The Hire Partner, one of our growing occupiers, explains what drew the company to Fareham Innovation Centre.
Working behind the scenes to set up The Hire Partner, a nationwide building equipment hire service, the founding directors did what many do at such an early stage – crack on from home to keep overheads to a minimum.
But, having incorporated the firm at Companies House in April 2024, it sooner become apparent that The Hire Partner was already too big for the dining room.
Trading soared through referrals, with turnover rising to £1m-plus within the first 6 months.
In urgent need of a professional serviced office, Fareham Innovation Centre topped the search in and around the Portsmouth area, with a four-desk office providing an ideal fit for starters. They officially moved in September 2024 and have been continuing to grow.
The Hire Partner forecasts a turnover of £3.5m in the current financial year, validating their decision to move in. With powered access, such as cherry pickers for work-at-height jobs, and tool hire being two particularly strong revenue streams.
“Yeah, it’s going a bit nuclear, which is great”
Managing Director, Luke Richards.
Luke continues “So much so that, after just a few weeks, we asked Centre Director, Stephen Brownlie for an office that can fit eight desks to accommodate the fast-growing team. The flexibility to scale up on site so swiftly, with no disruption, was amazing.”
With six staff, including a non-executive investor Chairman, and more likely to be brought in to meet commercial demand, The Hire partner is now very much part of Fareham Innovation Centre, including buying services from several of the 60 business which call the Centre home.
As with many switched-on businesses, The Hire partner wants to do right by the environment, with 1,600 trees already planted for customers in accredited reforestation schemes around the world.
Why The Hire Partner chose Fareham Innovation Centre
Luke, whose career has been forged in the commercial hire industry said:
“We chose Fareham Innovation Centre because of the facilities here. You walk into the building and it looks impressive for customers and suppliers as well as staff, with a great reception team, helping build credibility.
“It was perfect for us straight away. We didn’t have an accountant when we first started, so we utilise Eclipse Accountancy, just down the corridor to do our payroll and returns, and our hardware and software is supplied by Solent Way Computers, another business at the Centre. If there’s a laptop glitch, I can just pop my head around the door.
“There’s even a print shop here – Speedyprint – which provides added convenience.”
Bespoke software
Staff at The Hire Partner also attend various networking and knowledge events held at the Centre, creating further opportunities.
Sectors supported by the business, underpinned by bespoke digital technology which matches customer postcodes to supplies nationwide, include:
According to sector figures, the UK’s building equipment hire industry is worth nearly £6 billion annually. Many contractors prefer to rent equipment for cost management and flexibility, rather than purchasing.
As part of the service to customers, The Hire Partner vets suppliers of building equipment, proactively managing the supply chain, including compliance and insurance.
Luke signed off saying “We always say one of the best ones we’ve gone was come to Fareham Innovation Centre. It’s our springboard to the future.”
The Hire Partner, which has an eight-desk office at Fareham Innovation Centre. Celebrating the company’s first anniversary, from left, Anthony Pearlgood (non-exec Chairman), Becky Varndell, Matt Yates, Leanne Richards and Luke Richards.
For information on our office spaces, please click here. Alternatively, you can email info@fareham-IC.co.uk or give us a call on 02393 870 380 Mon-Fri, 8:30am-5pm.
