New MD named as SHC Hire celebrates 30 years

FAMILY-RUN tool and plant hire company SHC Hire Centres is celebrating its 30th year of trading and has appointed a new managing director.

Headquartered in Skipton, SHC has appointed Neil Bravery as its new managing director. He has taken over from founder Claire Gains and will oversee the company’s delivery of hire equipment across its Yorkshire depots, the newest of which is in Northallerton. Other sites are in Ilkley and Ripon.

Mrs Gains will now focus on developing SHC’s Blue Sky Event Solutions; a division formed at the start of the year which provides specialist hire services to the events industry.

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The firm said it will meet “the growing demand for a comprehensive hire service for event organisers, venues and catering providers”. Blue Sky’s hire equipment supports events from family weddings and private parties to local fetes and shows, festivals and corporate launches.

The company is in the process of having its website redesigned. It has also introduced a new logo to mark its 30-year anniversary.

Yorkshire resident Mr Bravery has over 20 years’ experience working in the industry, including time previously spent at SHC as sales director.

He said: “It’s a great opportunity to return to SHC as managing director. We’ve excelled in a shrinking economy and grown the company by investing in new depots and product developments. SHC is a real success story for Yorkshire and I’m delighted to be part of it.”

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SHC, which serves both the domestic and commercial markets, employs about 30 people. Mr Bravery said the key to weathering the recession has been excellent customer service, adding that the Blue Sky division and powered access division, which provides machinery to allow people to work at height, will be the key areas of growth for the company next year.

Mrs Gains said: “I’m extremely proud of our 30-year heritage in Yorkshire and am delighted that SHC will continue to grow with innovative developments like Blue Sky Event Solutions. Expanding in the economic downturn was a risk which paid off and I feel confident we’ll go from strength to strength with Neil as managing director, who brings a wealth of experience to the team.”

SHC supplies companies in the local area, and its client base includes Balfour Beatty and Dobson Construction.

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