MARCH | SECTOR FOCUS
SHAUN PEARCE,
MANAGING DIRECTOR,
PEARCE HIRE
Innovations
There continues to be an
ongoing drive towards greener
power systems and reductions
in the carbon footprint. The
demand for innovation in power
supply is increasing, and you
now see equipment with more
monitoring systems. We ensure
our fleet of generators are top
of the range, energy efficient
machines, and we regularly
install generator farms and load
sharing systems to reduce fuel
consumption. We also champion
better-quality distribution and
circuit protection on site for our
clients.
There is a continual drive
for energy efficient equipment
which reduces power
consumption, for example,
replacing MBI & halogen
lighting with LED low energy
fittings and lamps.
Boyauncy
Cost vs quality is, and always
has been, an issue for suppliers
in the event production sector.
Exceptional customer service,
100% reliability, on-site back up,
maintaining green credentials
and best practice all come at a
cost.
Events are growing in size
and in number, and so our
clients (the event organisers) sit
in a very competitive market and
want to give their customers
more value and stay in front of
the competition. But this puts
enormous pressure on suppliers
as it reduces our margins. Of
course for power suppliers, it
is true to say that what we do
goes relatively unnoticed until
something inadvertently powers
down.
We are experts on Greenfield
sites where many festivals and
outdoor events take place, and
our clients expect the same
power reliability in the middle of
a muddy field as they do at home
and at work without necessarily
appreciating that getting it right
can mean escalating costs – and
that it isn’t always about the
cheapest price or tender.
We are certainly busier than
we have ever been, but with
all the associated costs of kit,
excellence in staff, quality
systems and limited budgets to
contend with, it isn’t necessarily
the golden goose some people
may think it is.
Brexit
To be honest, no, I don’t think
that Brexit will cause us a
problem. I am very philosophical
about the Brexit issue and feel
that people are worrying far too
much about it. As a business
owner and operator for over 30
years, I’ve been through several
recessions and a number of
difficult business years in that
time. What I have learnt is to
keep focussed on what you are
doing and what you know, keep
providing exceptional service,
maintain excellent production
standards and we will learn to
adapt to the new circumstances
– what will be will be!
Development
We continually put our staff
through BS7909, 18th Edition,
Forklift, IPAF, rigging, moving
light, motor courses and First
Aid. We review our training
policy annually to ensure all
qualifications are kept up to date
and ensure that the team have
the relevant qualifications and
training they need to do their
day-to-day jobs.
We have an active and ongoing
apprenticeship scheme at Pearce
Hire and freelance staff pay a
pivotal role especially in the busy
summer festival season. We
also run an intern programme
with the performing arts
department at Peterborough
Regional College, which provides
students valuable insight
and learning on the job work
experience. In fact as a result of
the intern programme we have
offered several students fulltime
positions.
Organiser demands
We have excellent ongoing
relationships with our clients
– many of whom we have been
working with for many years
and so the planning process
and timeline is well established.
For new clients we urge them
to involve us as their power
supplier in their event planning
from the onset. At the end of the
day good planning in advance
saves money and gets a better
result.
Winning
We are definitely more
proactive at sourcing and
winning business. We have an
integrated campaign for gaining
new business and social media
is making a big difference to the
way we market and promote the
production services Pearce Hire
offers. This is complemented
by regular involvement in
industry networking events and
at several industry trade shows
throughout the year to ensure
we have exposure to potential
clients and the chance to meet
them face-to-face.
Future gazing
Overall I am confident that the
event power industry will be in
a good position in 10 years’ time.
Although with the anticipated
advent of readily available and
more cost-efficient equipment
it is likely to become even more
competitive. New fuels and
power sources will also play a
major part.
55