Speedy response to UK floods

Unseasonably wet weather in the North and Southwest of the UK in June and July have proved a boon for Speedy Pumps, the pumps division of rental company Speedy Hire.

The company mobilised its national fleet of pumping equipment to ensure availability to the flood affected areas across the north of England. It supplied over 40 high volume pumps, plus 4 km of pipes and hoses to local councils to remove floodwaters from drains, streets and houses.

Pictured is one of 12 large diesel powered pumps supplied by Speedy to help the Gloucestershire Fire Service remove flooding around Severn Trent's Mythe Water Treatment Works. The rental company set up a temporary hire desk at the site.

Gary Cooper, Speedy Pumps divisional director, says demand for pumping equipment as a result of the floods has been just one factor in the growth of the business, which launched last April after the rental group spent €4,4 million equipping a separate pump division.

“Ironically this April was the driest in the UK for 350 years!” he told IRN. “But we are very healthy, and not just on the back of the floods. When we entered the market, it was in many ways an easier route for us. With issues such as environmental changes, contamination, and noise, we were able to start at the beginning… whereas our competitors still have to deal with older equipment. Two years ago, Speedy Pumps was just me. Now there are 45 of us.”

Speedy Pumps has proved to be one of the fastest-growing divisions of the Speedy Hire Group, with 10 new depots planned within the next few years, and £16 million (€23,6 million) being invested in equipment over the next three years. The company currently serves customers from 24 depots in the UK and Ireland, providing a range of fully bunded, high-performance pumps for construction, civil engineering, mining, utilities and the petrochemical industry.