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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
The unsung heroes of the Covid pandemic
HOUSEHOLD waste has increased during the Covid-19 pandemic. According to the Environmental Services Association (ESA), every household in the country produces an estimated one...
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...
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.
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...
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...
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...
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.
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...
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...
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…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...
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...
Honesty is best policy for Hardox Wearparts Stirling
“IT’S great to be part of an organisation that’s actively trying to grow and capture new opportunities as the mists of the recession start...
Wet processing plant helps firm to double up
A family business in Tempo on the outskirts of Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, has reportedly doubled its materials processing ability since installing a new CDE wet...
New division will lift Hodge to new heights
PROMOTIONAL FEATURE
HODGE Plant has launched a new Lifting Solutions division to provide customers with quality, versatile and safe solutions for all their lifting requirements.
The...
Charging forward with electric mini
Dan Gilkes tests out the new JCB 19C-1E electric mini excavator.
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…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...
Getting to know…Darragh O’Driscoll
WITH origins dating back to the 1950s, McHale Plant Sales is regarded as one of Ireland’s foremost machinery distributors. The firm’s portfolio of applications...
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...
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...
A moment to ‘Take’ in 20 years of progress
Takeuchi UK has come a long way since establishing a home in Rochdale, Lancashire in 1996. Gary Moug reports on how the firm has become a...
Getting to know…Heath Davies
HEATH Davies is general manager of Mecalac Construction Equipment UK. The firm has added a number of new products to its portfolio over the...
Fitting tribute to a Scottish legend
ORIGINATING over 90 years ago, in the 1920's, The Malcolm Group started life with assets of just a single horse and cart.
A small family-run...
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...
