Michael Gallacher, GCS Group owner says the JCB Loadalls be used to deliver "presents" of hay bales to the company's reindeer.

GCS Group, a UK company that rents out reindeer for special occasions, has added four new JCB Loadall telehandlers to its equipment fleet.

Michael Gallacher, the plant hire company's owner, says the JCB Loadall 531-70 models will not only be hired out to customers but will be used to deliver "presents" of hay bales to the reindeer, which are helping him beat the recession through alternative business generation.

"I've really stepped up the reindeer hire in light of the recession. You have to look at alternative ways of generating business and, fortunately, they are proving to be a big hit," Gallacher says.

During the six weeks to Christmas, the reindeer, imported from Lapland, make numerous appearances at Santa's Grottos, garden centres, parties and other festive celebrations.

"What can be better for a child going to Santa's Grotto and seeing the 'real' Rudolph, Donner or Blitzen pulling a sleigh? It makes their Christmas," Gallacher explains.

He adds that his investment in JCB machines demonstrates that the GCS Group is doing well despite the economic gloom. The expanding fleet includes a range of mini excavators, rollers and now the Loadall telehandlers.

"As well as being popular with our customers, [the Loadalls] are also really useful with the reindeer. We'll be using them to deliver bales of hay to the reindeer during the winter months and they will also be used to load the sleigh they pull when they are hired out for appearances."

The GCS Group was established over 20 years ago and is based on Gallacher's farms. It now has over 160 machines in its hire fleet. Greenshields JCB of Sevenoaks, Kent, supplied the new telehandlers to the company.