Author: Nalie Dean

Next up in our tea break with the team series, we caught up with Kenny, our Depot Manager based in Huntingdon. Kenny ensures the smooth running of all aspects of the depot, looking after staff and their wellbeing.

Tell us about your goals when you joined here

To provide as high quality and efficient workmanship as I possibly could, with the aim of being recognised as a hardworking, responsible, and loyal individual by the company.

You’ve had quite a varied career before joining us, could you tell us a bit about your background before your career at Welfare Hire Nationwide

I was self-employed for 16 years and this is my first full time “on the books job” since making the decision to be employed. I ran a pub and internet café for seven years and before that my background was IT, running my own business for nine years.

What training and development have you had?

I have done a 3yr apprenticeship in Mechanical Engineering and after a few years I decided I wanted a new career, so I did another apprenticeship in I.T. Computing & Networks.

What do you like about what we do?

I love our brand and product; we are always a cut above the rest and introducing great new ideas. Welfare Hire Nationwide is a great team to belong to.

How would you describe working here?

I enjoy having the day-to-day challenges and I feel lucky to have such great support from the company in all areas.

How do you like to spend your spare time?

I enjoy travelling. Whether it is to other countries or just within the UK, there is so much to see. But when the weather is nice and sunny you can’t beat a coastal ride on the motorbike.

Tell us something we wouldn’t know about you

When I was about 27 years old I had the chance to tender and win the job of wiring 215 data points in the House of Lords. It was amazing being in and out of all the small places where Guy Fawkes would have been.

For the next in our ‘Tea Break with The Team’ series, we catch up with our dynamic Regional Sales Manager Tom. At the forefront of managing our growing client base in the North, Tom is passionate about showcasing our products and championing the benefits of ECO welfare hire…

Tell us a little bit about your role Tom

I started with the company just over 2 two years ago as Sales & Marketing Manager. This role gave me the opportunity to really get under the skin of the whole organisation and immerse myself fully in the product range. I was exposed to a wide range of responsibilities from marketing and events to business development and bid writing.

Earlier this year, I hit a new career milestone when I was appointed Regional Sales Manager for the North. I am embracing this challenge fully and look forward to meeting clients old and new over the coming months.

What did you do before you joined the Welfare Hire team?

My background is super-varied in terms of sectors, but all centred around sales, marketing and client development.

After gaining a 1^st Class Degree in Business Management at Manchester Metropolitan University, I was lucky enough to embark on a sandwich placement working across retail, pharmaceutical and hospitality, as both a Commercial Analyst and Marketing Assistant.

How would you describe working here?

It’s a fast paced, highly innovative and super-supportive culture. I have learned so much about the industry and feel extremely proud to work for such an inspirational brand.

What do you like about what we do?

Welfare Hire is at the forefront of driving innovation within the sector and invest heavily in product development and our fleet in general. It’s a privilege to work for such a forward-thinking company and I enjoy getting out into the field, meeting customers face-to-face and helping them achieve their welfare, sustainability and wellbeing goals.

What’s the best part of working here?

100% the team! We’ve got an amazing team; from service to sales and everything in between, everyone supports each other and are all focussed on the same goal. 

How do you like to spend your spare time?

I am sport mad, so anything with a ball or a bat! I’m a huge Leeds United fan, play tennis for my local club and have just taken up Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu which is every bit as painful as it sounds!

Introducing our NEW ECO & Social Value Calculator.

WHY, WHAT & HOW – We catch up with Welfare Hire’s Commercial Director, Andy Grayshon, to examine the key drivers behind the development of our new online, net-zero carbon measurement tool…

As we take the next step on our ongoing journey to net-zero carbon, we look at the rationale behind Welfare Hire’s new, industry leading initiative. What has driven your net-zero carbon strategy to date? From the outset, we recognised a demand in the market for more modern ECO welfare units with the ability to mitigate traditional fuel and generator power, as well as to optimise onsite facilities. As such, since the launch of our first, uniquely designed mobile ECO welfare unit, the ECO7, 10 years ago, we have continued to invest in developing our fleet of innovative, eco-friendly mobile welfare and lighting units. More than anything, we recognised that supporting our clients to achieve their ESG goals is intrinsically linked to improving overall site setup. So, investing in our fleet and advancing our green technology can play a huge part in this. Conscious carbon planning and elevating welfare provision are now central to our client’s ESG agendas. We have a responsibility to help them achieve this. How long has the calculator tool taken to develop? We have been meticulously logging site volumetric data for over two years now and latterly, with the introduction of digital telemetry, we have bolstered this empirical data. It’s been a long process but by collating verified site data from hundreds of clients, thousands of projects and over half a million site days, we are able to demonstrate how our units perform in reality as opposed to in theory. This is what informs our calculator and whilst we know we continue to develop further, we are confident it is already a highly useful tool, which will make a significant impact for our clients both in terms of achieving their ESG goals, improving site performance and ultimately, saving costs. Why did we think there was a need and has it been worth the time & investment? We recognise that there are many great ideas and initiatives around site setup for welfare and lighting, involving various forms of technological developments. However, with such an array of options, it can often be difficult to compare and contrast these options, especially in terms of live site performance rather than theoretical projections. This is something that resonates with our client base as they look increasingly to implement, record and review their deliverables around carbon offsetting and other ESG goals onsite. As such, we can see a clear link between developing our ECO & Social Value Calculator, which is based on empirical data from live projects, and adding value for our clients’ needs. Is anyone else in the sector doing this at the same level? With over 0.5 million days and counting of actual project site data, we have found that we have been able to collaborate closely with several key partners to provide tangible benefits and savings for their projects, as well as help them demonstrably engender delivery of their carbon and ESG goals. As such, our clients are finding our ECO & Social Value Calculator is currently leading the way for smart site welfare provision measurement. What kind of data is behind the functionality? All of our empirical data has been collated from various client project sites across many months and years in order to aggregate a true and fair reflection of “real-life” scenarios as opposed to theoretical projections. This, in turn, has then been compared to the general “par for the course” in the market supply chain, based on consulting with key clients and their own data. How accurate is it as a measurement tool? Whilst each project will always have its own nuances around working patterns and throughput, we have amassed enough global data to provide a very realistic summary of what we are seeing our units produce on a daily basis, week in, week out across infrastructure and construction sites. And what do clients think? What has been the initial feedback on the pilot trials? So far, the feedback from our client base has been super-positive. The consensus is that it’s a genuinely useful tool, not only to scope their projects and the numerous benefits and savings from working with our unique fleet of ECO units, but also to help them standardise and develop best practice across the business. All of this, of course, feeds directly into achieving deliverables on carbon and wider social value and ESG targets. As one partner advised us recently: “there has been a real shift from talking about carbon targets to actually doing something about it now.” With the largest and most modern fleet of mobile ECO welfare and lighting, along with this tool, our clients have the ability to make an immediate positive impact from today. Use our ECO Calculator to see how we can unlock significant savings for your project from today.

COLLABORATIVE INNOVATION BROUGHT TO LIFE!

When: 17-18 May 22 Where: NEC, Birmingham – Stand No A52 What: Make connections, discover innovations & spark ideas  Join us at the UK’s definitive Utility Industry event and prepare to be inspired…..  We will be showcasing our latest, cutting-edge innovations in smart ECO welfare and lighting provision. With the climate crisis and water conservation at the very top of the global agenda, we are excited to be able to share our market-leading, sustainable solutions to sector leaders and forward-thinking colleagues from across the utility sector. Discover how Welfare Hire can help solve specific business challenges, support key sustainability goals and safeguard your teams by transforming your onsite welfare and lighting.

This is an unmissable opportunity to gain fresh ideas and inspiration, with a packed schedule of industry leading speakers, cutting-edge solution showcases and unrivalled content from leading lights within the industry.

Make sure you drop by and meet the team at stand A52 – we all look forward to meeting you and guiding you through our innovative range, which we think represents a new era for modern, innovative ECO welfare and lighting provision in the UK.

To register to attend please click HERE. 

Service Driven & Quality Guaranteed

Having the largest, greenest and most technologically advanced fleet in the market is only one part of our unique offering. Delivering superb customer service, developing lasting client relationships and ‘going the extra mile’ is what really sets us apart. We see our clients as partners and always strive to exceed expectations, delivering value with dedicated specialist product and services to achieve their sustainability and wellbeing goals on every hire.

We take immense pride in everything we supply, providing premium levels of nationwide customer service and support to match the quality of our market-leading mobile welfare units.

How Do We Achieve This?

DEDICATED EXPERT SERVICE TEAMS
With nationwide cover and regular, rigorous maintenance, our customer relationships rely on specialist support and advice from our team of experts.
 

62-POINT QUALITY ASSURANCE CHECK
Our dedicated in-house facilities enable us to keep all our mobile ECO welfare units to a consistently high level of specification and standard. Our 62-point pre-hire inspection includes a specialist spray booth and mechanical service & operational testing to ensure consistent quality across our entire fleet.
 

RELIABLE, GREENER, FLEXIBLE FLEET
Welfare Hire’s dedicated drivers & low emissions vehicles deliver almost anywhere in the UK within 24 hours providing a reliable, greener solution. Without the need for expensive HGVs or site access planning, we provide a smart, flexible and cost-effective transport.

SPECIALIST ADVICE ON WELFARE UNITS
Our highly trained Customer Service Engineers offer technical and specialist advice, with expertise to resolve all repairs and queries on our ECO units.

We add significant value as standard by reliably delivering equipment to site when required, ensuring sites can operate efficiently and meet key deadlines. As the UK’s leading welfare hire specialist, we have designed our unique support offering to meet our client needs, exceed expectations and optimise project efficiencies.

1. Specialist service & support
2. Dedicated account management
3. 99.1% perfect hire days
4. Personal touch
5. Market-leading quality assurance
6. Green, reliable & 100% customer focussed

Check out our service department and dedicated maintenance hub HERE.

Make yourself comfortable, grab a cuppa and meet one of the friendliest faces at
Kelling Group, our newly promoted Internal Sales Manager Faye…

Tell us a little bit about your role Faye

My new role is Internal Sales Manager for the Welfare Hire division of the group. This involves supplying new prospects and accounts with quotes and information on our full range of Welfare Hire products and services. I then follow up to ensure that the client has all the information required and help set them up with their first hire. As part of this, we also prospect for new clients and develop lasting hire relationships for the future. I find this both rewarding and exciting, no two days are the same. I enjoy the challenges that come along with this and find liaising with new clients a pleasure and natural progression from my previous role, running the busy reception at our HQ.

When you first joined the team, what where your goals & aspirations?

When I joined the company four years ago, I aspired to be a welcoming, helpful member of the team. I wanted to make visitors and staff feel totally at ease and ensure that visits went smoothly and professionally, whilst still being warm and personable. Being the ‘first face’ guests met, I wanted to ensure I set the tone and left visitors with a great first impression.

So what did you do before you joined us?

Before joining Kelling Group, I was an office manager for a GP practice.  With a team of receptionists, secretaries, and prescription clerks to juggle along with the GP’s, it could be challenging. I also have a few other strings to my bow including,  Barclays Deeds/Redemptions and mortgage arrears departments, flooring sales and GP’s receptionist. All very client-facing, people focussed roles.

Tell us a bit about your professional development here at Kelling..

I have the very trusted support of my fellow Internal Sales Manager, Daniel. He has been instrumental in my development within sales and continues to support my growth. We work as a team so he is always available to guide me through anything I am unsure of. Having already been with the company for almost four years, I already had a strong knowledge of our great products and services, but this is still growing; every day’s a school day.

So what is it like being part of ‘Team Kelling’?!

Working at Kelling Group is like having a very large extended family. We have great internal working relationships along with a great sense of trust in each other and our proposition. During my time in reception, I was very much the mother of the company. Looking after people has always been and will always be a priority for me though, so I thrive on it.

What do you like about what we do? What particularly resonates with you?

I love that as a responsible supplier, we are exploring every avenue to make our products as kind to the environment as possible. Using solar power, rainwater harvesting and smart telemetry systems, we can meet client needs whilst looking after the planet and keeping running costs low.

And what is your favourite thing about working here?

The best part of working here is the people, without a shadow of a doubt. From the board of directors to the cleaning staff, we are all in it together. We are all a very approachable bunch, sure we have quirks, but I think it’s great that we are all allowed to have personalities. The way that I have seen people grow within the company gave me the push to grow my own career path too. If there is potential to progress within the company, then it is picked up on and encouraged 100%. 

What do you get up to outside of work?

I like to relax as much as possible, travel and socialise with my family and friends. I can’t wait to start travelling more now that Covid restrictions are dissipating.

Go on – tell us something we don’t know about you!

My grandma starred in Kes, I am a qualified riding instructor and I once had champagne with Take That. I also had afternoon tea with Paul Young! 

DON’T MISS – Raconteur’s Future of Infrastructure 2022…

As featured in The Times on 23 March, the report examines the vital role and changing face of the UK’s infrastructure sector.

If you operate within the infrastructure space, we would highly recommend catching up on thought provoking publication – a must for anyone in the industry.

As a leading provider of specialist long-term hire and lease equipment to the UK infrastructure sector, we are proud to be playing our part by supporting the sector with our range of sustainable, market-leading solutions.

Our Access and Welfare Hire divisions are the UK’s leading providers of modern vehicle access and mobile ECO welfare and lighting units for the sector.

Supporting Tomorrow’s Infrastructure

Our exclusive ‘Kelling Guarantee’, which is driven by our five strategic pillars of Quality, Service, Environment, Wellbeing and Value, sets us apart in terms of client care and product excellence. This means our clients can depend on market-leading, modern, reliable vehicles and equipment at competitive rates, as well as exceptional service and nationwide customer support.

With regular annual investment of £25m-30m in our market-leading fleet, our aim is to set the standard within the industry for modern, innovative, eco-friendly specialist equipment hire. Quality-driven and with an ongoing emphasis on innovation and client care, we have grown to become one of the most respected long-term hire and lease providers in our sector.

Download The Full Report HERE.