Steely determination brings success for JJ Bullen
It’s not often you come across a business success story as genuinely remarkable and inspirational as that of JJ Bullen – the latest Hardox Wearparts Centre in the UK. The story behind the company’s rise from tragedy to triumph is testament to the determination of its young Managing Director, Robert Bullen.
Reputation
Based in Ormskirk, Lancashire, JJ Bullen Plant & Equipment Ltd offers a wide range of engineering services using Hardox wearparts to the construction, quarrying and recycling sectors. It was originally founded in 1982 as a plant hire business by Robert’s father, John Bullen. Over the years, the company had developed a very good reputation and Robert was committed to a career in engineering and at the age of 16, he started an apprenticeship with a major UK crane company. However, just a year later, tragedy struck the firm and the family when his father died. While Robert completed his apprenticeship, JJ Bullen was forced to downsize significantly. However, Robert was determined to take the company in a new direction that would combine its excellent reputation in the plant world with his engineering skills and training.
Focus
In 2007, at the start of the worst economic downturn in recent memory, and at a time when the construction sector was in freefall, Robert took over the business when he was still just a teenager. From then on, he decided that JJ Bullen would focus on high quality repair of wear parts for recycling, quarrying, mining and construction.
Initially, Robert had no premises of his own and used one vehicle to carry out repairs at customers’ sites. Despite the recession, when a big local competitor went under, Robert bought much of the equipment and took on five of the staff despite not having enough work for them at the time. What he did have was confidence that the business would grow and took his opportunity to invest – a spirit of entrepreneurship that has since paid off in spades.
Today, JJ Bullen has a fleet of 14 mobile units, its own premises, national and global coverage and an excellent reputation for quality and service. Turnover has grown from £300,000 to £2 million in the last three years alone.
Hardox quality
Although still only in his twenties, Robert now employs 22 engineers and 5 office staff. In 2014, JJ Bullen was nominated to become a Hardox Wearparts Centre, another major step on the road of the company’s success story.
Over the past seven years, Robert Bullen has ploughed all of his profits back into the business, investing in new equipment and machinery and expanding his workshop facilities. This investment and the unrivalled quality of Hardox steel have played an important role in JJ Bullen’s success story.
Even before becoming a Hardox Wearparts Centre, Robert says that JJ Bullen was committed to using Hardox. “Quality has always been vital to our business and we are delighted that we can now guarantee to customers that they will have Hardox wear parts on every repair and replacement part we deliver. Hardox is the absolute best wear plate, full stop. The plate is always clean, dimensionally straight and very tough for the recycling, quarrying, construction and plant market.”
Services
JJ Bullen offers a full range of engineering services both at customer’s own sites and from its fully equipped workshops. Services include repairs and refurbishment of buckets, grabs, booms and dippers – all using Hardox wear plate and Weldox high strength steel – as well as the complete bespoke manufacture of new Hardox buckets. Equipment includes rolls that can take up to 3.6m wide steel in 25mm thickness, 2 profile cutters, 2 boring machines, 4 lathes, 3 drills, several plasma cutters, and milling machines.
Plant repairs, maintenance and sales are still an important part of the business – including repair of hydraulic rams, pumps and motors. The highly trained staff carry out safety inspections and certification of plant and attachments. The company can also make alterations and manufacture parts to suit specific customer requirements. JJ Bullen also offers precision in-line boring, horizontal boring and welding – and from the original welding machine when Robert took over – there are now 30. As an added bonus, many fast-moving wear parts are kept in stock and available for next day delivery.
JJ Bullen’s future as a Hardox Wearparts Centre looks brighter than ever. The company sets great store by investing in people and infrastructure. In a neat twist, it now operates its own JJ Bullen apprentice scheme and reflecting its ‘family firm’ origins, it even has a father and son team working as apprentice and engineer.
Expansion
It is poised to grow further over the next year, adding new workshops and expanded premises. “Our success is all down to using superb quality steel and maintaining our reputation for high quality repairs,” says Robert “We are committed to offering a full on-site welding service for our clients across the UK and beyond and have 14 fully equipped vehicles with everything on-board for all site work including stick and mig welding. We strip all the components and rebuild them on-site, keeping downtime to a minimum for clients, which in the UK includes companies such as Tarmac, Aggregate Industries, Blue Group and Babcock. We are also happy to do site work globally and have recently completed our 4th visit to Africa welding Hardox wearparts on-site for Komatsu.”
“We are delighted that JJ Bullen has become one of our latest Hardox Wearparts Centres with all the benefits that means to the business and its customers” comments Harald Pedersen of SSAB. “Robert’s approach and achievements are testament to his focus on quality and high standards, and reflect the commitment to serve customers that marks out Hardox Wearparts Centres.”