Prolift Access, the aerial platforms company, is enjoying a period of rapid growth delivered from its new, spacious Head Office on Westpark following a move from Foxmoor Business Park at the end of June.
The company, led by Managing Director Andy Pearson and Finance Director Andrew Martin, now employs 63 staff in its office, storage and training complex in Wellington and in Bristol, Roche in Cornwall and Ringwood, Hampshire, having started just 5 years ago with 2 employees in premises on Foxmoor.
The company moved from there reluctantly but, having expanded from its original location, it was taking up space designed as starter premises for small businesses. Andrew Martin said, “Initially, we wanted to develop where we were and the Sumptions, who own the Park, were very helpful, but the local authority would not allow further expansion. We had been in touch with Summerfield for a number of years so it made sense to move to Westpark.”
The major departments – accounts, operations, engineering, training and health and safety – are now housed in a brand new suite of offices alongside the company’s Senior Management Team. Developments continue as the company has just taken over another of Westpark’s units which will become a new training centre for hoist, scaffolding and aerial platform operators. Andy Pearson said, “That’s one of the appeals of Westpark. We have a hotel, a pub and a restaurant here so we can offer fully accredited residential courses with accommodation on the doorstep.”
Prolift Access is now, according to Andy, “the second largest aerial platforms provider in the South West”. He said, “We measure ourselves against the big companies but we’re doing better than them in the local area. It’s all about quality of service and caring about local people.”
And the future? “There will be more organic growth in the area,”Andy explained. “We’re diversifying the fleet to add telehandlers, selling more equipment and looking at possibly developing into South Wales and along the South Coast towards Kent. That would seem to be a natural progression for the future. In the short term we’re planning to increase our truck-mounted fleet and have just advertised for an operator of that division.”
With such ambitious plans for the future, building on well-established, rapid, well-managed growth, the Prolift Access new Head Office is likely to be very busy over the next few years.