b'CHAPTER 06GOING THEIR OWN WAY | 55The GKN acquisition provided the financial freedom to explore neworganisation. When Kennards Hire bought RichardStevens Hire possibilities and focus on its growth with confidence. Kennards Hireand BE Hire in 1998, the company suddenly had a presence in the was able to pursue exciting new ventures and expand the businesssouthern states as well. Those early days it was helter-skelter, Pete in exciting new directions. says. Obviously it was our biggest influx of new branches in one hit. It was very challenging to resource all the normal changeover This enabled the company to further expand into the BrisbaneandKennardisation processes. We had all hands on deck and and Gold Coast area with the buyout of Jonkers Hire, anotherlots of Kennardspeople living in Adelaide and Melbourne for an well-regarded family company, in 1996. The next few years sawextended period while we were supporting the new branches ina steady string of strategic acquisitions of small hire centres, asthe changeover.well as opening greenfield offices in areas where Kennards Hire wanted a presence. Kennards Hires accelerated performance wasAs the new millennium began, there was a final push to be acknowledged when it received the Achievement in Business Awardtruly national, with branches opening in Perth. The west had at the 1997 Australian Quality Awards.been looking out of reach until a small but strategic acquisition opportunity, Multi-Hire, coincided with a unique advertising In 1998, Kennards Hire celebrated its fifty-year anniversary with acampaign by the Commonwealth Bank. The bank had approached range of functions for staff and their families in New South Waleslongstanding clients to appear in commercials extolling the and Queensland, as well as a national customer thank-you day, arelationship between the bank and customer. The bank loved dinner for suppliers, and another for friends of Kennards. It was anWallys line, I wont lend it to you, but Ill hire it to you, and used acknowledgment that there was a whole ecosystem of people whothat in one of its ads, talking up its relationship with Kennards Hire. made Kennards Hire what it was. It was a nationwide campaign, which provided Kennards Hire with much-needed visibility and legitimacy in the markets where it was By the end of the decade, under the guidance of Andy, Pete yet to make an impression.and Gordon Howlett, Kennards Hire had become a truly national'