No wonder our country is messed up

[Rich2484]

I buy kit from shops away from me as there are no arb shops near me. Not that I know of anyway.

 

I also buy parts away from me. Not because its cheaper but purely because its a trust things and finding someone I can rely on.

 

I shop at the cheapest place for food and the like. Why? Because local shops charge too much IMO.

 

I would like nothing more than to go down my local arb shop but time and money don't allow it and online is easier.

 

Don't councils have a list of contractors they contact for work, and sourcing locally is just there way of keeping the local people happy?

 

From what I have seen on this forum most council work is not worth the effort to get all how and bothered about...

[Old Mill Tree Care]

anyone shop in tesco or asda rather than their local shops/filling stations? thats if their not already closed

 

There you go. Is that where it all started. In a Capitalist culture the big get bigger and are more attractive as a result.

We are victims of our own greed, I mean prosperity.

 

 

 

No I don't, I mean greed.

[tommytopsoil]

Why? Because local shops charge too much IMO.

 

 

From what I have seen on this forum most council work is not worth the effort to get all how and bothered about...

 

Rich, local shops rarely 'charge too much' - they just don't have the economies of scale and buying power that a multi-million pound chain has but also generally sell a fresher, more desirable and therefore more expensive product. Therefore this cost does have to be reflected in the retail price.

 

I noticed a local supermarket had people queuing about 8 deep at every checkout over the festive period - desperate to give their money away.

I wish I had a shop like that...

 

I would tend to agree with your comment regarding council work.

 

We are victims of our own greed, I mean prosperity.

 

 

 

No I don't, I mean greed.

 

True story.

 

On a side note, I bite my tongue when I see other contractors in our area and remember that we are regularly all over the country with two of our customers having almost 600 miles between them...

[ADB328]

From what I have seen on this forum most council work is not worth the effort to get all how and bothered about..

 

I sent out £15k of work last week and will be doing about the same in a few more weeks,

 

I wouldn't turn my nose up at it especially in these hard times.

[zeroluke]

Some firms also do work at a loss for a time. All local council run schools in my area ( give or take a few) have gone out to private contract. The fields are cut with a petrol fired gang mower towed by a landy, and the rest is done by usual pedestrian mowers etc, all minimum wage. One reason some do it at a loss is to kill off competition, and once sure that the contract is theirs to keep, prices rise every so often.

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We've just started doing work for Balfour Beatty who now prioritise local firms. Think it's a great idea and means that local small contractors get a look in. A step in the right direction.

 

Council tree work always seems more hassle than its worth. Let the firm spend all there profits on diesel and there staff get peeved with 2 hours commuting every day.

 

Good luck with Balfour Beatty, we had dealings with them on a local project here, their payment terms were 120days .......almost 200days later we were still chasing it

 

Going back to council work, the local grass cutting contractors are pruning highway trees near us, stacking brash onto a recovery truck, no signs adequate ppe etc. that's the reason the tree work situation is so dire!!

But as they have the tender for the grass, they seem to get the tree work too.

[Warners]

Good luck with Balfour Beatty, we had dealings with them on a local project here, their payment terms were 120days .......almost 200days later we were still chasing it

 

Going back to council work, the local grass cutting contractors are pruning highway trees near us, stacking brash onto a recovery truck, no signs adequate ppe etc. that's the reason the tree work situation is so dire!!

But as they have the tender for the grass, they seem to get the tree work too.

 

I agree. Its so frustrating to see contractors working on council jobs with no PPE, signs, guys wearing trainers and probably no training either. These guys get the work because thier cheap since they don't worry about the regs. The only good thing is recently we've noticed is companies/councils want sight of insurance and training certificates which weeds out the fly by nights...!

[geoff]

I buy kit off my local supplier as well as online. I buy stuff off my local fruit and veg shop and butcher as well as morrisons. The local tree firms had the contract for 20 years.

 

Me too.

 

Thats a tough knock for the local tree firms,I have lost then regained such contracts,way of the world nowadays,unfortunately.

[ukminch]

A lot of firms are 'renting a yard' and this makes them local to the job :-( You normally find that a firm wins it on price then makes money with VTC. You also find that what happens is a firm get it sends guys up to do the job for the first few weeks. They then try and find local guys to do the job, and as they have recently lost jobs the further away firm pays a lot less bringing the whole industry down.

 

I used to do a lot of work over 300 miles away from base. At the time I was earning good money doing it and it was worthwhile. Now it simply isn't so I wouldnt do it. Depends how much the local company was charging, there isn't a simple answer unfortunately

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I agree. Its so frustrating to see contractors working on council jobs with no PPE, signs, guys wearing trainers and probably no training either. These guys get the work because thier cheap since they don't worry about the regs. The only good thing is recently we've noticed is companies/councils want sight of insurance and training certificates which weeds out the fly by nights...!

 

its ok to ask for proof of insurance etc etc but if the contractor boobs with no qualifications then what use is the insurance?