David Graham leaves Speedy Hire

David Graham, managing director of UK & Ireland Asset Services at Speedy Hire and a senior figure at the company since 2004, left the company a week ago.

Mr Graham, who joined Speedy in 2004 from SGB Youngman, was in charge of Speedy’s UK hire operations and although not a board member was a top manager at the business.

Steve Corcoran, Speedy’s chief executive, said Mr Graham’s departure reflected the need for a reduced, flatter senior management structure because of changes in the way the company operates.

“We’re moving our business towards a longer term, secured contracting business and away from a transactional business…so we need a flatter management structure”, he said. There will be no direct replacement for Mr Graham.

Speedy’s business model is changing from its traditional model of having hundreds of rental locations to a hub a spoke system with large superstores and distribution centres. One example is a new 5700 m2 distribution centre in Cambuslang near Glasgow.

Mr Graham is a well known figure in the UK rental sector. Before joining Speedy he was sales and marketing director of SGB Youngman, the scaffold and formwork business that was subsequently split into separate businesses owned by Harsco and Youngman Group.

Speedy releases its half-year results on 12 November.