2002 marks the 20th anniversary of an uninterrupted business relationship between Nationwide, the country's leading powered access rental company, and Malcolm Hewitt, a Warwick-based painting and decorating contractor. The latest contract for which Nationwide has supplied access solutions was for the renovation of a prestigious residential apartment block on the outskirts of Lemington Spa.

Due to the sheer scale of the project, Mr Hewitt initially considered scaffolding for one section of the contract. However, he soon discovered that this would be more than three times the cost of renting powered access equipment for the job from Nationwide. Following consultation with Nationwide's local depot, it was agreed that three of Nationwide's powered access machines would provide the perfect solution.

A Skyjack 66TK truck-mounted articulating boom with a 22-metre working height was selected for all top floor work on the seven-storey complex, while a Genie Z45D boom, with a 15.7-metre working height, was chosen for any lower work that called for precise angled access. For elements of the project that required an extended reach over low-rise structures, the 22-metre working height Skylift 22 Aerial truck-mounted telescopic and articulating access boom, which has a 17-metre horizontal reach, was deemed the ideal machine for the task.

Commenting on the enduring business relationship between his company and Nationwide, Malcolm Hewitt says that this is principally because he has found that Nationwide consistently provides the most cost-effective equipment with fast, reliable and efficient service. He explains: "In my line of business, as a painter and decorator, I often have a need for access equipment; whether it is painting a first floor apartment or renovating a complete residential block. From a cost and a safety perspective nothing comes close to the value for money and productivity I get out of Nationwide's machines."

He continues: "I have been dealing with the same depot for a number of years now, and every time I call them for machines I simply tell them what equipment I need and where I need it - they do the rest. This gives me the freedom to manage the other more time consuming aspects of the job."

Nationwide is part of the publicly-quoted Lavendon Group Plc and is headquartered in Lutterworth, Leicestershire. Its hire fleet is more than twice the size of its nearest UK competitor and all of the company's depots comply with Nationwide's ISO 9002 accreditation. The Group is European market leader in the powered access rental market, trading under the name Zooom in Germany, France, Spain and Austria.

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August 2002 Nat2.045