Hirer Says Y.E.S. To Expansion With Kubota Minis

Falkirk-based plant and tool hire business Your Equipment Solutions (Y.E.S.) continues to expand to meet rising demand from customers across Scotland. The company which also has a depot in Dundee, opened two further outlets in Edinburgh and Glasgow earlier this year. This was followed by a fifth site, in Inverness in May.

The additional facilities have led to the purchase of more than 70 Kubota mini excavators, from local dealer HRN Tractors. The deal includes a mix of 1.6, 1.8 and 3-tonne Kubota compact machines, to increase its previous fleet.

Your Equipment Solutions started trading in 2012 with just four staff. The firm offers a wide range of plant and tools, from compaction equipment and site dumpers, to welfare units, generators and more than 400 portable toilets. It has recently invested more than £3m in further expansion, in depots, in staff and in the fleet that now includes more than 150 mini excavators.

“We strive to provide the complete service that customers expect,” said Managing Director David Johnstone. “When you’re an independent business, you can react quickly and we offer a service that some larger companies just can’t. We’re not supplying unique products, we just give the best service to our customers.”

He is no stranger to the way that some larger companies operate, having been a director of a national hire business for 24 years. Disillusioned with the way that the multi-depot business was serving its customers, he spotted an opportunity to strike out alone. Or not exactly alone, as six of the firm’s 20-plus team in the early years were family members. The company now employs over 70 people.

Indeed, everyone at Your Equipment Solutions has become part of a larger family, as the company passed into an Employee Ownership Trust three years ago, when he and the founding directors sold 60% of the business to its staff. The move is certainly paying off, as the company continues to expand its depot network, with all employees keen to see further success.

“It gives the staff longevity of employment and they feel secure in their roles,” said Mr Johnstone. “The key is to retain a large element of the family business way of working and to ensure that everyone feels valued at work.”

The company is no stranger to giving back to the communities in which it works either. Each Your Equipment Solutions depot focuses on local partnerships, practical support and community involvement. Building strong partnerships with community foundations, not just sponsorship, including Falkirk, Stenhousemuir, Dundee & Dundee United, golf and rugby too, supporting youth sports & school initiatives, employment & recruitment programmes, gardening projects, dance school and an annual Christmas Toy Appeal. 

Many of the company’s most valued contributions happen behind the scenes. During the severe storms and widespread power outages of 2024, Your Equipment Solutions opened its depots outside normal business hours and provided more than 40 heaters free of charge to local residents, demonstrating its commitment to supporting communities when they need it most.

“We are a decent, sustainable business that does good when we can,” he said.

Y.E.S. purchased its first Kubota mini excavators in 2018, having listened to both market intelligence and its own customer feedback. The durability, reliability and ease of use of the Kubota machines was a message that came back clearly from customers, along with the strong levels of support from dealer HRN.

“Operators were just telling me to go with Kubota all day long,” said Mr Johnstone. “The introduction of the five-year warranty with Kubota was also a strong selling point and the guy that runs the workshop at HRN is always on hand to help if needed.”

“I would like to put on record my thanks for the support we have received from Martin Norry at Kubota and from Ian Burton from HRN, in getting this order delivered in such a short space of time.”

The company has been assessing some of Kubota’s larger machines, but for now the biggest models are the 3-tonners, as they can still be towed to and from site behind a pick-up or a van. That said, as the company has expanded, it has been building a fleet of larger delivery trucks, so he has not ruled out heavier models in the future. Your Equipment Solutions is also looking at further growth, both geographically and in the type of equipment that it offers.

“We are looking to expand, through acquisition or through natural growth,” said Mr Johnstone. “We’re growing significantly year on year and there are other potential openings in the pipeline.”