Refreshing the parts others fail to reach
January 1st 2006 When Hemel Hempstead-based cleaning and maintenance firm J.V. Price invested almost half a million in two state-of-theart Bronto Skylifts, it expected high demand from clients and other contractors alike. But last month's Buncefield fuel depot explosion - virtually in Price's back yard - has meant the phone has not stopped ringing, according to operations manager, Charlie Price
"We've got quite a few contracts in the immediate area and we've heard back that a few of the buildings no longer exist - and those that weren't damaged structurally by the blast are going to need a lot of cleaning work doing,"Price told Cleaning Matters four days after the explosion. "It's hard for clients to know exactly what they are going to need done - because a lot of them haven't yet been allowed back into their buildings, so we've reshuffled other jobs scheduled for January in order to help accommodate them. A lot of them will need window replacing, so our Windows division (part of Price's network of partners) will be busy using the hydraulic platforms to carry that work out, and we'll be hiring out the platforms to structural engineers that will be assessing the affected buildings,"he says. " Put it this way: we don't expect to see the Bronto's sitting in the yard for any length of time."
Founded by Joe Price (managing director) in 1970, the company's core business is window and cladding cleaning, particularly high level work. But property maintenance is becoming an equally important aspect, according to Price: "Once your in the door for someone like Mitie, which runs Brent Cross Shopping Centre, you get a lot of extras asked of you; and we're happy to do anything in that regard - because over the years we've built strong partnerships with specialists in every area, and that's how our business has grown."
Price's investment in the latest skylift, a £250 000 lorry mounted hydraulic platform capable of reaching heights of 37m (plus 27m outreach) underlines just how much the business has grown over the last 25 years - and its intentions for the future. "It's the first of its kind in the UK - and we had it specially built with every conceivable extra: extendable cages so we can get up to seven workers in there cleaning down the side of a building at once; pressure washers built into the hydraulic platform; flood lights for night work; sleeper cab; sat nav and every safety extra on the list - because so much of our business is now based around the skylifts - they do away with the need for so much other access kit and it keeps us ahead of the game. Because although we are a family-run business, we're now competing with the big boys: to have contracts with Brent Cross Shopping Centre and Romford Shopping Centre and to get called in by councils to clean Covent Garden confirms that."
To bolster the company's presence, Price says it is now developing its marketing material, designing a website and new brochures that reflect its growing offering. While stepping into the facilities management area, Price says it's more a case of organic growth, ie offering existing customers extra services rather than trying to acquire business that every other facilities management company is scrapping for. "We've got our feet in the door and we know the people we are dealing with - which makes it an easier proposition: they trust us and are happy to deal with us for all of their needs."
That's not to say J.V. Price is content to sit on its laurels and expect existing customers to keep coming back for more: "You're only as good as your last clean," says Charlie Price. "It doesn't matter if you've got a 10 year contract worth millions of pounds, if you don't fully satisfy the client, you might as well stick the contract in the bin. So we always make sure everyone's happy before we leave the premises - because word of mouth is the cornerstone of our business." More articles from PRICE ACCESS: | 
