Pirtek South Wales reopened a centre in Cardiff in March, after a four-year absence from the city. The centre will be run as part of the South Wales group which also includes Swansea and Newport. South Wales is part of the larger collection of franchises owned by Jason Woods, including Pirtek Gloucester, Kidderminster and Worcester.
Being part of a larger group of Pirtek franchises has clear advantages as each centre is able to share best practice as well as cooperate freely to cover a wider area than would otherwise be possible. The Pirtek South Wales centres have a particularly close working relationship and the precise boundaries are set to be adjusted in a few months’ time to allow maximum cooperation.
Jason says, “It was always our plan to reopen in the capital of Wales but most of the work has been done within the last couple of months.
“At the moment, Pirtek Cardiff is a satellite of the Newport centre but once it’s established, we will make it a separate company within our group.
“As the capital of Wales, it is essential that Pirtek has a presence in Cardiff and the city presents some great opportunities,” says Jason, naming the huge Celsa steel foundry, the rail industry, docks and waste reprocessing services as potential prizes. “It is also a prime location for a trade counter,” he says.
Centre Manager Steve Powell has recently returned to Pirtek from a competitor business, having worked at Pirtek Newport for three years up until 2014. Starting in February, he has overseen the refitting and stocking of the centre and is excited about its prospects.
“The area Pirtek Cardiff serves is denser than Swansea and Newport and it is strategically positioned between them. Its location within the city ideally serves the city centre, bay and docks. This makes it a key part of the South Wales network.”
Having been closed for four years, Pirtek Cardiff is now going hell for leather to regain old clients and generate new business and Steve has a strong team behind him.
“We are working closely with Steve Penton and Paul MaGuire, Group Operations Manager and Business Development Manager respectively for South Wales; Pirtek UK Business Development Manager, Nick Edwards and of course our Franchisee, Jason Woods,” Steve says.
“They have been sending a lot of emails as well as making phone calls to drum up business. We’ve had Nick and Paul out visiting customers and leafleting. In due course there will be a Pirtek UK sales blitz. They will also be re-approaching past customers.
The work is mainly breakdown for now, says Steve, but he hopes to develop more longer-term contracts and maintenance work over time.
For the time being, Pirtek Cardiff has two vans and MSSTs, Ben Richards, who recently returned to Pirtek after a short stay at competitor, Hydraquip, says, “It’s great to be back.” Pirtek Cardiff’s second MSST is Grant Williams, but in the capital city of Wales, there is plenty of scope for growth.
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