Based in the heart of the Adelaide Hills, family run equipment hire business Stirling Hire has been providing quality building and earthmoving machinery and products to locals for eight years. Priding himself on providing reliable equipment and excellent customer support, Stirling Hire Owner, Peter Bellosguardo, has built a successful business by seeking out products that can help deliver reliability and functionality to his customer base.

Since the business opened Peter has refined his business model and core principles to achieve success. According to Peter, the key to a successful equipment hire business is investing in equipment that meets the demands and needs of the area. For the Stirling region this means durable, high-quality equipment that can tackle the high clay content and slippery slopes.

“Once you understand the properties and the area you can make sure you have the right equipment available,” Peter said.

Putting customers first

Peter keeps customer needs front of mind when procuring equipment, and in doing so, prioritises quality over cost.

“It’s about the investment. I buy equipment that is better suited to our location and if it costs more then so be it.

“For example, when we started our business the main mini skid steer loaders in the industry were wheeled machines. My experience with both wheeled and tracked machines in the past steered us towards choosing Vermeer’s tracked machines for our business.

“Personally I have found them better suited to the terrain up here in the Hills where you tend to get a lot wetter and softer ground for long periods during the year. Eventually,  customers too began to see the benefits.

“The tracked mini skid steer loaders have the benefits of speed, maneuverability and ease-of-use. As well as the added benefit that using the tracked machines on muddy and wet ground doesn’t do as much damage. We haven’t looked back since.

“People prefer to use equipment that makes life easier, so while it might be more expensive in the short term, in the long run it keeps customers coming back.”

While Stirling Hire has numerous Vermeer products on the shop floor, Peter said his favourite piece of equipment is the Vermeer BC700XL Wood Chipper.

“I love the BC700XL because it requires very little maintenance. You have to sharpen and replace the blades but not a lot goes wrong with it. Plus it’s fun to use; I notice customers always coming back with a smile on their face after using the machine.”

Getting you back on the road

Since 2010, Peter has an ongoing relationship with Vermeer who has provided welcomed support to his business.

“There is quite a bit of money involved in this business so it’s important to have good relationships with your suppliers. A good relationship for me means that they understand your business,” Peter said.

“Vermeer understands that it is crucial to our success to keep our machines running and the fact that they react quickly if there is a problem shows they understand. When we have conversations about equipment maintenance they tell me, ‘We’ve gotta get you back on the road’.

“The thing that keeps me coming back to Vermeer is the after-sales support and the quality of their machines.

“Working in the hire industry you get lots of different suppliers coming through to sell their equipment. They tend to get disappointed when they see all the Vermeer equipment and usually say, ‘I’m here too late’.”