Gulliver's Newsletter 3 - Gullivers

llivers.co.uk ••• General Hotline 0845 260 0999 ••• Municipal Hotline 0870 850 9990 ••• www.gullivers.co.uk ••• General Hotlin
Issue 3 - April 2013
The Voice .......
of Gulliver’s.
Introducing Gulliver’s Heathrow
& Gulliver’s Glasgow.
Gulliver’s have for some time planned to purchase sites in both the
Glasgow and Heathrow regions, enabling growth into the London &
South East and expand and develop in Scotland. We are pleased to
announce that the search is now over and both sites have now been
acquired and are fully operational.
Heathrow - is a 2 acre site only a stone’s throw away from Heathrow
Airport. The site at Green Lane, Hounslow is just 10 minutes drive from
Junction 3 of the M4 and 15 minutes to Junction 15 of the M25. With
quick and easy access to the greater London network.
The site itself has undergone a significant upgrade with refurbishment
costs well in excess of £100k. This investment will provide a full state
of the art 8 bay workshop with VOSA approved HGV/PSV Brake Tester,
8 tonne 4 post lift and a centralised servicing system complimented
with the latest diagnostic equipment. The investment is not just in the
workshop; in the yard a new vehicle wash-down and valet bay is being
constructed, our fuel delivery system is being relocated and upgraded
along with a complete refurbishment of the office accommodation.
Glasgow - is a prime 11 acre site of Centrum Business Park at
Coatbridge, 12 miles east of Glasgow and 35 miles west of Edinburgh.
Situated adjacent to the Shawhead Interchange, Centrum Business
Park benefits from immediate access to the M8 motorway via Junction
7 and to the A725, which provides a direct link to Raith interchange at
Junction 5 of the M74 four miles south.
Gulliver’s will develop the site to include purpose built facilities for
rental, business administration and maintenance. The maintenance
facility with the latest innovations for repair, maintenance and servicing
Cont. Page 2
Heathrow location
Gulliver’s win - Municipal Hire
Company of the Year Award:
at the 2012 PAWR Awards Ceremony.
Page 3
Glasgow location
Special feature:
Focus on Gloucester, one year on under new
management. Read how Ben Darnley has changed
the facility and his future plans.
Page 5
Lichfield District Council
Introducing our new fleet of RCVs for Lichfield DC.
Page 4
Cart Marking
What it is and how Gulliver’s are involved.
Page 6
nicipal Hotline 0870 850 9990 ••• www.gullivers.co.uk ••• General Hotline 0845 260 0999 ••• Municipal Hotline 0870 850 9990 •••

llivers.co.uk ••• General Hotline 0845 260 0999 ••• Municipal Hotline 0870 850 9990 ••• www.gullivers.co.uk ••• General Hotlin
Supporting the Porthkerry Panthers.
Following a donation from Gulliver’s Truck
Hire, a small community based youth football
club have been able to purchase a brand new
kit for the current season. The Porthkerry
Panthers are managed by Gulliver’s own Nick
Stokes (Workshop Coordinator at Cardiff) and
currently ply their trade in the Barry and District
under 12s division, operating within the Vale
of Glamorgan. They enjoyed an extremely
successful 2011/12 season, only losing 1 of their
30 fixtures and hope to continue their good
form as they take the big step into 11-a-side
football. We caught up with Nick to find out a
bit more about the ferocious ‘Panthers’.
How did the sponsorship request come
about?
Our club decided to hold a pre-season meeting
amongst the parents to evaluate the running
costs for the upcoming season. When we had
accounted for player and league fees, it became
apparent that in order to purchase a new
kit, outside sponsorship would be required.
Unfortunately, as you can probably imagine,
sourcing such investment is extremely difficult
in the current economic climate. Following
a few knock backs, I decided to approach
Karl Hadley (Director at Gulliver’s) to enquire
about the possibility of a small sponsorship
package, who in turn forwarded the proposal to
Philippe Harding (Gulliver’s Managing Director).
Fortunately, Philippe generously agreed, which
came to the relief of the club’s management
committee, who at one point thought they’d
have to knit a new kit in time for the start of the
season!
How has the Gulliver’s investment
benefitted Porthkerry Panthers?
The reaction of the team said it all. When we
announced that we would have a brand new
Adidas kit for the new season, the team could
barely contain their excitement. I know that I
would have been ecstatic to have received a
brand new kit when I was (a lot) younger, so to
be able to contribute to their joy is fantastic.
It really is great to see such a big company
taking the time to invest in local communities.
Coincidentally, a number of Gulliver’s customers
in South Wales are also sponsors of teams
within the same league, so it is nice to reaffirm
Gulliver’s commitment to the area. Hopefully,
this brilliant gesture will act as an incentive
for other corporations, perhaps even some of
Gulliver’s main competitors, to invest in other
community based organisations.
To keep up to date with all the latest Porthkerry
Panthers news, please visit their website (which
also provides a direct link back to the Gulliver’s
homepage):
http://porthkerrypanthers.btck.co.uk/
Heathrow & Glasgow continued...
will be able to accommodate up to 9 vehicles on the shop floor at
any one time. Complimented with fully qualified staff, the latest
diagnostic equipment, a high-tech stores system and tyre bay.
These facilities enable Gulliver’s to offer a complete one-stopshop
for vehicle hire, servicing and repair, for all maintenance
requirements.
We are also delighted that all our staff from Airdrie made the
move to Glasgow and a number of our existing staff at Thatcham
moved to our Heathrow site. Their experience, understanding
of our business and customer relationships are invaluable and
ensures the transition and skill base is as seamless as possible for
all concerned. Of course to all new staff who have joined us we
give them a warm welcome.
Further information on both facilities will follow in future
newsletters as the sites continue to develop and grow. In the
meantime, both Glasgow and Heathrow are fully operational and
can be contacted at the address and numbers below.
Heathrow
General/Rental – 0208 569 5999
Service - 0208 7543 971
Fax - 02087543 989
Heathrow.rental@gullivers.co.uk
Green Lane, Hounslow,
Middlesex, TW4 6BY
Glasgow
General/Rental - 01236 459 800
Service - 01236 459 801
Fax - 01236 459 819
Glasgow.rental@gullivers.co.uk
Centrum Business Park, 5 Hagmill Road,
Coatbridge, ML5 4TD
Celtic Manor Event Day
During the autumn Gulliver’s held a golfing and shooting event day at the
Celtic Manor for some of their key customers. Playing the infamous 2010
Ryder Cup course prior to an evening spent in the 2010 Club house and
hotel. Split into teams with a Halloween theme (the event was held on the
31st October) the competition was high between the players.
Congratulations goes to the overall winner of the golf event - Kevin
Lawerence of DHL who is now the owner of a brand new golfing bag.
Several other prizes were available including Nearest the pin, Longest Drive
and 1st, 2nd and 3rd places as well as the boobie prize for lowest score of
the day. In addition an overall team score was up for grabs, won by Jon
Siviter’s team - The Ghouls.
The event was an excellent success and one which is likely to be repeated next year.
Did you know....
Did you know.....
Since the
The
launch
order books
of the
for 2013
new
already
website
includes
in June,
over 784
over
vehicles.
27,500 thousand
unique people have viewed our site... that’s over 75 new visitors per
This is over half of the total quantity day. (1,093) vehicles ordered by
Gulliver’s throughout 2012.
45 260 0999 ••• Municipal Hotline 0870 850 9990 ••• www.gullivers.co.uk ••• General Hotline 0845 260 0999 ••• Municipal Ho

260 0999 ••• Municipal Hotline 0870 850 9990 ••• www.gullivers.co.uk ••• General Hotline 0845 260 0999 ••• Municipal Hotlin
Municipal Vehicle Rental
Company of the Year.
Gulliver’s were announced as winners of the
Municipal Vehicle Rental Company of the Year
at the Plant and Waste Recycling (PAWR) 2012
awards ceremony held in Torquay in June.
Gulliver’s representative Steve Bowen - Business
Development Manager proudly accepted the
award, which was sponsored by Hopdeals.com
and presented by Sky Sports presenter John
McDonald.
Neil Jeremiah, Sales Director of Gulliver’s
comments “The award is a great achievement
for Gulliver’s and has been gained by keeping at
the forefront of vehicle technologies. When you
add to that the high level of service and added
value offerings which Gulliver’s provide to all its
contract hire customers, you can see what sets us
above the rest”.
In addition to receiving an award, Gulliver’s were
also the sponsor of the ‘Waste and Recycling
Vehicle of the Year’ award, which was presented
by Louise Haunton - Sales and Marketing Manager
for Gulliver’s and received by Graham Howlett of
Johnston Sweepers (see image to the right). The
winning vehicle was the Johnston C201 sweeper -
a vehicle that Gulliver’s have several of within its
spot and contract hire fleets.
Other winners at the ceremony included, Dennis
Eagle for Industry Innovation (another key
supplier for Gulliver’s) and Croydon Council who
achieved Local Authority of the Year.
2012 Show Round Up.......
2012 saw Gulliver’s attend
five shows and events
throughout the year.
Apse in Aviemore Scotland, the
FPS (Freight Petroleum Show)
in Harrogate, PAWRS (Plant
Waste & Recycling Show) in
Paignton, RWM (Resource &
Waste Management show) at the
NEC, Cold Comfort (the winter
maintenance show) in Coventry
and finally the Londonderry show
in North Yorkshire.
The attendance at each of the
shows are highly important and
mark key dates in all the sales
teams diaries. They not only
provide the opportunity to meet
with customers and suppliers,
but also allows the Sales Team
to see the latest equipment and
technologies available. Each
show appeals to a different set of
visitors, whether geographically
or the vehicles and companies
that attend.
PAWRS has become one of the
key annual events for the waste
and recycling industry held in
June and has developed to be the
largest outdoor show. Gulliver’s
have gained a positive reputation
at PAWRS due not only to us
occupying two large stands, but
we offer full catering on the main
stand, along with quirky features
including free ice creams served
from a traditional tricyle, on the
main event day.
This is followed in the evening
with the PAWR Awards ceremony
and Gulliver’s private customer
and supplier event - where a
whole pub is hired out for an
evening of networking, live band
entertainment and socialising.
Of course the evening this year
was topped off by Gulliver’s being
announced as winners of the
“Municipal Hire Company of the
Year”.
Already we have signed up
to several of the shows for
next year including the RWM,
APSE, Londonderry, PAWRS
and Cold Comfort which will
be in Manchester in 2013 and
look forward to meeting with
customers and suppliers both old
and new. Visit the website to find
out more details.
w.gullivers.co.uk ••• General Hotline 0845 260 0999 ••• Municipal Hotline 0870 850 9990 ••• www.gullivers.co.uk ••• General

e 0845 260 0999 ••• Municipal Hotline 0870 850 9990 ••• www.gullivers.co.uk ••• General Hotline 0845 260 0999 ••• Municipa
In focus....
Gloucester one year on
under new management
Compare Gloucester to how
it was a year ago and some
significant changes will be
noticeable...
Ben Darnley - Head of Business -
Gloucester took over the management
of the business unit a year ago, and
initiated several immediate changes,
including a spruce up of the rental /
reception area, refurbishing it with
a lick of paint and general tidy up. It
is the first impressions that count in
business.
Other changes you can visually notice
are the staff - over the past year
James Woods has joined as a Rental
Administrator assisting with the
general day to day running of the rental
desk. Whilst already a long standing
member of staff Colin Scrivens has
been promoted to Workshop Charge
Hand, and has undertaken the role
admirably. The team in Gloucester
is small in comparison to the other
business units within Gulliver’s,
however they are a close knit team and
inevitably the spectrum of jobs within
each role is generally wider as team
members regularly cover each other
during times of absence or breaks.
Behind the scenes, several of the
working practices throughout the
business unit have been changed under
Ben’s management, some of which
were gained from the experience of
working at Bristol. The rental desk is
operated in a more professional and
structured manner whilst the practices
for logging vehicle damage and
workshop administration have also
been revised, ultimately resulting in a
slicker more time efficient workplace.
In terms of the vehicles, the catchment
area for Gloucester has remained
virtually the same - however the
number of vehicles allocated has seen
a 30% increase over the past year
jumping from 160 to 208. Gloucester’s
fleet comprises predominately of
general vehicles although this increase
has included 9 kerbsiders and RCVs,
currently in operation within the
Forest of Dean through Biffa. A recent
contract win for a major logistics
company has also boasted vehicle
numbers, with the remaining growth
accountable from increased local
business, on short term and flexi hire.
The development of new business is
very encouraging and is testament to
the hard work and dedication of the
Gloucester team.
Lichfield District Councils,
New 26t RCVs with a larger than average body...
Gulliver’s Brownhills are proud to announce their
successful contract win to Lichfield District Council,
suppling them with six brand new 26T RCV’s.
These vehicles replace an existing fleet of 26T
twin packs. Due to the necessary changes in their
operations, the move to the larger twenty three cubic
metre single compaction vehicles was a must. Darren
Phillips - Transport Officer for Lichfield -states, ‘The
23cu bodies are achieving high payloads due to the
increased volume, offering a more efficient vehicle for
the recycling operation’.
Gulliver’s have dealt with Lichfield District Council
for a number of years and through the help of Neil
Jeremiah we seized the opportunity to further cement
our relationship and look to increase business with
this client by supplying these new vehicles. Lichfield
have since made some further alterations to the
vehicles to suit their operation to include reducing the
speed limiters to 50 mph, further increasing their fuel
efficiency, and fitting ‘key out’ systems to enable the
vehicles to be secured whilst crew members work at
the rear of the vehicle.
that Lichfield District Council’s OCRS is now running
at Green 00. We have achieved this score with the help
from all at Brownhills and I want to thank you all for
your continued professional approach.’
As an additional bonus to both Lichfield DC and GTH,
the latest OCRS (Operator Compliance Risk Score)
was reported this week. Darren Phillips comments, ‘I
would just like to take this opportunity to advise you
From left to right; Nigel Harris (Waste General Manager),
Gary Brownridge (Street Scene & Fleet Manager), Darryl
Coleman (Head of Business - Brownhills, Gulliver’s) and
Darren Phillips (Transport Officer).
tline 0870 850 9990 ••• www.gullivers.co.uk ••• General Hotline 0845 260 0999 ••• Municipal Hotline 0870 850 9990 ••• www.

l Hotline 0870 850 9990 ••• www.gullivers.co.uk ••• General Hotline 0845 260 0999 ••• Municipal Hotline 0870 850 9990 ••• w
Staff Spotlights...
Ben Darnley - Head of Business Gloucester,
first joined Gulliver’s in 2006.
Initially employed
in Bristol as a Rental
Assistant, Ben quickly
excelled in the role and
after just 12 months
was promoted to the
Municipal Hire Manager
- our 0870 850 9990
Hotline number- and main
point of contact for the
company for municipal
hire enquiries. Needless to say the knowledge that Ben
gained whilst focusing on the Municipal vehicles is a
little enviable.
Natural progression saw Ben develop this role and
transfer over to become a member of the Sales Team
in 2011, expanding his knowledge further to include
general vehicles. Concentrating on the Bristol Area,
Ben focused on developing new business for the
Bristol Business unit. Soon after taking on the Business
Development role, the vacancy for Head of Business -
Gloucester became available and being proactive Ben
jumped at the opportunity when it was offered to him.
Initially a 6 month secondment, it soon became
apparent from the positive changes and growth of the
business unit that Ben would be staying at Gloucester
on a permanent basis.
When questioned on his future plans and visions for
Gloucester he replied, “I’d like to see Gloucester fleet
size to increase to 250 or over within 2013, this will
hopefully partly due to developing both the customer
base we have with companies such as Wincanton as
well as developing new business connections”.
On a social note Ben is an avid sports fan, with a keen
interest in both football and rugby. Like most of us he
enjoys socialising with friends and can be found parttaking
in the odd game of poker at the weekend.
A welcoming intorduction from Jason
Jones - Gulliver’s Engineering Director.
‘’I joined Gulliver’s Truck Hire on the 1st February 2013
after meeting with Philippe Harding and members of
the board in the November. What struck me was the
passion to succeed and the loyalty to the Gulliver’s
brand. It was also very clear that values such as quality
and customer care were fundamental and essential
within the business.
I have been in the industry for over 25 years, starting
out as an apprentice technician for BRS (British Road
Services). During the 1990’s I held numerous workshop
management positions and progressed to Depot
manager controlling the workshop and rental business .
Late 90’s early 2000’s I went into the Aviation Ground
Support division which was totally different than
anything I had previously been involved in, Managing a
workshop with 120 staff and 1,000 pieces of equipment
(some international). Different culture and a different
mind-set, however Customer care was paramount .
I then had the opportunity to centralise the
management of 17 airports engineering in the UK and
ROI whilst maintaining the local customer service.
This was a challenge as the 17 airports consisted of 4
companies that had been acquired . So we had different
company views , spread across the country and differing
maintenance regimes. This did align and made the
company one of the leading businesses in the industry
for asset management, maintenance, cost control and
availability.
Plans for Gulliver’s are; Develop a single maintenance
program across the business, streamline the supplier
network using preferred parts suppliers, work closer
as company departments, share best practice, work as
one company and not just focus on our own business
unit, drive more business back into our own facilities
and condense 3rd party repairers.
These should not be
new ideas but ones that
we should all share, at
the end of the day the
customer comes first and
it is our duty to deliver a
quality assured service.”
The “A” Team
Congratulations...
Ryan Browning - Accounting graduate from Staffordshire University, joined Gulliver’s in
September 2006 as a Trainee Account.
Through sheer hard work and determination Ryan has progressed to the position of
Company Accountant and in March 2012, following his final professional exams has
obtained Qualification with the Institute of Chartered Certified Accountants.
Our Aspirations, our Aim and our Ambition it to be
“World Class”
The dual role of the unit is to provide services to the Sales and Operations teams and to ensure good controls all round for the business.
gullivers.co.uk ••• General Hotline 0845 260 0999 ••• Municipal Hotline 0870 850 9990 ••• www.gullivers.co.uk ••• General Hot

e 0870 850 9990 ••• www.gullivers.co.uk ••• General Hotline 0845 260 0999 ••• Municipal Hotline 0870 850 9990 ••• www.gu
Cart Marking Ceremony
On an annual basis Gulliver’s enter a ‘cart’ into the prestigious cart Marking
Ceremony held at London Guildhall.
The featured cart / vehicle for 2012 was the Lewisham Council electric RCV, the
first of its kind for Gulliver’s, which entered into the procession along with 46
other carts - ranging from traditional horse drawn carriages to the more modern of
vehicles we see on the roads day to day.
So what is cart marking? It is an old age tradition established to license vehicles
plying for hire within the City of London. Each vehicle with a license had affixed
to it an individually numbered brass plate that was marked annually. As of 1838
this marking took place within the Guildhall by the Hallkeeper. 1965 saw the
end of the last original 18 carts, and today they are used only for ceremonial
purposes.
The Cart marking ceremony now a days comprises of a procession of carts
entering one by one into the court yard of the Guildhall. Driving slowly though
to allow all guests to view the vehicle before stopping beside the Lord Mayor
to allow for the plaque to be branded, a marking made with a red hot iron onto
a uniquely number wooden plaque (Gulliver’s is number 461). Following the
branding of all carts, the ceremony is completed with a continuous final lap of
honour of each vehicle. This ancient ceremony acts as a reminder of centuries of
service to the City of London.
Sales Team Congratulations...
Following a successful day at the Theydon Bois Golf Club, the Sales Team came away crowned as 1st place winners. Team members, Neil Jeremiah, Barry
Fulls, Rhys Davies and Jon Siviter took part in a charity golf and networking day on the 2nd October, which they went on to win out of 20 teams. All
money raised was in aid of “The Lord Mayor’s Appeal 2012”. A grand total of £1,220 was raised for the Trauma Unit at the Royal London Hospital.
Tinsel for Tots
Gulliver’s continue to work with the Wallace and Gromit Grand
appeal and as such took part in the Tinsel for Tots for the Neonatal
Intensive Care Unit in Bristol (Nicu).
Each staff member involved made a donation of choice and donned
their tinsel for the day on Friday 21st December. In an effort to
raise as much as possible, homemade cakes were on sale, kindly
donated by Julie Gabriel and a guess the baby competition took
place.
The correct guesses of; Philippe Harding, Kevin Spiers and Matt
John, were all entered into a hat; congratulations goes to the three
winners:
- 1st Prize - Chocolates won by Karen Harris
- 2nd prize - Wine won by Christine Stone
- 3rd Prize - Espresso set won by Lisa Gater
Hotline 0845 260 0999 ••• Municipal Hotline 0870 850 9990 ••• www.gullivers.co.uk ••• General Hotline 0845 260 0999 ••• Mu