11 / 60
Kerr’s Hire in the early years
AUGUST 2012 | HIRE
AND
RENTAL
NEWS
| 11
INDUSTRY IN FOCUS
Early this year, Kerr’s Hire celebrated 30
years in business. Gary Kerr (Past President
HRIA) and son Jarrod Kerr look back at the
journey the family hire business has taken.
In 1970 one Saturday afternoon, Gary
Kerr was approached by a former workmate
and was asked if he was interested in a part
time job doing deliveries for about an hour
on a weekend at a local hire company.
Little did he realise by accepting that
job it would change his and his family’s life
forever. After a couple of years it turned
into a full time position that lasted for 10
years. In November 1981 the company was
taken over by Wreckair Hire and Gary put
the wheels in motion together with wife
Heather to start their own business in hire.
On February 2, 1982 Kerr’s Northside Hire
was born and this year celebrated its 30th
birthday.
The company began trading at its
original premises in Separation St, North
Geelong, opening its doors with $20,000
worth of stock and a single employee. The
company began to grow with the help of
loyal Geelong companies and by 1988 had
outgrown its original premises and moved
Kerr’s Hire celebrates turning 30
to a new purpose
built yard just 600m
down the road.
In 2002 Gary and
Heather’s son Jarrod
joined the company
full time after a
number of years
working part time in
the business in the
workshop and the
front office.
In August 2009
Jarrod initiated the
first expansion of the
company; the first of
two agencies located
in the local Fagg’s
Mitre 10 stores.
In November
2009, the company acquired a small hire
company, Leading Hire in Grovedale. Now
represented across the whole Geelong
region, the company name changed to
Kerr’s Hire; staff numbers increased and
Jarrod was appointed Operations Manager.
In October 2011 Kerr’s Hire moved to
a new purpose built yard in Essington St,
Grovedale. The company now has 16 full
time staff plus Gary, Heather and Jarrod
and in the past four years business has
increased by 30%.
Over the next few years Gary and
Heather plan to reduce their workload.
Visit: www. kerrshire.com.au
HR
POWER AIR
WATER
LIGHT
Want to know more?
Visit
www.allightsykes.com/rotair
today.
*Based on the industry average utilisation rate of 48%
How does a
66%
financial utilisation sound?
Heard you’re fed up of
returns from your rental fleet
*
...
slim
Perkins-powered portable air
compressors from AllightSykes.
Indicative ROI Model
MDVN36AP (130cfm)
Purchase price: $20,000
ROI
Financial utilisation = 66%
GP = 56%
Assumptions
66% Time utilisation
90% mechanical availability
5% repair reserve
5% damage reserve
Interest and gearing recovered
Rental rate $89/day