A Day In The Life Of – Leigh Haslett

Leigh Haslett

A Day In The Life Of Leigh Haslett

What time do you get up on a typical work day?
Around 5.45am

Can you give an example of what you have planned today?
Being in the midst of the current pandemic, I am currently back on the trade counter and in our engineering division making cylinders,  helping out the remaining team members, assisting our agricultural customers who are working non stop and plant company owners who are doing essential maintenance whilst they can. We have 14 cylinders in for repair / machining & re-seal, build and testing. These must be cleared by the end of the week, coupled with essential deliveries, so it’s a bit non stop at the moment. Along with organising on-site jobs for our mobile hose division, re-ordering stock and liaising with our other 3 facilities to ensure all existing targets are met.

How are customers’ feeling at the moment?
Quite a mix. Our agri customers are working 14-16 hours a day keeping on top and typically, as of late, they don’t have a huge amount of contact with the general public as they are so busy. Economically they have plenty of work on. The rest of the industries are very uncertain. There is a high level of unknown at present.

What’s the best part of running a business like this?
The staff, the customers and the achievements / deadlines we meet, day in day out. Working weekends and overnight to achieve impossible targets is what drives us. Our recently opened Swansea depot and employing / interpreting new members  is coming along quicker than we anticipated. It seems our ‘all in one service’ is in demand in the new area. We recently launched our ‘Every Week customer priority’ initiative, which has kick started some customers into sole sourcing from us. That’s very pleasing.  Also having the next generation (making me sound old) coming through. My son started with the company last year when he left college, doing a similar role to me 28 years ago when I first started in this industry, on the shop floor. He was 6 months old when we first opened, so it’s great he’s part of the team.

How does the rest of your day shape up?
Usual finish is about 5.30 – 9.30pm, but with our urgent jobs for key industries it could be another all nighter. You never know from one day to the next.

What are the biggest challenges you are facing at work right now?
Keeping up with deadlines, with supply out of our control. The manufacturing side is not a problem, its getting raw materials delivered in time that’s an issue, which has seen us travel all over the country getting parts to complete jobs on time. Thankfully Interpump Fluid Solutions UK stock levels are fantastic, so we have confidence in that area of our business.

How do you see Interpump Fluid Solutions developing in the coming months and year?
Still in our infancy with the partnership, but the first 4 months have been very promising and the support from everyone at Interpump is superb. From starting in just agriculture 18 years ago, we now have a team of over 20, in 4 locations in South Wales, supplying all industries and have linked together several key parts to form the South Wales Interpump/Fast Group. Hydraulic hoses, filtration, lubricants and engineering. We are one of the largest lubricants & hydraulic hose suppliers in South Wales and investing in our newest addition, Fast Engineering which manufacture bespoke hydraulic parts and cylinders in super fast time has linked in perfectly for our on site engineers and other divisions. The Interpump brand, and working alongside them nationally, has been a huge part in the last 6 months. Working together as a team with the guys from Bristol, Kidderminster, Gloucester and Bridgwater  has really given us a feeling of being part of something special. The next few years will see more investment from us in ensuring we can help achieve and offer customers more than they can get from just a hydraulic company in South Wales and of course supporting Interpump with the services we provide in their depots is key.

From your perspective, what are the big opportunities? 
The future in watching us and Interpump grow and cover more areas is very exciting, ensuring customers who have national contracts can have the one point of contact and invoice for all jobs. We still have some way to go in achieving our own targets in South Wales after only branching out in Swansea a few months ago, which means whilst we have coverage from Chepstow to Haverfordwest, still only a small percentage of customers know we exist. The next 12-24 months is to get the balance right in customer growth and investing further in key members of the team. What’s pleasing and very encouraging is the amount of people who now want to join us and bring on board something that will be an asset and valuable, to ensure we continue to expand sensibly. Having Interpump Fluid Solutions, with their range of supply, is key to helping us achieve our goals.

If you could name one thing you most enjoy about running your business?
I love my team I have built with my key staff. We have invested heavily in having the right people and right now we have a very strong team in South Wales. My managers are absolutely superb and fiercely loyal; They have become great friends. It’s very personal for all of us; For sure it is not just business. The extra miles these guys put in is simply amazing.

What kind of time do you clock off at the end of a typical day?
Anywhere between 5.30-9.30pm. Tonight was 8.15pm, but you never know when the call might come to get back to it.

How do you balance your life outside of work with a demanding work lifestyle like this?
The old saying, it’s not work if you enjoy it so much, really does apply. I work 6 days a week, so the 7th day I try very much to have family day with my wife, son, daughter and bulldog Rocko. The expansion over the last 18 years doesn’t always allow this, so we love our holidays and having adventures. My family are very understanding and have supported my work ethic 100%. I was very active in martial arts up until mid last year and hold multiple black belts in kickboxing & taekwondo. I quit competing several years ago after winning a series of national titles, to concentrate on building my kickboxing clubs in the evenings. I have now taken a step back from those and have my daughter and martial arts partners and friends who are also co-owners, overseeing them, due to my work commitments, which has been a massive help. I also fly helicopters to relax and have fun, having obtained my licence in 2015. There’s no greater pleasure than flying over the Brecon Beacons on a lovely sunny day with the family. I am also an F1 geek, so try and make time to travel to F1 race weekends.

What’s your Top Tip for working through these current challenging times? 
My thought process has always been – Work harder – Work longer – Work smarter than everyone else. I always like to be first through the door and last out of it; Trying to set the example. After ‘office hours’ I’m usually in the warehouse helping build cylinders or make hoses, chipping in or getting stock away if it’s been very busy, ready for the next day. I never take my staff for granted and always thank them at the end of each day for their work.  We continue to strive to offer the complete package for our customers, whether it be a special oil or a bespoke part, made the same day. The more we keep our customers happy, the more they come back. We’re really not doing much different to normal, apart from me in the warehouse.

Leigh Haslett manages Interpump Fluid Solutions branches and depots across South Wales.