MOUSE Valley Plant has embarked on an ambitious five-year growth strategy with plans to significantly expand the hire fleet to 150 machines.
The business, which is based in Carstairs, South Lanarkshire, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.
Managing director Tom Orkiszewski took over the firm last year and has since invested £3 million in new equipment including excavators, dumpers, telehandlers and rollers from leading brands such as JCB, Develon, Wacker Neuson, and Kubota. Staff headcount has also grown to 20 – a mix of full-time and self-employed workers – with plans to recruit another 5-10 people next year.
“Every year we want to grow,” Tom told Project Plant. “Since I took over, I’ve concentrated on replenishing the fleet. That’s very important. We run a mixed fleet including Mouse Valley’s first dozer – a Develon DD130 with GPS. Most of the new excavators come with height and slew restrictors, and the dumpers have human detection systems for safety.”
The newest additions to the portfolio are attachments from MB Crusher. Products including crusher and screening buckets, drum cutters, and sorting grapples were showcased at a recent Mouse Valley Plant demo day.
“They are good quality attachments,” Tom stated. “Plant manager Eddie Murray and I travelled to the MB factory in Italy and learned how each product works. Feedback on the MB products on the demo day was good, with many potential customers for the future. We’re offering the full range of MB products and service backup.”
A contract crushing service has also been introduced, with Tom revealing that the firm’s Tesab 600i portable jaw crusher is ‘busy all the time’ and ideally suited to small demolition sites.
A further string to the company’s bow is a mobile tyre service, with plans afoot to recruit an additional fitter next year as this aspect of the business grows.
A major part of the Mouse Valley offering is a training academy, which has been launched under the banner of Mouse Valley Training. With the business keen to help alleviate well documented sector skills shortages, tailored CPCS and NPORS courses are available on a range of machinery. NVQ2 Level 2 qualifications are achievable, with a six-acre training ground providing operators with the chance to obtain hands-on experience.
In terms of standing out in a competitive market, Tom highlighted the importance of providing a ‘comprehensive service’. “Breakdowns happen, even if the machine is brand new,” he said. “If we can’t repair the machine on the same day, we just replace it straight away. That’s our policy.
“We’re sending machines everywhere. We don’t have limitations on locations. Our machines are working right now in Aberdeen, Inverness, Devon, Liverpool, Manchester.
“80% of our customers are repeat customers. We’re involved in all sectors from construction and agriculture, to quarries and utilities.”
Looking to the future, a further £1-2 million is earmarked for new equipment next year as part of a long-term strategy.
“Currently we have 85-90 machines, but we want to expand to 150 in the next five years,” Tom said. “All the profits are being reinvested back into the business. We’re aiming for steady growth. We have a good structure in the business and a good team. People make a business. We will work together to move Mouse Valley Plant up to the next chapter.”
