The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Builders merchant marking 40th year
Well-known Aberdeenshire builders merchant GPH is celebrating its 40th anniversary.
It’s a business that’s always stuck to its Garioch roots having been headquartered in and around Inverurie throughout the years.
Garioch Plant Hire was started up on April 21 1982 by Mike Macaulay, Eric Ingram and Jock Ingram with a yard based in the Souterford area of Inverurie.
Sadly Jock Ingram was killed in a car accident in February 1983 less than a year after getting GPH off the ground.
In February 1998 with Eric Ingram deciding to retire it was time for new people to come on board with Kenny Findlay and John Glover becoming joint owners with Mr Macaulay.
Forty years later at the age of 67 Mr Macaulay still remains with the business and is still as passionate as ever about the future of GPH.
The firm has revealed plans to increase turnover from online sales to £1m in the next two years.
It also aims to become a paperless business in the next five years, reduce landfill waste by 50% by 2025, integrate new products into the business and employ at least 10 apprentices, trainees or graduates within three years.
It is also planning on raising £40,000 for numerous charities selected by employees, with each recipient having a special meaning to staff.
For Mr Macaulay, who is also chairman of Inverurie Locos Football Club, the vision has always been simple for him.
He said: “We’ve never been a company to expand really fast. We’ve grown organically and as we can afford it.
“The main driver I have is always to be a debt-free business so that’s what we’ve aimed for.”
It was 1995 the business moved to Harlaw Park in
Inverurie and in March 2004 the second branch of GPH opened in Westhill.
In 2006 the move was made to bigger premises in Highclere Business Park in Inverurie where they remain today with more than 100 members of staff.
For Mr Macaulay there have been major changes over the year but none more so than how computers and software has altered how work gets done.
He said: “There’s no handwritten notes anymore. The amount of administration is nowhere near the same now. The only bit of technology we had at the time was a fax.”
In April 2017 GPH took over the JRD home and garden centre in Ellon and also opened in Stonehaven in November of that year.
Like many other businesses the effect of Covid-19 was felt by GPH but JRD was able to continue operating as it was classed as an essential store.
Mr Macaulay is certainly kept busy with him also being chairman of Inverurie Locos Football Club.
He was vice-chairman at
Huntly Football Club before making the move to join the Locos committee when they entered the Highland League.
“When Inverurie Locos got into the Highland League I joined the committee as a few of my friends were involved and I’m still booed when I go back to Huntly,” he laughed.
He continued: “One of my passions at GPH is seeing the young ones coming through and I don’t like it if some of our older folk don’t pay attention to them and bring them on.
“Because they forget that someone brought them on and with the football it’s the same thing.
“Our new manager Richard Hastings I feel will move us up a few gears and he’s beginning to get us to where we really want to be – semi-professional football.”
Inverurie Locos also has strong ties within the local community with close to £120,000 being invested within the past five years.
It also sponsors Aberdeen FC Community Trust coaching within primary schools in Garioch.
One of the ways the business plans to keep
growing is build on its online store.
Mr Macaulay, who is also the newly-appointed chairman of north-east farmers’ co-operative ANM Group, said: “We had actually planned to do more work with our online offering before Covid but that has since accelerated it.
“We have two members of staff working on our online sales and we treat it like having another branch.”
GPH managing director Grant Shewan added: “Working towards a more sustainable alternative is a big issue in this industry.
“We are looking at longterm alternatives we can introduce, such as investing in renewable technologies, powering our branches with 100% renewable energy and shifting some of our fleet of vehicles to electric power.
“We are also looking to grow and open new sites, either through organic growth or by acquiring other businesses.
“This is an exciting period for GPH, and we approach a new era with an optimistic outlook for a successful future.”