The quality of hire equipment depends on how well it is looked after between jobs. Here's how Expo Hire manages every product from sourcing through to retirement.
The quality of hire equipment depends on how well it is looked after between jobs. Here's how Expo Hire manages every product from sourcing through to retirement.
A lot of thought has gone into our inventory of hire equipment and furniture hire at Expo Hire. We want to offer the best products at the best prices, and one of the ways we achieve that is through careful management of each product's life cycle.
We source all equipment and furniture from reputable suppliers. It matters to us that products are made to a high standard, and we have built supplier partnerships that allow us to scale up quantities to meet demand for larger events.
Sometimes we go further than checking specifications.
For example, our purchasing team pushed for strict design specs for our patio heater range, to ensure customers got a product better suited to the hire environment and easier to use. Our folding beer bench and table sets are built to larger and stronger specifications than standard, so customers can use them without concern. We continue to look for products that raise the standard of what we offer.
Not every product that looks good in a supplier catalogue ends up in our range. Before adding a product, we assess it against several criteria:
All our LPG and electrical equipment is regularly checked and certified by Gas Safe and electrical engineers respectively. But our commitment to maintenance goes further than that.
Our warehouse staff take pride in their work and check every piece of equipment and furniture before it is prepared for loading. Delivery drivers and logistics staff have learned how to load vans in a way that keeps stock as safe as possible in transit. This attention to detail is one of the reasons we have been able to build the reputation we have.
Our office team contributes too. We have invested in bespoke inventory control systems that track the usage of individual products, allowing us to flag items for renewal based on age and on number of hires completed.
Each product category follows a different maintenance cycle based on how it is used and what it is made of.
Crockery and cutlery go through an industrial dishwasher between every hire. After washing, each item is inspected. Crockery with chips, cracks or heavy staining is removed from stock. Cutlery with bent tines, damaged handles or excessive surface scratching is set aside for retirement.
Furniture is wiped down and inspected after each hire. Chairs with wobbly joints, cracked frames or broken stacking clips are tagged for repair. Where a repair is not feasible, the item is written off. Tables are checked for surface damage and wobble before being returned to stock.
Gas equipment is checked for leaks after every hire. Hoses and regulators are replaced on a rolling schedule regardless of apparent condition, because visible integrity does not always indicate a safe seal. Electrical equipment is PAT tested on a regular cycle, with additional ad-hoc testing if damage is noticed during a post-hire inspection.
When a product no longer meets the standards we set, we decide what happens to it next. Older equipment and furniture often still has plenty of useful life for customers who are less demanding. Wherever possible, we sell these products on in the second-hand market rather than disposing of them.
For items that have genuinely reached end of life, we aim to dispose of them responsibly. Metals go to recycling. Electrical equipment goes through an approved WEEE disposal route. Furniture that cannot be sold on is assessed for upcycling, donation or material recycling rather than landfill.
You can read more about our approach in our Environmental and Sustainability Statement.
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