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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...

Miller time

AFTER purchasing a machine to carry out drainage on their family farm in rural Aberdeenshire in the 1960s, the Miller family began completing contracts...

Hitachi ’empowers’ customers with new medium excavators

HITACHI has announced that owners and operators have been put 'at the heart' of the design for its latest Zaxis-7 medium excavators: the ZX210-7,...

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.
A.T. Best Handlers Ltd new depot Macmerry Industrial Estate

Best foot forward

A.T. Best Handlers Ltd. has opened a new depot in Tranent, East Lothian after telehandler manufacturer Manitou extended the company’s area at the start of this year.

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...

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...
Steelwrist tiltrotator

Hard work pays off as Steelwrist marks milestone birthday

From humble beginnings, tiltrotator manufacturer Steelwrist has grown into a global powerhouse. To celebrate the company’s 20th anniversary, CEO Stefan Stockhaus answered Project Plant's...

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...

New SPOA President wants to “better the intake” into Scottish plant industry

Fraser Dykes is the new President of the Scottish Plant Owners Association (SPOA). His day job is running Dumfries-based heavy equipment contractors AMD Contract...

Are you really ready for winter?

Brendan Aherne, GRITIT’s regional director for Scotland, explains that taking on adverse weather conditions in increasingly litigious times takes careful planning and meticulous execution. It’s...

Family values remain at the heart of Young Plant

BRIAN Young has revealed it’s been very much business as usual at Young Plant Sales despite selling to the Molson Group. Brian, who has agreed...

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...

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...

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...
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Kubota dig deep to mark anniversary

KUBOTA has teamed up with plant hire specialist GAP Group at ScotPlant 2014 to showcase its range of solutions for the construction industry. The...
scaffolding

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…Adam Caulfield

ADAM Caulfield is national sales director (rental solutions) at Sunbelt Rentals, where he leads a team of over 100 people across the UK and...

“People will put their money where it makes sense”

ACCORDING to Andy Black, founder of Relentless Plant Services, breakers now make up about 40% of the flourishing firm's business. This is partly due to...

Five benefits of going green on-site

SITES in the construction sector are turning green in order to combat the challenges climate change presents to our society. Alongside the environmental concerns...
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Processing on the move

The first models in a range of crushing and screening buckets from ALLU promise dramatic cost savings in soft rock mining GAME-changing technology seems a...

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...
Robin Bryant, Scot JCB

Getting to know…Robin Bryant

Robin Bryant has been joint MD at Scot JCB since 2017. During that time, the supplier of JCB equipment has celebrated a number of...

A powerful partnership

Kubota UK joined forces with engine and transmission specialist Mitchell Powersystems (MPS) in 2016 in a strategic partnership that established MPS as the official...

Hyundai demonstrates European commitment

ONE year on from the inauguration of its new European headquarters in Tessenderlo, Belgium, Hyundai Construction Equipment Europe (HCEE) recently played host to a...

Getting to know…Tim Ferwerda

Tim Ferwerda, sales, marketing and distribution director of Finning UK & Ireland, is by his own admission relatively new to the plant industry, having...
Paul McCormack

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...

JCB takes next step on electric journey

JCB has expanded its E-Tech battery electric range, with the launch of the 403E compact wheeled loader. Dan Gilkes recently visited JCB’s HQ to...

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...

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...