Kellands Plant Sales

How it all began

The company has been committed to providing high-quality agricultural and construction machinery with excellent customer service since 1858. More than 150 years later, Kellands now represents some of the world's largest equipment manufacturers. These include Develon, Mecalac, Merlo, Avant, and others, with Kellands taking full responsibility for all sales, parts, service, and warranty work. Their geographical footprint is extensive, covering the entire South West of the UK, and more recently, they have expanded further afield to cover Hampshire, East Sussex, West Sussex, Isle of White, Greater London, Surrey, Kent, Middlesex, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Essex. Andy, representing Kellands, was recently presented an award for best Mini Excavator sales in Europe at the Develon European Dealer Conference in Valencia, Spain.

A responsible employer

Professional advice from the sales team and engineers is always available to assist with plant and machinery sales, leveraging in-depth product knowledge and expert customer relationship skills. When delving deeper into customer requirements, modifications to 'Off-the-shelf' equipment are often discovered. For this reason, the business developed its workshop capability with modern fabricating facilities, focusing primarily on plant and machinery modifications, repairs, and fabrication. This is a working environment where employees are exposed to multiple health and safety hazards and need to wear the correct personal protective equipment (PPE) to mitigate the risks presented by hot work operations such as welding, cutting, soldering and activities that involve using open flames, hot surfaces and extreme heat.

Sourcing the correct workwear garments was imperative. This process had to be undertaken carefully, considering the engineers' requirements. The garments had to match the business's challenging work environments, protect people from heat and flame, and present the company professionally when the engineers visit customers on and off-site.

The Challenge

Andy manages a team of 16 engineers. It was important to Andy and the team that the garments they used were comfortable and looked the part. Field engineers are often sent out to service plant machinery and equipment. Looking presentable while doing the job is just as important as delivering the class of service to be expected from Kellands.

Unfortunately, the company did not have the best experience with their previous workwear suppliers. The workshop engineers would often point out that the quality of the clothing would deteriorate with time, resulting in tatty looking uniforms and faded colours. These issues were compounded by poor garment repairs - not only were the repairs of poor quality putting workers at risk they were also unsightly.

The Solution

Once the decision to change was made, Andy was faced with the challenge of finding a new supplier that they could trust to meet all their exacting requirements. Andy was searching for a supplier who could not only meet their promises but also match his expectations with their customer support. Andy was immediately put at ease by CLEAN's prompt response and willingness to be flexible. It was clear that he was in capable hands, and he knew that he could trust them to take care of his needs.

CLEAN now provides freshly laundered Hi-Visibility Fire Retardant Contrast Coveralls to the company's engineers on a regular and reliable weekly schedule. These comply with EN ISO 11612 clothing standards to protect against heat and flame and the EN ISO 20471 high visibility standards, which means they can visually sign the user's presence. Engineers often encounter maintenance and alteration tasks in hard-to-reach places which in the past could lead to scratches on new machinery due to abrasive clothing. The CLEAN sales representative specified garments with concealed poppers instead of exposed metal zippers to stop this from happening.

Onboarding the right way

Changing to a new supplier is not always easy but clear, regular communications, CLEAN's onboarding and installations team eased any reservations that Kellands might have. CLEAN's tried-and-tested onboarding methodology and guidance from the team allowed for a smooth transition from their previous workwear rental and laundry service.

Andy was happy to find out that CLEAN was able to make the transition process easy for him. The engineering team stopped using the previous supplier's garments on Friday and received new work clothing from CLEAN on Monday. Once you start using CLEAN's services, our customer service team and account managers work closely with you to support any unexpected issues, ensuring the service begins smoothly and remains hassle-free.

The Result

Andy explained that the primary function of Kellands engineers is to provide high-quality fabrication and repairs to plant and machinery. Their service comes at a price, which has to be justified. Representing the company in the right way is just as important as delivering quality service. As Andy says, "You have to look the part." With the new workwear provided by CLEAN, the engineers not only feel better protected and comfortable but also present a more professional image to their customers, enhancing Kellands' reputation.

CLEAN's collaborative approach results in a holistic understanding of each customer and a solid alignment with their needs. Additionally, CLEAN provides detailed reporting and full traceability of the garments throughout the laundry process - all backed by an ISO9001-certified quality management system.

CLEAN's goal is to continue supporting Kellands in Bridgewater with reliable workwear they can depend on for years to come.