Ian Jeffrey, Area Sales Manager.
“The team in the North West are building a strong business and with Paul’s leadership and the team’s experience and customer focus, I am confident they will continue to go from strength to strength in the years to come.” – Rebecca Galley, Managing Director.
If you’re in need of advice about hydraulic or industrial hose, don’t hesitate to give us a call on 0151 424 0880. You can also email the team on widnes@hydroscand.co.uk or visit our branch at 23-27 Violet Street, Widnes.