b'KENNARDS HIRE Since 1948TAKING HIRE HIGHER | 40At this news, Andy quickly sprang into action. Prue remembers, HeIt never was cleared up who was behind the sabotage, but there left right away to assess what equipment was needed and how hewere rumours of standover men and organised crime. It was a could help our customers get through this crisis. pretty brutal period by my dads account, Nevs son, Sam, says.This commitment to customer service saw Kennards Hire staffEYES TO THE FUTUREreacting swiftly to minimise the impact of disasters over the years,As the decade progressed, Nev, who had always been the RENTALSoften making midnight trips to service equipment affected by stormsmanaging director, startedtooffloadmanagerial dutiesto Andy. and floods. Both of them thought ahead,imaginingtheir children, especially Sam, might want to take part inthebusinesssome day. At Once they agreed where their priorities should lie, Andy and Nevsthe same time, they realised that eventually they would needthoughts turned to how they could relay this to the Kennards Hiretomakeadecision:holdtight totheirreins,or trust their staff customer base. The company logo was given an overhaul and amemberstomanagethecompany.slogan was added: Make Your Job Easy!THE KENNARD FAMILY PRODUCTION LINESABOTAGE! Just as their fathers had earned pocket money putting together In 1982, a wave of targeted vandalism at hire companies wasoctopus straps at the kitchen table, Andys kids all remember what estimated by Hire and Rental they call the production line. From around age nine they were put tomagazine to have cost over $4 million nationally in just three months, so Nev led a group of Sydney hirework sorting accessories and bits and pieces, such as ropes, Ramset companies in putting up a $5000 reward. Nev told Melbournesbullets and nails, and getting them into packages ready to go out. there was no doubt the attacks were part of a planned Herald campaign of industrial sabotage, probably by someone in theI loved that, says youngest son Cam Kennard of how he earnedbusiness. In one incident, sand and acid were poured into a hydraulichis pocket money. That was really cool.tank. In another, heavy industrial engines were started up after the oil had been drained from them.In thirty years in the hire industry, this is the first time I haveseen anything like this, he said to Hire and Rental. Whoever is responsible for these attacks has an inside knowledge of the equipment and the industry and knows how to cause maximum damage. They realised that eventually they would needtomake adecision:holdtight totheirreins,or trust their staff memberstomanagethecompany.'