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...
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...
Tracked conveyor is the ‘missing link’ for Breedon
BREEDON Northern has invested in the largest Terex Finlay tracked conveyor currently available from Finlay Scotland. The TC-100 is being used as a link...
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...
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...
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.
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...
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...
“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...
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.
Reducing emissions from NRMM with alternative fuels
It is an uncomfortable truth that there is no single fuel solution to the air quality problem for the construction sector.
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...
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… 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....
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...
Brammer to sponsor Hillhead 2014
BRAMMER, a supplier of maintenance, repair and overhaul products and services, has confirmed that it will once again sponsor Hillhead 2014 – the world’s...
It’s all in the Wrist
A lifelong love of diggers and a desire to start his own business led Alan Gow to purchase his first machine – a used...
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...
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.
Where Eagle dares
When many plant hire firms decided to scale back on investment during the recession, Eagle Plant adopted a different approach by seizing the opportunity...
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...
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...
Getting to know…Tim White
TIM White is MD of Pinnacle Platforms, the exclusive GB distributor for Sinoboom aerial work platforms. The business was founded three years ago and...
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…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...
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...
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.
Big money deals secured at record-breaking Plantworx
ALMOST 350 exhibitors attended Plantworx 2015, with many of the biggest names in the construction equipment industry in top form.
The likes of JCB, Volvo,...
Role diversity helps lift Scottish crane technician
Glasgow-based Sandy McCulloch is one of three service technicians dedicated to keeping the Manitowoc mobile cranes, crawler cranes and boom trucks of Scotland in...
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.
