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...

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...

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...

Patience pays off for Lomond Plant

Lomond Plant has taken huge strides since being founded in 1988. The firm was significantly impacted by the recession but is back on track...

“Price alone should not be king”

Brian Young has been managing director of Young Plant Sales for over 20 years. Based in the outskirts of Doune, Stirlingshire, the business was...

Hyundai sets sail for harbour work

AN Isle of Bute-based boat builder has recently completed work on a canal dredger custom fitted with a 22-tonne Hyundai excavator, which is now...

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...
Rob Oliver CEA CEO

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...
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On the Hunt for ‘durability and service’

HUNTSMANS have chosen another Atlas Copco HB 5800 breaker for primary breaking in its Cotswolds quarry. The quarry has been operating since 1918 and now...

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...
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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...

Kiltrotator: the rise of Steelwrist in Scotland

STEELWRIST has been making waves north of the border this year, with a number of clients spanning from the Borders to north of Aberdeenshire. Project...

Getting to know…Clive Montgomery

Clive Montgomery, founder of Castle-Douglas based family business CAM Engineering, launched the company with wife Jennifer in 2006, having decided to branch out on...
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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...
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Mini machines fill the final gap in JCB range

JCB is expanding its Next Generation line of mini and midi-excavators, with the launch of two 2.5-tonne models. Here, Dan Gilkes gives his take...

New blood vital to the SPOA

Jim Houstoun, Past President of  the Scottish Plant Owners Association (SPOA), currently involved with training for members, explains why the organisation remains in robust...
Mark Ormond, Managing Director Manitou UK

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.

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.

CRJ: Expert Third-Party Servicing for Recycling and Waste Processing Machinery

This article contains sponsored content.  In the competitive recycling and waste processing industry, machinery downtime can severely impact productivity and profitability. As the official UK...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Converted ADTs propel groundworks specialist forward

A duo of Hydrema articulated dump trucks have been converted for use as binder spreaders by a Whitburn-based ground engineering contractor, which has proved a...
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Good energy: Scottish market embraces solar solutions

Rail and social housing projects are helping to drive growth for Garic in Scotland.
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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...
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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...

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...

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,...
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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...