AS survey findings suggest growth may be slowing in the UK’s construction sector, we hear from a supplier to the trade who says governments need to increase spending on big infrastructure projects to support the market.

Name:

Colin Inglis.

Age:

41.

What is your business called?

Eagle Plant Hire.

Where is it based?

Dennistoun, Glasgow.

What services does it offer?

We provide plant and equipment hire to companies involved in construction. Our original focus back in 2005 was on providing local and DIY tool hire, but that has evolved to the point where we are providing equipment on a large scale and supplying all kinds of hire tools, plant and equipment.

To whom does it sell?

Any central belt construction business, large or small, from house builders and civil engineers to utilities.

What is its turnover?

£2 million. We hope to grow this by around 30 per cent in 2017.

How many employees?

19.

When was it formed?

2005.

Why did you take the plunge?

I wanted to invest in some commercial property in the East End of Glasgow to house an existing business and heard about a building that was coming onto the market. It was a happy coincidence that there was a plant hire company in the building! My brother Alan and I bought the company along with the building.

In November last year I bought my brother’s 50 per cent share of the business, which means I am now sole owner. Making the investment of buying Eagle outright is a demonstration of how confident I am in its future.

What were you doing before you took the plunge?

I worked in magazine publishing, but also owned a bouncy castle business! This came about because at the age of 14 I began working at weekends as a van boy for my friend’s dad, Gus McMillan. He was a successful property developer and landlord who had also started a bouncy castle hire business. I helped set up the castles, dealt with the customers, cleaned and prepared the equipment for the next hire, and also learned about the importance of being organised well ahead of delivery time. Some people still make fun of the fact I am usually early for everything, and I am sure this comes from Gus!

Years later, I started working at a magazine publishing company selling advertising space. I developed with them, becoming advertising manager as the business quickly grew. I wanted to invest some of my money, so I approached Gus, bought his bouncy castles from him and started Inglis Leisure along with my brother. We then built this up and bought a company called Kidaround, which in 2003 was the biggest supplier of inflatable equipment in Scotland with around 70 bouncy castles.

A year later we were looking to buy a commercial unit for Kidaround when we stumbled upon our current premises. We purchased the property and the plant hire company along with it, and at this time I decided to leave my publishing job. We soon decided to focus our attention on Eagle, so in 2006 we sold Kidaround.

How did you raise the start-up funding?

Cash from property sales, and the Small Firms Loan Guarantee Scheme through Royal Bank of Scotland.

What was your biggest break?

Getting a chance in the magazines business as my earning potential was uncapped, allowing me to earn money to invest in other things.

Selling advertising gave me the confidence I needed to approach potential customers and build up long term relationships. Telesales is a great way to learn about perseverance! It is also essential that you are organised enough to regularly keep in touch with your customers and listen to what they want.

What was your worst moment?

Like so many businesses, steering the company through the last recession was the biggest challenge I’ve ever faced. The skills and talent of the team and being fairly small and agile allowed us to take advantage of new opportunities during that time and the business came out of the recession in a stronger position as a result. We did not have any redundancies and once we rode out the initial downturn we took more people on.

What do you most enjoy about running the business?

I really get a buzz from the emotional boost of doing something well and being rewarded with customers coming back to us.

What are your ambitions for the firm?

I want to continue to build upon the solid growth we have seen since 2005. Just a few months ago, we purchased 40,000 sq. ft. of additional space opposite our original premises. This marks a step-change in the growth of the business and allows us to invest in and store new equipment. We also plan to grow the team and will be recruiting for another three members of staff in the coming months. This will include a business development role to help us continue our growth.

I am very optimistic for 2017. We are seeing sustained growth and demand for our equipment across all sectors. We have also had a great response to our move into new areas, such as providing temporary traffic lights, traffic control signage and barriers. We plan to keep reinvesting in the latest technology, like our recent renewal of our power tools fleet.

What are your five top priorities?

To consolidate our existing loyal customer base; to grow our turnover by 30 per cent by the end of 2017; to continue to grow our team with the target of increasing headcount by 15 per cent this year; to Increase the range of equipment that we offer our customers.

What could the Westminster and/or Scottish governments do that would help?

Continued – and increased - investment in major infrastructure projects.

What was the most valuable lesson that you learned?

Take nothing for granted, and constantly engage with customers.

How do you relax?

Exercise helps me to see things more clearly. As the knees and joints are getting a little older I have started cycling - or as my wife would say, having a midlife crisis!