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Andy Guest Jetters: A Year in Review
2023 has been another dynamic year at Andy Guest Jetters with over 140 machines leaving our base in Keighley for customers across the UK, Europe and beyond. Alongside new machines, our engineers and service technicians have also been occupied with a range of custom and refurbishment projects, whilst the sales team has been out on the road again.
A Growing Customer Base
At the end of 2022, we launched the 5-Series van-pack, our most powerful jetter to date. The new machine has proved popular with customers looking for a high-performance machine capable of tackling larger sewer pipe blockages.
The first unit to go into operation in January was with Easy Flow Solutions in Ireland. Company Director Trevor Coady has been an AGJ machine user for many years and gave us some great feedback on the new machine: “I’m very pleased with the performance and it’s more efficient than my previous machine. It uses less water despite the higher flow rate and less fuel. It’s also a lot quieter and I love the remote control unit.”
The growth and popularity of petrol jetters continued apace, with over 60 new 3-Series units delivered to customers in 2023. We’re proud to have been one of the first manufacturers to have developed a high-performance petrol jetter and the success of the 3-Series since its launch in 2019 demonstrates the shift in the industry away from less environmentally friendly diesel jetters.
Further afield our export sales continued to grow. Amongst a range of machines shipped overseas, in February four 2-Series jetters were dispatched for a new live in the sun with a customer in the Maldives - probably the most exotic location for an AGJ export to date. In June a custom 3-series was delivered to Arte, our distributor in the Czech Republic, and in December four machines were shipped to JKL Teknik in Denmark.
Throughout the year we continued to work closely with long-term customers including Metro Rod, Dyno, Drain Jet, Auger and EnviroRod, and welcomed new clients including MRMS and the HU12 Group. Our UK and Ireland distributors also kept us busy, with a range of new machines shipped to Scotjet in Glasgow, Kensway Engineering in Devon and TCS in the Republic of Ireland.
News from the Shop Floor
This year our highly skilled engineers in Keighley have customised, repaired and refurbished equipment and vehicles for customers across the UK. We’ve also worked on several machines from other manufacturers as demand for our in-house services grows.
Stack machines designed for multi-purpose vehicles, such as CCTV vans, remain a growing area of the business, and we’ve also developed a few pieces of specialist kit. This included a 2-Series for Adler and Allen. Fitted with a spark arrestor and Chalwyn valve, it provides emergency shutdown protection in situations where a fuel source can be found in the ambient air. We also recently developed a vented cover for a 3-Series for Dyno East Anglia, which reduces engine noise when working in built-up areas.
A good example of our refurbishment services was a project for CDC Draincare, which included a full van conversion, including bulkhead, ply-lining, checker plate floor and shelving, and the repair and refurbishment of an older AGJ machine before installation in the new van.
Our sales division took on a new Parts Co-ordinator this year. John Webster joined the team in August and brings a wealth of experience working as a warehouse manager, with the last 10 years managing order fulfilment teams. With the help of John, we have some exciting plans for the development of our parts and spares division, so watch this space.
On the Road in 2023
In November, we again made our mark at the National Drainage Show, immersing ourselves in two days of everything drainage. The show at the ExCel in London stands as the UK’s biggest annual two-day gathering for professionals in the drainage sector.
AGJ Sales Manager Jon Woods was at the event to showcase the 5-Series van-pack and a range of ancillary equipment. He was joined on the neighbouring stand by our finance partners, Capital Fleet Solutions, who had brought along a 3.5t van equipped with a 3-Series petrol machine.
Earlier in the year, Jon also attended the annual Drain Doctor Conference, bringing along a variety of smaller equipment to introduce to franchisees attending the event. Both events were well attended and proved successful, further strengthening our presence in the industry.
In Other News
Throughout 2023, we hosted several Water Jetting Association (WJA) training courses in Keighley. Whilst still a relatively new part of the services we provide, the significance of providing essential safety and practical knowledge for operatives in the sector, is hugely important to us and we have more courses scheduled for 2024.
October marked a significant milestone for the company as we successfully transitioned to our new Dynamics 365 ERP system. This strategic move took a huge commitment from the team and will elevate the speed and effectiveness of our services across our manufacturing and sales processes.
Also in October, several members of the AG team visited Tilburg in Holland to attend an Open Day hosted by our sister company Rioned. The event brought together distributors and customers from across the globe and offered a view of new products and innovations due in the UK market in 2024.
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