No products in the cart.
Busy Season at Marshalls HQ | What’s Going Out the Door
There was a little less waddle about the place yesterday. Thirty-five of our Skate Mates — twenty penguins and fifteen snowmen — flew the nest and headed off to a rink in Oxford, all grown up and ready for a busy winter of wobbly first-timers. We’ll miss them. (We won’t, really — we’ve got plenty more.)
And honestly, they’re just one van-load in a very busy week.
The winter season has well and truly started, and Marshalls HQ is flat out — so we thought we’d pull back the curtain and show you what’s actually going on.
Partly because it’s a good bit of fun, and partly because it’s the clearest sign there is of the one thing we most want rinks to know: this is the busy season, and the rinks getting sorted now are the ones who won’t be caught short later.
What's going out the door
A snapshot of what’s been leaving the building lately:
- Skate Mates by the dozen — penguins, snowmen, polar bears and walruses heading to rinks up and down the country — and plenty of quotes going overseas, too.
- Machines on hire — WM Pinguino resurfacers out to seasonal rinks and events, with more in conversation as operators lock in their winter dates.
- Machines sold and leased — new and refurbished resurfacers heading to new homes, with more arriving into stock to buy or lease.
- Parts and servicing — genuine spare parts going out on next-day delivery, and our engineers out on the road keeping rinks running.
- Paint and projects — ice paint, line marking and barrier work booked in across the season — some of it months ahead.
- Shipped worldwide — from the UK to Europe and beyond — because ‘ice rink specialists since 1984’ really does mean worldwide.
It’s a lot of plates spinning at once. But that’s rather the point of a one-stop specialist: all of it comes from the same team, the same building, the same people who’ve been doing this for four decades.
The people behind the plates
None of it happens by itself. Behind every van that leaves is someone who loaded it, an engineer who serviced the machine on it, and a conversation with the rink it’s heading to. A busy HQ is really just a lot of people working hard — the team who’ve made Marshalls what it is, many of whom have spent their whole careers around ice. The comings and goings are the glamorous bit; the quiet expertise behind them is what actually makes a rink’s winter run smoothly.
Why we're telling you this
It isn’t just a brag (well, maybe a little). The reason a busy HQ matters to you is simple: it’s the clearest proof that the winter rush has begun. Demand lands all at once in this industry, and the equipment, the hire slots and the stock all go the same way — fast.
Every year, the rinks that have the smoothest winters are the ones who got sorted early, while there was choice and time to spare. The ones who leave it tend to find themselves ringing round in December, choosing from whatever’s left. A busy loading bay in October is your cue to get ahead of it.
Winter is the first-timer rush
The penguins are a good example of why the timing matters. Winter brings your highest proportion of complete beginners — school groups, Christmas parties, families skating once a year — and that’s exactly when skate aids, a well-serviced machine and fresh, well-marked ice earn their keep. Everything leaving our building right now is kit that rinks want in place before that rush arrives, not during it. Which is why the vans are busy — and why ours isn’t the only loading bay working overtime this month.
What a busy supplier means for you
There’s a quiet reassurance in a busy supplier, too. A team doing this much, this often, is a team that’s seen it all — the machine that won’t start, the last-minute order, the rink that needs sorting yesterday. When you work with a specialist in full flow, you’re not their first job of the kind; you’re their hundredth. That experience is exactly what you want behind you when it’s your rink and your deadline on the line.
Whatever your rink needs, we can help
That’s really the message behind all the comings and goings. Whatever stage you’re at this winter, we can help — and it all comes from one place:
- Skate aids — top up your fleet or kit out a rink from scratch, ready for the first-timer rush.
- Machines — buy, lease or hire — we’ll match the right one to your ice and your site.
- Parts and servicing — genuine spares on next-day delivery, and engineers for all makes of machine.
- Paint and markings — Jet Ice paints, logos and line marking to make your ice look the part.
- Goals, barriers and more — everything else a rink needs, from one supplier.
- Honest advice — not sure what you need? That’s exactly what we’re here for.
Talk to us — we're here to help
The best thing you can do, whether you’re planning a top-up, a new machine, a winter rink or a brand-new project, is simply to get in touch. Speak to Mark — four decades in the ice industry — and we’ll help you get it right, not just take an order. And it doesn’t stop at the sale: we’re here for the long haul, for the next top-up, the mid-season call, and everything else your rink needs as the winter goes on.
So while the vans keep rolling out of Marshalls HQ, consider this your nudge: don’t leave your winter to chance. Get in touch today, and let’s get your rink ready for a brilliant season. There’s a lot going on here — and we’d love to help make your winter one of them.
frequently asked questions
When should I order equipment for the winter season?
As early as possible. Demand in the ice rink industry lands all at once, and equipment, hire slots and stock go quickly. Rinks that get sorted early in the season have far more choice than those who leave it until December.
What can Marshalls supply for my rink?
Everything a rink needs, from one supplier: skate aids, machines to buy, lease or hire, spare parts, servicing for all makes, ice paint and line marking, hockey goals and barriers, and expert advice — across the UK and worldwide, since 1984.
Can Marshalls advise on what my rink needs?
Yes. Honest, experienced advice is one of the most valuable things we offer — speak to Mark Johnson, whose four decades in the ice industry mean you get the right solution, not just an order taken.
Do you supply rinks outside the UK?
Yes. As well as the UK, we supply and ship to rinks across Europe and worldwide — from a single part to a complete project.
How do I get in touch with Marshalls International?
Call the team on 0800 092 0285, email office@marshallsinternational.com, or browse skate aids at iceskateaid.com. The earlier you get in touch this season, the more we can do.
