Case Study: MEP at 30 - Elizabeth Hoey

Colleague Story

Elizabeth Hoey, National Customer Support Centre Manager 

Elizabeth Hoey, MEP Hire’s National Customer Support Centre Manager, joined us back in 1997. An MEP Hire colleague for 28 years of our 30-year history, we wanted to showcase her story with you. 

Having joined MEP Hire straight out of school at 17 years of age, Elizabeth originally planned to only stay over the summer before her nursery college course started. However, 28 years later (with no similarity to the Danny Boyle feature film), Elizabeth remains a cornerstone to the fantastic work our Hire Desk does. 

Initially working as a Hire Controller within the original Hire Desk team up in Bothwell, Elizabeth enjoyed supporting customers to hire our core press-fitting solutions, designed to make joining and fitting pipe both speedier and more effective.

After taking a break to raise her family, Elizabeth returned to MEP Hire in 2006, later moving into a supervisor role and eventually the manager for the entire Hire Desk. 

Of course, the Hire Desk has seen lots of changes in the time Elizabeth has been working for MEP Hire. A massive expansion of branches nationwide, alongside a growing fleet of hire solutions, including onboarding a new Low Level Access equipment range in 2013, are just a few of those. 

Originally a team of just four people, the Hire Desk expanded as more branches opened to support MEP Hire’s growth. The centre now has a team of 24 staff in total, operating from a new site in Bellshill on the outskirts of Glasgow. Supporting all 13 of the MEP Hire branches nationally, the Hire Desk offers advice and guidance around hires and off-hires, account queries, and much more. 

We asked Elizabeth what she likes most about her job, and she told us it was the people and camaraderie; she loves to get the best out of people and sees her role as much of a listener as a manager. 

“Everyone has a story. I feel like it’s as much my job to listen and understand as to manage, and that’s the key to getting the best out of my team and creating a positive place to work for everyone. This is a culture that has certainly been a part of MEP Hire from its infancy, and I feel is very much down to the way Joe Stewart, the business's original owner, steered the company from the very beginning. We very much continue to shape a family feel in the way we do things today, and that has had fantastic results internally, but for business performance and growth as well.” Elizabeth Hoey 

Elizabeth’s hard work was recognised by Vp Group last year at the Vp Anniversary Awards to celebrate its 70th year, where she took home the ‘Leadership Role Model’ Award. Very well deserved, I’m sure we can all agree.