Manlift Hire – Playing the Long Game
Manlift Hire is a family business based in Melbourne with a reputation for quality, value, and service. In 2024, they celebrated 40 years in the hire industry.
MANLIFT HIRE’S CHAIRMAN, KEN MATTHEWS, reckons he and his wife, Suzanne are the luckiest people in the world.
“We have three kids who get on well together and love this business,” says Ken. “It’s pretty amazing.”
It’s a long way from the small hire business Ken started with his friend Peter Armstrong back in 1984. At the time, they were working together at a company that was the first to bring JLG into Australia when Peter had a ‘blue’ with the owner and they decided to go into business for themselves.
“We started with some borrowed machinery from Crown forklifts, who were in South Melbourne at the time,” says Ken. “From there, we bought some Crown machinery and we’d tow it around to our customers using Suzanne’s Falcon.”
With no premises to store their equipment for many years, they would leave their machinery at smaller hire yards when it wasn’t in use however, that all changed in 2000 when they acquired their first factory. In 2020, they moved to their current premises, a purpose-built facility in Dandenong South.
Ken says that adaptability is one of the keys to their longevity in the industry, which means he and his team have always taken the time to understand how their equipment works and its capabilities.
“I’m a stickler for product knowledge,” he says. “I even have a letter from the original JLG — John L Grove himself — congratulating me on winning a competition on product knowledge 45 years ago!”
As technology has changed so too have legislative requirements, particularly around safety, which is where he’s seen the biggest improvements over four decades.
“It’s the nature of the machines we’re hiring out,” says Ken. “In the wrong hands — or untrained hands — this equipment can be inherently dangerous, whether it’s working at heights or not having your safety harness on while you’re operating a boom lift.”
To meet a growing need and ensure the safety of operators, Ken and his sons, Jeff and Tony, became EWP accredited trainers and assessors who can now issue Yellow Cards in the safe operation of Elevating Work Platforms.
He was also a member of the EWPA Board for many years, collaborating with representatives from much bigger companies on developing consistent training and safety standards.
“I was known as the ‘voice of the little man’,” says Ken.
Manlift Hire founders, Ken and Suzanne
Matthews (front left) with their team.
It’s a moniker he wears with pride. “We may be small but I think it’s what people like about us because we provide good customer service. If there happens to be a breakdown — and thank goodness there’s not very many — the team here are on it until it’s fixed. Our customers can’t afford to have our equipment idle for too long because it’s costing them money.”
Today, Ken and Suzanne’s kids — Jeff, Tony and Kate — are all involved with the business. Jeff started off as a greens keeper and is now the General Manager, Tony’s an electrician by trade and is responsible for the service side of the business, while Kate is the Office Manager, ensuring everything runs smoothly on a day-to-day basis.
The company continues to grow its equipment range, providing customers with a comprehensive access fleet, including electric and diesel-powered scissor lifts, diesel telescopic boom lifts, electric and diesel articulated boom lifts and personal lifts.
As for Ken and Suzanne, they no longer work in the business yet 40 years on, their passion for hire remains.
“We love this industry,” he says. “You’re always doing something different and dealing with different people.”
“It’s what kept us going through the hard times.”
