HPFR
3 Middle Rd, Sway
Lymington, Hampshire
Tel:
(01590) 682175
Fax:
(01590) 683251
Email:
[email protected]
WHO ARE WE?
In the centre of the village of Sway, deep in the New Forest, you’ll find our small yard and office. If its early or late in the day, or if it’s raining, you may find some of the best roofing operatives in the area too, but they’ll probably be out roofing. In the office you’ll meet Phil and perhaps Andrew and Mike too.
It wasn’t always this way. Long ago in the haze of the 70’s Mike Gardner traveled the country felting for the big national roofing companies learning and improving his chosen trade. Settling down in the New Forest he spent the next 20 years building himself a local client base and a second-to-none reputation for service and reliability. By 1990 he had the Sway office, 4 other operatives and was undertaking a few very large works. At that point High Performance Felt Roofing Ltd was formed and an increase in the “contract” sector actively sought. However, this was to be a gradual process due in part to the recessions of the 90’s but also because of the company’s very important and still growing local activities. It was clear that a quick rise in contract commitment would compromise the local trade. Most contractors would discard the local work as order values are low and involve a lot of organising compared with (say) one large high value contract. And of course that one contract provides enough work for perhaps several weeks instead of just a day or two.
Mike still felts a little these days, continuing to give the local community domestic and trade clients his personal attention Andrew runs Contracts” and Phil is somewhere in the middle co-ordinating the two. Somehow it seems to work!
Mike insisted his business would not take this route. He built the business and reputation with local clients and felt he was letting them down if he wasn’t there for them. Sentiment before business? Not really. Firstly small works generate a continual cash flow. Secondly the domestic market is less affected by recession – after all if you live under a leaking roof you gotta get it fixed regardless of the economy. It may be less profitable but it’s always there.
We must be fairly unique in this respect – able to compete and secure high volume of domestic/small works whilst also being heavily committed to major contracts. We can because we want to and because we keep the two apart, the different demands and expectations of each being recognised and treated accordingly.