FINNING has supported the delivery of more than 80 fully Cat certified machines to Ukraine to help rebuild the country’s infrastructure and facilities.
The Cat equipment dealer revealed it has a long-standing relationship with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in the UK, having previously provided generators and customised wheel loaders and excavators.
In November, the MoD, on behalf of the UK-administered International Fund for Ukraine, placed a contract with Finning for 82 machines. The equipment was primarily needed to support rebuilding works on infrastructure including reclamation projects on sites damaged during the conflict with Russia as well as clearing buildings, reinstating infrastructure, and repairing underground utilities.
Finning worked with the MoD to select a combination of machines including excavators, dozers, and various wheel and track loaders. Finning then looked at availability, given the tight deadline for delivery of April 2024 for all 82 machines. The company examined its stock of used equipment available in the UK and widened this out to identify suitable machines from other Cat dealerships in the US, Europe, and Canada.
“Being part of a global dealer network meant we were able to mobilise the required used machines from across Europe and the US to meet the MoD’s requirements,” said Adam Smith, head of used equipment at Finning. “Over half of the machines were sourced from our stock of used equipment here in the UK. However, we were able to meet the demands of the full machine requirement by sourcing equipment from Cat dealerships in the US, Norway, Spain, Germany, and France.
“This really emphasises the strength of the dealer network across the world and with all dealers adhering to the same inspection standards – we were able to provide absolute reassurance for the MoD on the quality and performance of the machines.”
All the machines were prepped at one of 10 Finning service workshops in Glasgow, Leeds, Winsford, Cannock, Chesterfield, Dublin, Lisburn, Ashford, and Llantrisant.
Adam added, “Carrying out such a detailed inspection means we can provide a standard Cat warranty package in line with the machine’s age, hours on the clock and general condition, and includes providing a full-service history. This is standard practice across the sale of our used equipment and is universal across all Finning dealerships to provide customers buying used equipment with complete peace of mind and confidence that their equipment has been fully inspected and is fit for the job it needs to do.
“The next stage involved us preparing all the equipment for transit. This required us to remove any blades, guides, belly guards and rippers so they wouldn’t be damaged en-route. We then had the task of coordinating with hauliers and shipping agents to manage their journey.”
Finning delivered the first 25 units by the end of December, with the balance of machines due to be delivered by the end of April 2024.
Maj Gen Anna-Lee Reilly, head of strategic capability, engagement and operations at DE&S, said, “We’ve been impressed with the level of expert input and service from Finning, which had a real task with sourcing such a range of machines in a very short time. The company has applied their proven expertise and combined it with creativity to find a solution which delivers a huge benefit to Ukraine.”
