Getting to know…Greg Paterson
KIRKCALDY-headquartered Astrak UK has grown from humble beginnings to become one of the leading suppliers of undercarriage and wear parts in the industry.
Recent developments...
Getting to know…Will Redman
Will Redman is distributor manager (north) for dumper specialist Thwaites. He is responsible for managing the manufacturer’s supply of products to dealers in the...
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...
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...
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...
Charging forward with electric mini
Dan Gilkes tests out the new JCB 19C-1E electric mini excavator.
Getting to know… Mark Ormond
Mark Ormond was appointed managing director of Manitou UK last year, having spent the vast bulk of his career in the agriculture sector.
Compressors on track to meet tough rail challenge
COLAS Rail is using Doosan Portable Power’s new generation of compressors to apply shotcrete to the interiors of French train tunnels.
Colas is the...
Andy’s on a Relentless pursuit for success
ANDY Black is fast becoming a huge presence in the Scottish plant industry – and not just because he stands 6ft 7in tall!
A former...
Cloburn Quarry fix costs and save fuel with new Cat
CLOBURN Quarry in Lanarkshire has become the first company in Scotland to purchase a Cat® 966K XE Wheel Loader.
The business has also invested 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...
Diversity in construction: how far have we come?
In a recent survey of construction professionals nearly half of the respondents (46%) said they felt their career progression has been limited due to their background.
Clock is ticking on firms eligible for AIA tax relief
A new survey shows British plant firms are in danger of missing out on tax relief worth hundreds of thousands of pounds due to...
Getting to know…Ian Barnes
IAN Barnes, head of business at SITECH UK and Ireland, fell into the plant industry through his self-proclaimed product geekiness and detail.
Starting as a...
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...
Demolishing challenges for five decades
777 Group, one of the UK’s largest and most successful demolition companies will be celebrating its 50-year anniversary throughout the course of 2014.
From humble...
Pursuit of quality pays off for Loc Hire
A recent £3.5 million investment in mobile welfare highlights how far Bonnybridge-based LOC Hire has come in a short space of time.
The firm, which...
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...
The “next big thing” in demolition raring to go
WHEN the Stanley LaBounty Mobile Demolition Processor (MDP) was launched during Bauma 2013 it came with the boast of being the “next big thing”...
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...
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...
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...
Fortune-seeking at 4000m
A fleet of five new Hitachi EX3600-6 excavators has been supplied by the Hitachi construction machinery dealer for Kyrgyzstan, Turkuaz Machinery, to work at...
Innovation is “part of JCB’s DNA”
Project Plant editor Gary Moug recently visited a JCB factory in Uttoxeter to see the manufacturer's latest excavator developments. Afterwards, he spoke to Nick...
Training and exam facility gets pass marks
DEMAND for TT-UK’s Accredited Training & Assessment Facility has almost doubled in 12 months.
For more than the 30 years TT-UK has been in...
Getting to know…Rob Oliver
ROB Oliver has been chief executive of the CEA (Construction Equipment Association) for the best part of 20 years now. In that time, he’s...
Staying safe while working at height in poor weather
Matthew Bailey, divisional manager for inspection and certification at HCL Safety, explores what those working at height, and those responsible for their safety, need...
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...
Island stay provides a welcome antidote
ORGANISERS of FINROCK 2021, a live virtual exhibition for plant operators, construction professionals and heavy equipment enthusiasts, have hailed the event a roaring success.
Hosted...
The sound of success
Mark Williamson, sales and marketing director at PH Media Group, looks at how plant hire firms can harness the power of on-hold marketing to...
