How SunSkips rose to become the thriving skip hire company it is today

What started as a serendipitous conversation with very good friends quickly exploded into a three-location business serving all of Suffolk and Cambridgeshire.

Two years later and SunSkips has become the go-to skip hire firm for great customer service, professionalism and value for money.

But how does a waste management company go from zero to hero in less than 24 months and what is it about the way the business is run that has driven such rapid expansion?

A strong network

“It all started with the acquisition of the assets of Stowmarket Skip Hire,” explained company founder and managing director Mathew Stewart.

The waste management veteran has been in the industry for his entire working life and once word got out that he was ready to acquire a recycling site, it didn’t take long for an opportunity to present itself.

“Having been involved in waste management for 25 years, you get to know people and they know what you’re up to,” said Mat on how it pays to have a strong network.

Things started moving pretty quickly once he was introduced to the former owner of Stowmarket Skip Hire in late 2019. But while Mat’s dream of taking the plunge into running a skip hire firm was within reach, it had been a long road to get there…

Mat began working in waste management at a young age in various jobs, but considers his career to have really taken off in 1995 when he started working on a landfill site for Anti Waste (later known as Waste Recycling Group, which has since been acquired by FCC Environment). He was at the company for several years with a few role changes before going on to director-level positions for companies like Tamar Energy, Countrystyle Group and Waste Recycling Group. Later, he founded his first business Organic Waste Logistics.

But the time had finally come for Mat to take the reins of a skip hire firm himself, leveraging his two and a half decades of experience and the local network he’d worked hard to build.

“It was a friend’s girlfriend’s sister’s husband who was related to the guy who was selling Stowmarket Skip Hire,” explained Mat of the long chain of connections that led to what would become SunSkips’ first location.

Mat asked for a sit down with the business owner and before he knew it, his offer was accepted and he had become the proud owner of an already well-established skip hire firm in Suffolk.

Mark 1: The original fresh look given to Stowmarket Skips before it became SunSkips.

A safe bet

Despite the fact that May 2020 was at the height of the pandemic and the future was by no means certain for any industry, Mat knew it was the right decision.

“Of course, we had the conversation about whether or not it was a good idea given the situation,” said Mat on what would be a nerve-wracking time for most investors at such an uncertain time. “But speaking to the former operator, he was adamant that he’d never seen the business as busy. And the numbers bore that out.

“I was still convinced that the time was right to get involved in an area that was being underutilised and underinvested in.

“While a lot of businesses have struggled during the pandemic, the simple fact is that waste doesn’t just go away. In fact, with public recycling centres shutting down, demand has increased. The business just comes to us.”

But Mat wasn’t simply looking to take over a business. With his wealth of experience in waste management, he had some big ideas about how he wanted to run things to improve efficiency and profitability.

“We very quickly managed to expand and change the way we operate,” said Mat, proudly. “We increased the configuration of the shed so we could double the throughput, added new vehicles – including three roll-on lorries – as well as additional skips… It all happened quite quickly!”

MORE: New SunSkips lorries deliver fuel efficiency – and still pack a punch

And it wasn’t just a matter of improving site operations, Mat also wanted to make big changes to the customer experience too. To manage the influx of skip hire bookings more efficiently, Mat commissioned a new website that allowed customers to book directly online. The system also lets customers get an instant quote based on their location and even alerts the team to any special requirements they might have, like the disposal of refrigerators or tyres.

By taking over a successful business, it was all-go for Mat right out of the gate with skip orders already flooding in, so he didn’t have time to frame that first fiver or receipt – but he admitted that the inaugural website booking did feel a bit special.

“We did celebrate our first web booking,” said Mat. “When we delivered the skip, we turned up with a bottle of champagne and chocolates.

“Stowmarket Skip Hire did have a website, but you couldn’t book on it so this was a real game-changer for the business.”

Barry, SunSkips’ first online customer

The dawn of a new brand

With several new systems in place, business booming, and plans to expand across East Anglia, it made sense to embody all this innovation under a new brand – and so SunSkips was born.

“SunSkips is a new brand that’s showing a different way of doing things in the industry,” said Mat. “We have a strong focus on the customer and are very communicative with our clients.

“You only have to look at the Google reviews to see how helpful people are finding this level of service. It’s just a new approach to the way skip hire businesses are run.”

SunSkips’ next big acquisition was Cottenham Skip Hire, which came about from another introduction from a friend. Before long, SunSkips’ Cambridge skip hire site was up and running.

“I’ve always worked in and around East Anglia, so branching out across the area seemed like the next logical step,” said Mat.

SunSkips Cambridge opened for business in January 2021.

“Finding a site in Cambridgeshire happened a lot quicker than I thought, but expanding at this rate has presented challenges in other areas.”

Fortunately, Mat has worked hard to build a team around him that is more than up to the task of navigating the trials and tribulations of a rapidly expanding business. After recruiting sales manager Peter Healey (also born and raised in Suffolk with a wealth of experience making deals happen in the area), general manager Tim Reinman joined to really push SunSkips’ focus on customer service to the next level.

The team now have their sights set further south at the new site development in Haverhill, which is set to open in June this year.

“With SunSkips, we’re taking a fresh approach to skip hire, with a special focus on the customers we serve,” Mat emphasised.

“If you call the office of a lot of skip hire companies, one of the drivers might pick the phone up and you’ll be lucky if you don’t overhear all the swearing going on in the background.”

MORE: People come first: How SunSkips’ focus on the personal touch grew the business

“But I think people expect more than that and our sales team is always happy to answer any questions customers might have to make sure they’re hiring the right skip for the job.

“Not only that, our recruitment process was designed to make sure our drivers are just as friendly, so the customer feels looked after throughout the whole process.

“Getting all that right on a daily basis is what gets me up in the morning and makes me really proud of what we’ve built at SunSkips.”

SunSkips is continuing to grow across Suffolk and Cambridgeshire and is showing no signs of stopping! Stay tuned for the latest developments as we gear up for the June launch of SunSkips’ Haverhill skip hire site.