"I worked up through the ranks, starting as a transport
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assistant," says Clay. "Then I was site foreman, then sales manager." He was then promoted to sales director, a position he held for five years before leaving to set up MAC Contracting. It was at the beginning of his time at KSD that he was scorned by a colleague who thought he was too young to contribute to the company. His determination to prove that colleague wrong appears to have inspired Clay to set up on his own.
If you live or drive through the Midlands
you can't fail to notice Clay's vehicles—they are big, bonneted Scanias with a bright yellow livery, Clay is a fan of the big Swedes: "I feel they're the best vehicles," he says. "They seem to be the most expensive, but you get what you pay for. It's also to do with image—not many tipper companies run Scanias—and they're good on fuel.'
He currently operates four eight-wheelers and one six-wheeler with seven more on order. Of the eight-leggers, two are R-reg 114Cs with 340hp engines: the other two are two-year-old 360hp 113s. They al! have 20-tonne payloads.
These R-cabbed vehicles are twin sleepers, which Clay finds particularly useful on planing work: "Planing work is not like normal haulage work," he explains. "It's seven days a week, 24 hours a day, so you get two sets of drivers in for each truck and double-shift the trucks to make them pay" They've had Facelifts, he adds: "They now look like Streamliner cabs and the 4-Series, so they look quite modern. We put personalised registration plates on them to eliminate their age." The plates in question are: 70 MAC, 80 MAC, R6 MAC, R8 MAC and R666 MAC.
Five new Scanias are due to arrive this month. Two are R-cabbed 124s with 360hp engines; the rest are 114s with 340hp engines. All Clay's tippers have McGovern bodies with a mix of Edbro underfloor double rams and single front-end rams.
No coincidence
The company's location is no coincidence, "The whole reason for being based at Tamworth is that I've got my fingers crossed for the Birmingham Northern Relief Road," says Clay. I'm trying to gear the company up to a sensible size so when the job starts, as I'm sure it will, I'll be a main contender."
MAC currently transports about half a million tonnes of planing material a year. Clay employs five drivers and will take on five more over the coming months. He plans to double the size of his company in terms of vehicle numbers, staff and turnover during its second year of operation.
"The object is to have an in-house operation with my own machines, my own low-loaders and trucks doing my own haulage because it's more profitable," he explains. Clay has precise plans for his company's evolution: "I won't let it get too big. 1 would see a fleet of 20 eightwheelers and five excavators being ample."
To help him achieve this projected growth, he recently appointed former colleague Jim Higgs as his contracts director. Higgs had a similar role at KSD. Clay attributes the company's rapid growth to his willingness to take risks— and an understanding bank manager. He has a personal guarantee for his trucks which are financed by Scania Finance. Clay pays 50% on delivery plus VAT, and will pay the balance over 24 months.
The revenue he generates from his subcontracting work—he uses up to 30 local subbies a day—is enough to cover the down payments on his new trucks, and he plans to spend about £500,000 on new vehicles next year. One of these will be a 560hp bonneted T cabbed Scania. This will tow a low-loader carrying excavators and a two-metre planing machine. His other purchases will be more Scania eight-leggers.
The verbal kick in the teeth seems to have worked for Clay—he is bursting with drive and determination to succeed. "A lot of it depends on how much effort you're prepared to put in," he believes. "Bearing in mind my age its a long way to retirement so I've got to put 200% effort in. Many others do it half heartedly.
"The main thing 1 want out of this company is to be well known and well respected," he adds. "To turn round and look at it and say 'that's mine' and be proud of it rather than it being a headache."
He'd like to achieve this goal in five rather than 20 years' time. In his view: "There's not much point in getting to 60 and turning round and saying 'I did it'."
by Nicky Clarke
FACTFILE: MAC CONTRACTING BASED: Tamworth, Staffordshire. FOUNDED: October 1998. CONTACT: Marcus Clay. FLEET: Five koala 114 and 113 tippers with seven more on order; three excavators. Ty cor.' Haulage of road planings and excavated material. TURNOVER: Lim (projected).