Kennards Hire: Making what matters, possible

Kennards Hire is much more than just an equipment hire provider; it’s a construction partner committed to delivering optimal and sustainable outcomes for projects of all sizes. Nathan Venables, General Manager, Fleet, explains how the company makes this possible.

Sustainability is the goal, and has been for some time, for the majority of organisations in the infrastructure sector.

While this notion isn’t new, more than ever before is being done across the construction industry, to turn the tide for what is one of the world’s largest carbon emitters on an industry-to-industry basis.

For many companies, a good step is re-evaluating the equipment and machinery used on individual project sites where equipment hire plays a significant role.

By using, supporting and offering alternative sustainable solutions such as solar power, hybrid power units, water recycling, and reusable and modular materials, Kennards Hire is helping to reduce the environmental impact of its own operations, as well as the projects it supports.

Nathan Venables, General Manager, Fleet – Kennards Hire says he’s seen a steep uptake and increase in demand for sustainable solutions, driven by company requirements, international obligations, and the environmental awareness of younger people entering the industry.

It’s just one of the many reasons why the company has invested financially and ethically in equipment and solutions that provide an alternative to traditional options.

“We understand the environmental, economic, and operational considerations of our customers,” Venables says.

“It’s a space that’s continuing to evolve quickly. It’s an ongoing investment on our end and an area that we’ve explored by going overseas to make sure we’re sourcing the best equipment.”

In addition to its range of conventional equipment, such as earthmoving, landscaping, compaction and materials handling machinery, Kennards Hire also provides a bespoke range, developed for the modern needs of infrastructure and construction projects.

“We’ve got more equipment than you might realise – including modular and reusable building components, such as modular decking, made from recycled products that can aid access and safety on-site.”

Kennards Hire also has a variety of solar portable buildings and facilities, as well as water capture and recycling systems, all able to be supported by hybrid power units and battery-powered units.

This is on top of complementary services on offer, such as water supply, test tagging and certification, site cleaning, security services, as well as consumables and personal protective equipment (PPE). But sometimes, tier one, tier two and other construction contractors require more than just equipment services.

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“Having a dedicated service segment – Kennards Hire Major Projects (KMP) – provides just that, for major infrastructure projects across Australia and New Zealand,” Venables says.

“We have our own project managers, a single point of contact for each of these sites. Our KMP managers will work one or two days on the project site, or in some cases even full-time, offering a single contact point, for whatever our customers need.

“They’re very familiar with the workings of the site, the scope of works and the forward works. That enables our project managers to suggest the most effective equipment available, even assisting with installation if needed. It’s all about taking away the pain and potential frustration that could be faced on those jobs.”

The success and growth of this offering has opened the door for Kennards Hire to expand its site portfolio and capabilities, reflected by the company’s growing list of completed projects.

“We’re working on nearly all of the different types of major projects, whether it be roads, rail, tunnels or airports,” Venables says. “We’re also doing a lot in the renewables space, such as solar farms, wind farms, battery systems and more that are being built across the country.”

Kennards Hire has expanded its range to include hybrid power units, reusable and modular materials, as well as modular facilities.

This includes projects such as the Metro Tunnel in Melbourne, Western Sydney Airport, the Golden Plains wind farm and the Fitzroy River Bridge rebuild in Western Australia, just to name a few.

Strategic and sustained expansion has also seen the company advance beyond Australian shores since entering New Zealand in 2012.

“We’ve got 33 projects in New Zealand, which is just getting started in the solar farm space, so we’ve been engaged to support some of these including the Lauriston Solar Farm in Christchurch and Ta Rahul Solar Farm in Taupo,” Venables says.

He says that despite the growing success of Kennards Hire’s equipment and service solutions, the company continues to expand into new solution-focused areas.

“There are many opportunities beyond just burning less diesel. Water for example is a big opportunity, which is why we’ve acquired the ability to capture and recycle water that would otherwise be runoff,” he says. “Waste is still a concern in the construction space, so we’re looking at ways that we might be able to work and partner with organisations to reduce the volume of waste and look at other ways that we can recycle and reuse these materials.”

Kennards Hire is also investigating the use of sustainable reporting, which can currently be collated upon request by the customer, offering users unprecedented access to equipment performance and outcomes.

Metrics like these can be used to satisfy contract requirements, as well as internal sustainability goals. Just one of many areas that Kennards Hire will look to further develop in the future.

“There’s still growth to come, both in terms of the number of locations we have in the country and New Zealand, as well as looking to invest in new products and increase service capability for our customers,” Venables says.

Kennards Hire’s commitment to innovation in sustainable equipment is not just about keeping pace with industry change – it’s about leading the way. By continuously investing in alternative solutions, expanding service capabilities, and partnering with customers to reduce environmental impact, the company is making sustainability an achievable reality for construction projects of all sizes.