Built to last: JCB in new 3.5-t offering
Dan Gilkes tests out the new 35Z-1 zero tailswing mini excavator, which is tipped to appeal to customers globally
WITH more than 15,000 sales a...
No fair-weather friend: JCB Finance vows long-term sector commitment
IT goes without saying that a firm's ability to invest in plant equipment and associated products can play a crucial role in the creation...
A suit that’s tailored for construction sites
An exoskeleton suit could revolutionise the construction industry in America when it is released next year, and its developers ‘absolutely’ expect the technology to reach Europe.
Anatomy of a quality steel
One breaker steel looks much like another, so it can be difficult to make sensible judgements about quality. Linlithgow-based Rock Force shared some of...
Getting to know Alistair Hodge
Alistair Hodge founded Hodge Plant 30 years ago with just one machine. Today the business has a substantial fleet of premium equipment for sale...
Getting to know… Henry Brain
HENRY Brain's career has seen him work for numerous attachment firms up and down the country, culminating in his current role as managing director...
Dumfries firm banks on new slow speed shredder
ESTABLISHED in 1983, Oakbank Waste Management has built its reputation throughout the Dumfries, Galloway and Cumbria regions, proudly achieving 100% diversion from landfill.
The...
Handle with care
AIRDRIE-based plant equipment supplier, A. T. Best Handlers, is the specialist dealer for Manitou in the west of Scotland.
The business is run by father...
JCB on the charge to an electric future
Dan Gilkes gets behind the wheel of the new JCB 525-60E electric Loadall, launched as part of the manufacturer’s expanding portfolio of electric solutions...
A moment to ‘Take’ in 20 years of progress
Takeuchi UK has come a long way since establishing a home in Rochdale, Lancashire in 1996. Gary Moug reports on how the firm has become a...
The components that make the wheels turn
Graham Bow, committee member of the Scottish Plant Owners Association, takes a look at some of the changes within the plant industry in recent...
Plant operators rise to Scotland’s peatland challenge
SCOTLAND’S plant operators have been praised for their role in the ongoing initiative to restore the nation’s degraded peatlands – with calls going out...
Getting to know… John McGrath
John McGrath recently retired from his role as senior lecturer in plant mechanics at Glasgow Kelvin College.
John, who’s also chairman of the Glasgow branch...
Charging forward with electric mini
Dan Gilkes tests out the new JCB 19C-1E electric mini excavator.
Constructing plans to tackle mental health
Male construction workers are 1.6 times more likely to take their own life than the average UK male, according to research from the Office for National Statistics.
As good as gold: Taylor & Braithwaite mark 50 years in business
TODAY, Cumbria-based Taylor & Braithwaite services the north of England and Scotland, with a Hyundai excavator dealership for the north of England and crushing...
Getting to know… Darren Gilmour
Darren Gilmour started his career with the Malcolm Group as a trainee plant operator in 1994. Today he's Director of Plant at the firm....
Getting to know…Adam Bruce
ADAM Bruce, managing director of AB2000, founded the plant hire company back in 1995. Despite vowing at the time to have a fleet of...
Getting to know… Steven Mulholland
STEVEN Mulholland was recently elected to the role of chairman of the Construction Plant-hire Association (CPA). The founder of West Calder-based Mulholland Plant Services succeeded...
Live, Move and Fight: life in the Army Reserves Plant Division
HAVING started as a private soldier in the Army Reserves in 1994, Dave Hanley, now Capt. Dave Hanley, has managed to turn his beloved...
Wet processing plant helps firm to double up
A family business in Tempo on the outskirts of Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, has reportedly doubled its materials processing ability since installing a new CDE wet...
The director’s cut
THEY say a picture is worth a thousand words. In the challenging field of construction photography, when a perfectly timed shot of a standout...
There’s never been a more important time to join YOUR trade association
The Scottish Plant Owners Association (SPOA) appointed HHH Equipment founder Callum Mackintosh as its new president earlier this year. With trade bodies playing a...
Retiring Young: industry stalwart reflects on 40 years in plant
BRIAN Young, one of the most respected and longest-serving figures in the Scottish plant industry, recently retired from his role as managing director at...
Windswept and interesting
A windswept Livingston industrial estate on a cold Tuesday morning might not be everyone's idea of a dream destination.
But for Worsley Plant managing director...
Getting to know…Brian McGrane
BRIAN McGrane is area sales manager for southern and central Scotland for Liebherr, where he is tasked with selling a full range of products...
Getting to know…Paul McCormack
Paul McCormack has been MD of Stewarton-based Blackwood Plant Hire since heading up a management buyout in 2017. Since then, the firm has continued...
Breaking new ground: a year with 71 Engineer Regiment
71 Engineer Regiment is made up of three Squadrons including Paisley-based 102 Field Squadron, which specialises in construction plant and combat infrastructure.
They’ve had a...
Fall protection kit can limit risks
THERE were 144 work-related deaths in the last year, according to a recently published HSE report. The most common cause of death was a...
Optimum bearing selection for mines and quarries
Mining and quarrying are among the toughest of industrial environments, with dust contamination posing a real threat to plant and machinery. David Oliver, channel...
