Frustration leads to site for sharing gear

When Aaron Clark started his own business in 2013, he was flush with ideas and low on the capital to make them happen. It made sense to hire rather than buy the gear he needed.

Easier said than done. Equipment was often booked out. Variety was limited. That experience has led Aaron to develop Ultimate Hire, an online platform that allows users to add their own items for hire or search for hire items close by. It went live in November and had 400 listings by Christmas. Many of Aaron’s South Canterbury neighbours were among the early adopters. With listings now topping 1400, the site’s national footprint is growing. The most common items hired by farmers are post rammers and diggers. Site development continues. Aaron plans to add casual employment so farmers and workers can use the platform to find each other. When Aaron was looking for equipment, he had to search each hire company’s website to see what was available. With Ultimate Hire, he says, “it’s a one-stop search to find what’s closest and what’s available. Bookings are online so you can come home from the paddock, find what you need and book it to pick up in the morning.” Listings include any safety gear or ancillary equipment that comes with the item. In between launching Ultimate Hire and his day job of sharemilking an 1800-cow dairy farm, Aaron renovates houses and lives on a 10ha lifestyle block near Clandeboye. That’s a lot of parts to keep moving. “It’s been extremely difficult in the past to find what you need. People new to an area don’t know who to ask for help or where they can borrow things. When things break on the farm it is quite often time-sensitive. People don’t have spare machinery and equipment. Just think about a tractor or wagon breaking down.” Sustainability is another driver for Aaron. He sees Ultimate Hire as another contributor to the ‘sharing economy’ models of Uber and Airbnb.

“The sharing economy has ballooned over the past decade and is becoming a driving force for companies and individuals to become more sustainable,” he says. “Ultimate Hire makes it easy to reduce the purchase of items that are not required often or used once and thrown out.” The flipside to that is making often scarce resources more available. Aaron has seen how under-serviced the agriculture sector is in relation to equipment and machinery. With supply chain delays affecting deliveries of new stock and the under-use of gear around farms, sharing is a great way for farmers to help farmers while making a return on their assets. Aaron has thought through the thorny questions on who sharpens the blade or changes the oil. “You own it, you maintain it.” The booking system allows the owner of the equipment to build a maintenance break into the schedule so they have enough time before the next hire. “I talked to hire companies and they do that every day,” Aaron says. He doesn’t see Ultimate Hire as competing with traditional hire companies but rather filling a gap they don’t service. “By creating a one-stop shop for all hiring, we are making it more efficient. Hire companies don’t always have things available and they don’t service all sectors.” Aaron says people were already privately hiring or borrowing equipment before he set up his site. Now they have a better platform for it, with safeguards built in. “You avoid those awkward conversations we’ve all had when it comes to lending gear out and having to ask for it back or not knowing when it will come back. Then there’s the conversation about some kind of reimbursement for the use of that item. With bookings and payments all made through the secure online payment system you never have to worry.” Aaron’s passion about sustainability runs deeper than it being good business sense. “We aim to reinvest 10 percent of profits back into more sustainable options and initiatives for all New Zealanders. We believe all companies have a duty of care to their communities as well as supporting charities and worthwhile causes.”

“It’s been extremely difficult in the past to find what you need.”

Aaron Clark

www.ultimatehire.co.nz/home

| Aaron rears calves on his 10ha lifestyle block near Clandeboye, South Canterbury.