Two innovative business services from Parker Hannifin are playing a key role in the ongoing growth of one of Yorkshire’s leading distributors of hydraulics products. Called Hose Doctor and ParkerStore, the two business services are being employed by Mend-a-Hose Hydraulics Ltd as part of a long term strategy to develop its share of local industrial, transport, mining and construction markets for parts used in machine maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO).
Mend-a-Hose was founded in 1989 by local owner-operator John Duff, working from home and offering fast hydraulics repair services to companies in the immediate area. The following year, his son, also called John, joined him in the business and together they gradually built up a wide ranging and loyal customer base. By 1994, the company had moved into its first commercial premises and opened a trade counter selling a steadily growing range of hydraulics and associated products; three years later the business had moved again to its present location in a wholly owned 10,000 ft² industrial unit in Castleford, with an extensive warehouse and engineering workshop, a trade counter and offices.
From the outset, Mend-a-Hose supplied or fitted Parker products, alongside those of other manufacturers. It was not until 1998, however, that the company became an exclusive Parker distributor, which as Managing Director John Duff Jnr explains, “Was an important step forward as we were able to capitalise on the strength of the Parker brand and, as importantly, to offer our customers in both the MRO and OEM markets a far wider and more integrated range of products than ever before.”
The relationship with Parker has since gradually evolved, with Mend-a-Hose first introducing the Hose Doctor service and then, in 2004, opening its first ParkerStore at its Castleford headquarters.
The Hose Doctor service was launched by Parker to offer customers fast and efficient emergency on-site replacements of hydraulic hoses and fittings, in addition to routine preventative maintenance requirements. Hose Doctor is a national service and are operated by local Parker Distributors, aiming to minimise downtime of plant and equipment.
Parker offers each Hose Doctor distributor a dedicated package of services designed to help them develop their technical skills and to identify and exploit new business opportunities. For example, Parker provides its Hose Doctor specialists with product training, promotional support (including vehicle liveries and advertising), and offers a dedicated emergency telephone call centre. This enables end users anywhere in the UK to call a single number to gain access to their nearest Hose Doctor service.
For Mend-a-Hose, the Hose Doctor service represents a core part of their business and the company now runs a fleet of 10 vehicles, backed by a 24 x 7 support service. John Duff Jnr Points out that, “Hose Doctor gives us a solid foundation on which to build extra value for our customers. For example, our engineers are fully trained and with the Parker products are using only the highest quality hoses and fittings. Just as importantly, customers are increasingly demanding faster response times to call-outs and, as a result, we have now reduced the time taken from receipt of order and aim for one of our vans being on-site within an hour. In addition, our ‘first fixed rate’, or the number of jobs that are fixed first time on-site, is now running at over 93%; this is significantly higher than the industry norm of around 75%”.
As local awareness of the Mend-a-Hose and Hose Doctor brands grew, so too did the demand for both replacement and new products sold via the company's trade counter. By 2004, this facility had, as John Duff Jnr admits, “Become just like every trade counter you find in most towns, with over-stocked and badly organised shelves, minimal floor space and little to help or encourage customers to identify or choose the best products”.
It was at about this time that the company was first shown the ParkerStore concept. “We immediately recognised the potential advantages for our long term business growth”, explains John Duff Jnr, “as it enabled us to create a facility that was strongly branded, with clearly presented stocks of fluid power products, both hydraulic and pneumatic”.
Opened in October 2004, the ParkerStore was the first in the region and, with a stock of over 5,000 hydraulic and pneumatic hoses, tubes, fittings and components, has enabled Mend-a-Hose to increase its trade counter revenues month-on-month. Indeed, the concept has proved so successful that the company is planning to open new ParkerStores elsewhere in the region.
For John Duff Jnr, the relationship with Parker has been central to the success of his business. “It’s fair to say that, although other manufacturers offer similar services, we have found that Parker is unique in the combination of product, quality, customer support and response that it provides”. For example, Parker’s sales and technical staff have become integrated into the Mend-a-Hose team, enabling the two companies to work together to offer end users a single source of specialised technical knowledge, extensive product choice and a fast and experienced service, tailored to the needs of the local market.
“Working with Parker gives us a competitive edge in what is essentially a tough marketplace, enabling us to protect our operating margins while increasing sales revenues”, concludes John Duff Jnr. “All in all, it’s an extremely successful relationship that we plan to continue long into the future.”