ARDENT Hire Solutions has placed a massive £26 million order for 525 JCB Loadall telehandlers.
The order spans the compact 525-60 to the 540-200 models, which have reaches of between six and 20 metres. 25 3CX backhoe loaders are also part of the deal.
The acquisition follows a deal in 2019 from Ardent for £75 million worth of JCB machines.
JCB group MD for global major accounts, Steve Fox, said, “We are delighted that Ardent Hire Solutions has placed this substantial order with JCB given the very competitive nature of the UK equipment supply market. The size of the order shows enormous faith in the quality of JCB’s machines and also underlines the need to invest in new machinery to support the growth in the UK construction industry, which continues to recover strongly after the Covid-19 pandemic.”
Ardent has 11 hire depots across the UK, including one in Glasgow. The firm specialises in providing plant hire to major housing, civil and construction clients.
All of the new machines have been equipped with JCB LiveLink telematics technology, providing real-time feeds to support Ardent’s Site Manager digital platform.
Ardent’s chief financial officer, Julian O’Neill, added, “Our telehandler fleet is already the largest anywhere in the UK and this substantial investment strengthens our position in the telescopic handler hire sector.”
