The right side of the tracks
AFTER joining his father's drainage company as a machine operator straight from school, Gareth McLaughlin is now Sales Manager for Kilwinning-based Kattrak International Limited.
Specialising...
Getting to know…Kenny Price
Rokbak is the new name for Terex Trucks after the Motherwell-based articulated hauler specialist rebranded recently. The business, which is part of the Volvo...
Quick off the mark: latest X-Series model treads well-worn path
JCB has expanded its X-Series crawler excavator portfolio with the launch of the 145XR – a second reduced tailswing model. Here, Dan Gilkes gets...
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...
Laying the groundwork for increased flexibility
GROUNDFORCE’S decision to align three distinct brands into one attachments division has been credited with bringing a range of benefits to customers.
Work started earlier...
Murphy’s law
ADRIAN Murphy was appointed CEO at Blue Group last year, tasked initially with bringing increased coordination across the various businesses.
Having held senior role at...
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...
A towering success for XSPlatforms
XSPLATFORMS have Introduced the SafeTower, which they describe as the safest mobile scaffold for all heights.
To meet the growing need for safe working...
Getting to know… Geoff Smith
KUBOTA is this year celebrating its 25th anniversary as the UK and Ireland’s ‘number one supplier’ of mini-excavators. A whole year of activities to...
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 sense of CAM in Castle Douglas
IT’S fair to say Castle Douglas-based CAM Engineering has come a long way since founder Clive Montgomery borrowed his dad’s van, put a toolbox...
Getting to know…Fergal Campbell
CDE, a supplier of sand and aggregate wet processing solutions, is this year celebrating its 30th year in business. The family-owned firm, founded in...
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...
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...
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...
New technologies put wind in the sails of civils contractor
A Komatsu HB365LC Hybrid excavator is among a range of machines that have been impressing on Jones Bros Civil Engineering UK’s build of the...
A Speedy solution to help with flood relief
SPEEDY Services will be back at ScotPlant, fresh from donating vital equipment to help flood victims in Burrowbridge, Somerset, cope with the damage...
High-tech simulator will be just the ticket for training academy
GOLDCAST Academy has revealed to Project Plant that it is in the process of launching a simulator as part of a multi-million-pound project which...
Raising the safety bar in Edinburgh
THE Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, held on the esplanade of Edinburgh Castle, attracts massive crowds on an annual basis.
Seating for spectators is provided by...
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.
Getting to know…Gordon Cameron
Gordon Cameron has been involved in the plant industry for many years now, working his way up to become managing director of Hardox Wearparts...
In the Black: hard work pays off for Stewarton hire firm
WHEN Tom Blackwood bought out his retiring father, Tom Senior, in 2001, Blackwood Plant Hire consisted of a few machines.
Today, the Stewarton-based firm has...
CDE champions female engineering heroes
Ahead of International Women in Engineering Day, CDE shines a light on the contribution made by women within the business.
INTERNATIONAL Women in Engineering Day,...
Getting to know… Russell Conn
RUSSELL Conn was appointed Scottish sales manager at Bell Equipment UK earlier this year, having worked for the manufacturer in South Africa for almost...
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...
Kubota enjoys last laugh with historic milestone
When mini-excavators were first introduced to the British market in the 1970s, some scoffed at the concept. As Kubota celebrates its 50,000th excavator sale...
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…Stephen McMahon
STEPHEN McMahon is sales manager for Scotland and the north east of England at attachment specialist Miller.
He’s worked in the plant industry for almost...
Getting to know…Stephen Grieve
NINE years ago Stephen Grieve sold his car for £5000 and invested the money in spare parts for the construction industry. The rest, as...
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...
