A fledgling Angus-based plant hire business is set to invest further in its fleet after seeing demand soar for its micro-excavator and dumper offering.
Angus Mini Digger Hire was established last year by husband-and-wife team John and Nicola Young, after they initially bought a JCB 8008 CTS micro-excavator and Hyundai HYTD500 mini-dumper to help carry out an extension at their own home.
After deciding to rent the equipment out following the conclusion of that project, they quickly realised the potential to turn it into a viable business and have since added a number of additional items to the portfolio including a stump grinder, log splitter, rotavator, compactor plate, and chipper.
Having built up a loyal customer base of DIY enthusiasts and smaller trades firms in a short period of time, John and Nicola have now taken the plunge and established dedicated premises at Kirkton Industrial Estate in Arbroath.
“We kind of stumbled into this,” John told Project Plant. “I’m a fabricator to trade. About two years ago, we wanted to extend our house. We were coming off the back of Covid and prices were through the roof for everything.
“We were going to hire someone to do the work but, after getting a quote through for the groundworks, it got the cogs turning and we ended up buying our own micro-digger and dumper and doing it ourselves.”
In June last year, John and Nicola set up social media accounts for the purpose of hiring their excavator and dumper out. Since then, the business has gone from strength-to-strength. John has left his former career behind to concentrate on this full-time, while Nicola works part-time in the firm, helping out with accounts and the social media side. She also uses her past experience as a manager for a large supermarket chain to ensure that customer service is always on point.
“We’ve got a great bunch of customers,” John added. “It’s three months since we moved into new premises in Arbroath. Prior to that, we were working out of shipping containers we’d hired on a farm. We’re now going into our first spring and looking towards expanding the fleet again.”
The customer base includes landscapers and builders, as well as individuals looking to hire equipment for one-off projects.
The trade customers are typically people who don’t use plant often enough to justify having trade accounts with larger firms, and who appreciate the flexibility and personal touch that a family business can provide.
For those carrying out DIY projects, John is happy to introduce them to machinery and talk through potential solutions.
“We go out on site to jobs ahead of any hire commitments,” he revealed. “Customers reach out and say they want to try (a particular task) and are looking for some pointers.
“We can talk them through the job from start to finish and supply the equipment as and when they need it. Personally, that’s what I find most rewarding. I do enjoy seeing folk achieving things that, before they reached out to us, they were on the fence about. They’re delighted when they manage to do what they set out to get done.”
The next milestone for Angus Mini Digger Hire will be to go live on the HireLogic platform, which simplifies the hiring process for independent firms.
“It’s very affordable for companies like ours,” John said. “It gives you a shop-based website where people can see your products, pricing, and descriptions.
“On our side, there’s a dashboard and it can do everything from quoting to invoicing. It can link into your accounting software as well and also links you up to a payment provider so that you can accept card payments.”
While the online side will remain crucial, having a physical base has been a game-changer for the company. The Arbroath unit allows trade customers to come and collect equipment personally, rather than wait for it to be delivered, while DIY enthusiasts can come in, see the products up close, and learn all about them.
Business has been booming in the early weeks of 2026. In January, Angus Mini Digger Hire hit its limits for digger and dumper utilisation. At the time of interview in early February, the equipment was already booked out for over 50% of the month ahead.
With such a busy order book, the time is ripe to expand the portfolio. While the natural thought process might have been to delve into heavier plant, John revealed that Angus Mini Digger Hire will stick to its compact offering.
“We’re right on edge of being able to justify a second digger and dumper,” he added. “The micro and narrow access market is what we’re targeting.”
• For more information, follow Angus Mini Digger Hire on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/angusminidiggerhire/
