Plant Manager's Journal articles from April 2005

Plant Manager's Journal archives from April 2005

Keeping the thieves at bay.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Plant theft remains a major problem. Credible security is a rarity on plant and the recovery rate for stolen plant is still only around 10%. In reality, a [pounds sterling]40,000 excavator is less secure than a [pounds sterling]7,000 car....

Bell to build Deere loaders.(LOADERS)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Bell signed an agreement with US manufacturer John Deere during the recent Conexpo exhibition. It will see the South African manufacturer building Deere-designed side-shift backhoe loaders and wheel loaders for its domestic and European...

UK sales bolster Lavendon.(RESULTS)(United Kingdom)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Lavendon Group, the powered-access equipment hirer, has reported a turnover of [pounds sterling]108m for the year ending 31 December, marginally up on the previous year's [pounds sterling]107.8m figure. Operating profit however, before...

Barford SK10 makes UK debut.(DUMPERS)(United Kingdom)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... The UK's first Barford SK10 forward-tipping dumpers have been delivered to Bromsgrove-based Orford Plant Hire. The 10t-capacity dumper, Barford's largest model, is powered by a 94kW Iveco engine. Orford has purchased five units from...

Hewden Plant and Tool to restructure.(PLANT HIRE)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Hewden Plant and Tool Hire has announced a major network restructure following the recent merger of its two rental businesses. Hewden now has nine regional management centres, each acting as a hub for 34 local rental stores. The...

Specialist heavy plant servicing firm launched.(PLANT OVERHAUL)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Heavy Equipment Maintenance Solutions (HEMS) is a new company aiming to distribute a range of equipment for the servicing and testing of heavy plant. The Brighton-based company supplies equipment and services including: specialised hand...

Bridgestone warns tyre shortage is yet to peak.(TYRES)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Tyre manufacturer Bridgestone has warned machinery manufacturers and end users that tyre demand will continue to outstrip supply until at least 2007 and possibly 2008. "Our economic forecasts suggest demand will not peak until 2008," said...

Ladders will still be permitted on sites.(WORKING AT HEIGHT)(Health and Safety Executive )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Ladders are not outlawed since the Work at Height Regulations (WAHR) were implemented on 6 April, according to the Health & Safety Executive (HSE). "There is a misconception that ladders are not permitted on construction sites," said...

Equipment sales predicted to fall by 2009.(CONSTRUCTION SALES)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Sales of construction equipment are predicted to fall by 13% in real terms by 2009, according to a report by Market & Business Development. The report estimates the market figure in 2004 was more than [pounds sterling]1bn--an increase of...

Spillard offers free surveys.(SITE SAFETY)(Spillard Safety Systems )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Spillard Safety Systems is offering free site visibility surveys of mobile plant. It has also introduced a colour version of its Optronics rear view camera. The survey (based on the 1m X 1m rule) shows if machines meet the current Health &...

First for track finishing.(NEWS in brief)(First Swietelsky )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Rail maintenance joint venture First Swietelsky has invested almost [pounds sterling]3m in two Plasser & Theurer track-finishing machines. The units provide joint ballast profiling and dynamic track stabilisation.

[pounds sterling]1m safety investment.(NEWS in brief)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Four months after the [pounds sterling]11.6m management buy-in of Independent Access Supplies from administration, the team has announced an investment of [pounds sterling]1m in improving the safety and of its fleet.

Engine launch at Conexpo.(NEWS in brief)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Cummins' launched its Tier 3 SB engine at Conexpo. This unit meets the emission regulations using electronics, air management and high injection pressure, but without the need for exhaust gas recirculation or aftertreatment. In the future,...

CBL opens Cambridge depot.(NEWS in brief)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... CBL Plant Hire and Sales has opened its tenth depot. The company said the new Cambridge branch will boost its presence in East Anglia.

HSS acquires Hire Plus.(NEWS in brief)(Hire Plus)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... HSS has acquired South East-based Hire Plus. It has also announced a formal partnership agreement with ICI Dulux Decorator Centres, which will host more than 150 new HSS order points in-store throughout the UK.

Facelift for Denka Lift.(NEWS in brief)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Danish access producer Denka Lift has appointed Facelift as its UK distributor. Facelift operates from seven UK locations and said it will be targeting end-users and local rental firms with this new range of equipment.

Earthmoving equipment sales to rise 3% in Europe.(SALES)(Committee for European Construction Equipment )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Sales of earthmoving equipment in Europe will increase by 3% this year, while European production is expected to rise by 5%, according to the Committee for European Construction Equipment (CECE). Based on firm orders from leading equipment...

A-Plant plans growth via acquisitions.(RESULTS)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Ashtead chief executive George Burnett said A-Plant is planning growth either through acquisitions or new depots. He is also looking to move into other specialised product sectors to compliment its powered access, generation and welding,...

Speedy looks to diversify.(ACQUISITION)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Following the acquisition of the lifting and tool rental businesses of Lloyds British Hire, Speedy Lifting said it is now in a prime position to penetrate the industrial and non construction hire sectors. The Speedy Hire group acquired the...

UK plant hire share prices 2004/05.(NEWS)(United Kingdom)(Illustration)
April 1, 2005... UK PLANT HIRE SHARE PRICES 2004/05 PMJ gives the lowdown on share prices for 7 of the industry's leading quoted companies Company Price (p) in Price (p) in Price (p) Price (p) in Mar 2005 Feb 2005...

Cummins and Valvoline form joint venture.(LUBRICANTS)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Engine manufacturer Cummins and oil supplier Valvoline have formed a joint venture in the UK. They aim to increase their share of the heavy diesel lubricants market. The jv, called CV Lubricants Company, will market Valvoline's Premium...

Intervect rebrands as Alimak Hek.(WORKPLATFORMS)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Swedish-Dutch access equipment manufacturer Intervect has renamed itself Alimak Hek. By adopting the monikers of its two product lines, Alimak hoists and Hek workplatforms, the company said it is reaffirming its market leadership. ...

Sennebogen updates 305.(TELEHANDLERS)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Sennebogen has updated its 305 multihandler with the introduction of the 305C. The unit is a 7.3m lift, 5t capacity telehandler with an operator's cab that can be hydraulically elevated up to 4m. Upgrades on the C version are a tighter...

Valla set to distribute Locatelli cranes in UK.(MOBILE CRANES)(United Kingdom)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Valla Cranes has been appointed sole UK distributor for the Italian made Locatelli mobile crane range. Marking the agreement, Locatelli's new 20t city crane, the ATC20, will be debuting at the SED exhibition in May. Bob Elcome, Valla...

Ingersoll-Rand sees the light.(LIGHTING TOWERS)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Ingersoll-Rand Utility Equipment has launched a new light tower for the UK construction and rental markets. The unit features a 9m mast, which carries 4 X 1000W rectangular metal halide floodlights that can be rotated to provide...

HSS gets behind catalogue.(CATALOGUE)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... To support the launch of its new catalogue, HSS said it has invested [pounds sterling]23m in new equipment. The company said the injection of cash is proof of its recent revival and its commitment to customers since last year's change of...

Komatsus arrive at Breheny.(EXCAVATORS)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... J Breheny Contractors has purchased four new Komatsu PC210LC-7 excavators filled with biodegradable hydraulic oils. As the PC210LC's hydraulics can operate on biodegradable oils without any modifications, Marubeni-Komatsu installed the...

Seddon's high-capacity dumper.(DUMPERS)(Seddons Plant)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Seddons Plant has launched a tracked dumper, which it claims has 30% more capacity than its predecessor. The TD650 hydraulic standard tip unit offers a 650kg payload and replaces the 500kg payload TD500 dumper. Phil Winnington, sales...

Facelift looks to make cut in new sector.(SCISSOR LIFTS)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Facelift, one of the UK's largest access rental firms, has made its first major investment into the scissor lift sector, with the purchase of 30 Skyjack machines. The order consists of 18 machines with 7.6m working capacities, six units...

Red Rhino boosts fleet with extra crushers.(RECYCLING)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Mini crusher manufacturer Red Rhino is adding both smaller and larger capacity crushers and a mini tracked screen to its range. The 4015 has a crushing capacity of 10t/hr--half that of the original 5020 machine--and is aimed at householders...

Easy kerb lift.(LIFTING)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Penny Hydraulics is to offer a mechanised kerb lifting device in the form of its Swing Lift Kerb Lift. The 250kg lifting capacity unit is designed to fit vans, flatbeds, drop-sides and tippers. According to Penny, a typical kerbstone weighs...

Manitou to roll out the barrells.(TELEHANDLERS)(Speyside Cooperage)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... A Manitou MT932 telehandler has been supplied to the Speyside Cooperage at Craigellachie, one of Scotland's last remaining cooper-ages, aiding the facility to move and store more than 120,000 whiskey barrels. The machine is operating in...

New Cat grapples.(ATTACHMENTS)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Caterpillar Work Tools has introduced a range of orange peel grapples for the hydraulic Cat excavator range. The GSH B-series of grapples are said to offer improved strength and reliability, and a better shape for penetration and filling of...

Lewis buys Volvos.(KIT NEWS in brief)(WD Lewis Contracting of Aberdare)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... WD Lewis Contracting of Aberdare has increased its earthmoving fleet with the purchase of 12 new Volvo EC140BLC excavators and one EC210BLC unit. More than half of Lewis' excavator fleet are now Volvo.

Cappagh takes three.(KIT NEWS in brief)(Cappagh Contractors)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Industrial waste disposal company Cappagh Contractors has expanded its fleet with the purchase of three New Holland W190 wheel loaders. Supplied by Molson Holdings, the machines have been supplied with 3.7[m.sup.3] capacity buckets.

Two crushers to Lancebox.(KIT NEWS in brief)(Lancebox Demolition of Swanscombe)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Lancebox Demolition of Swanscombe, Kent, has bought two Pegson 110mm X 650mm mobile crushers. The machines will be used on projects throughout the south of England.

Flying Hire adds Takeuchi.(KIT NEWS in brief)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Newark-based Flying Hire has added another Takeuchi TB135 excavator to its fleet. The company is the only plant hirer in Lincolnshire and north Nottinghamshire running an all-Takeuchi fleet.

Komatsu for Rick White.(KIT NEWS in brief)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Worcestershire-based haulage company Rick White has taken delivery of its first Komatsu forklift truck. The FG18 gas counter-balance unit will be based at the company's Pershore headquarters.

Hitachi success.(KIT NEWS in brief)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Somerset-based Penny Plant Hire and Demolition has added 11 Hitachi excavators to its fleet. The machines consist of four Zaxis ZX130s, one ZX80 and one ZX50, as well as three demolition spec ZX210s and two ZX350s.

Cullen's first mixer.(KIT NEWS in brief)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Owner-driver Ian Cullen has purchased the first new Seddon Atkinson R5 Strato to be fitted with a cement mixer body. The 18t 4X2 truck features a heavy-duty twin plate 356mm clutch and a Meritor 8t front axle.

Ainscough seals deal for Vanguard's assets.(HEAVY HAULAGE)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... The assets and goodwill of Vanguard Industrial, parent company of heavy machinery transport specialist Pickfords, have been bought from the administrator by Ainscough Engineering Services. More than 100 experienced heavy haulage personnel,...

Renault gets a Quickshift.(TRANSMISSION)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Renault has introduced an automated manual transmission for Trafic and Master vans fitted with the 2.5 litre dCi engine. Quickshift6 uses the standard six-speed gearbox but without a clutch pedal, a computer-controlled system working the clutch...

All change at Citroen.(VANS)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Citroen is renewing its push into the commercial vehicle (CV) market by launching new vans and appointing a new CV sales manager. The C2 Enterprise 1.4 HDI van is equipped with black "virtually unbreakable" glass at the rear. Citroen said...

TurnSafe mirror puts safety first.(SAFETY)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... A new device said to remove the 'blind spot' on articulated trucks is to be previewed at the CV Show. The TurnSafe intelligent mirror uses a small camera system to continually adjust the nearside mirror. It gives a clear image of cyclists,...

Nissan launches Navara.(PICK-UPS)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Nissan is to unveil an all-new Navara pick-up with selectable four-wheel drive at the CV show this month. Based on the latest Pathfinder SUV chassis, the Navara offers 1t payload and a 3t towing capacity. The Navara will be available from...

Tachograph date put back.(in brief)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... The implementation of mandatory digital tachographs fitment on new trucks has been put back two years. The legislation was due to come into effect in August this year, but has been put off until 5 August 2007.

WTD flexibility.(in brief)(Working Time Directive)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... The Working Time Directive (WTD) has now come into effect. The Freight Transport Association says the government 'has provided significant flexibility', which should help the industry to minimise the impact.

Driving-at-work guidelines.(in brief)(British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... The British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association will launch its new Guide to Driving at Work at the CV Show and will run a series of 15-minute seminars. Among the topics covered will be health and safety while driving at work.

Iveco appointment.(in brief)(appointed Michael Carley as director)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Michael Carley has been appointed director of Iveco's light commercial vehicle business unit. He moves from product marketing of Iveco's medium truck range, to take responsibility for sales and marketing of the Daily range between 3.2t and...

Teal's clean break.(in brief)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Teal is to introduce its Handeman unit at the CV show. The self-contained 12V/24V unit can heat enough water for 10 thorough hand washes and collects the waste for proper disposal.

In safe hands: in an effort to combat plant theft, a number of immobiliser manufacturers have formed an alliance with the backing of equipment insurers. Martin Cooper reports.(PLANT SECURITY)
April 1, 2005... Plant theft costs the construction industry millions of pounds every year. According to a recent survey by insurance company Allianz Cornhill, the annual figure is close to [pounds sterling]800m. This tidy sum was arrived at by adding the cost...

Capital gains: Colin Sowman finds out what's going on at GE Capital Equipment Services' plant hire division.(HIRE VIEW)
April 1, 2005... There are some companies within every industry about which everybody has an opinion--and normally a very strong one. GE Capital Equipment Services' plant hire division is one such company. Typical comments range from "they put out equipment at...

Show stoppers: Las Vegas hosted this year's big plant industry bash. Colin Sowman and Paul Howard did the footwork to find the stories.(CONEXPO REVIEW)
April 1, 2005... NICHE TARGET: Ron De Feo, chairman and chief executive of Terex, says the company grew by 28% last year, but unlike previous years, this growth was organic. Sales hit [pounds sterling]2.67bn and should grow to [pounds sterling]3bn this year,...

'What you do not repair, you destroy': to maintain plant is time-consuming and costly, but not maintaining it can cost even more time and money, as Colin Sowman finds out.(BUSINESS)
April 1, 2005... Plant maintenance theory falls into two camps: 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it' or; 'A stitch in time saves nine.' The debate over which is correct, or at least cheaper, is as old as the industry itself, but Finning's powertrain product...

Safety on four wheels: driver training can not only reduce accidents, it can also lower insurance premiums. Dan Gilkes reports.(BUSINESS)
April 1, 2005... Safety is, or certainly should be, one of the first considerations for every plant or fleet manager. Whatever your feelings about schemes such as CPCS, the fact that at the very least all of your operators have been assessed and deemed...

Look, no tailswing: Martin Cooper looks at the excavator market and differentiates between zero and reduced tailswing machines.(EQUIPMENT FOCUS)
April 1, 2005... Today most, if not all, excavator manufacturers produce what are termed zero or reduced tailswing machines. The demand for these excavators is on the rise, as the need for units able to work alongside highways or railways and cause minimal...

When red means go: in this second article on obtaining and maintaining a CPCS card, we'll focus mainly on getting the red card. Next month, we'll look at the NVQ and achieving the blue card.(TRAINING)(Construction Plant Competence Scheme)
April 1, 2005... If the construction industry wants a qualified workforce, then it follows that the training providers must themselves be certified to a correspondingly high standard. This is the way the government and CPCS view the situation--as all accredited...

Field of dreams: with SED 2005 fast approaching, PMJ takes a look at some of the regular exhibitors, as well as a few who'll be making their show debuts.(SED 2005)
April 1, 2005... Next month, (17th-19th May 2005) SED opens its doors to visitors from every sector of the construction industry. Within the exhibition will be six zones packed with new products, many making their UK debuts, as well as demonstration areas where...

Staff go wild for JCB wheelbarrow.(CHECKOUT)(Shepreth Wildlife Park in Hertfordshire)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Staff at Shepreth Wildlife Park in Hertfordshire said they were so impressed with the performance of a [pounds sterling]50 JCB wheelbarrow, they've now gone out and purchased a JCB backhoe. Park owner Terry Willers said: "We needed to buy...

Frozen out.(CHECKOUT)
April 1, 2005... FROZEN OUT: Last month's unseasonably severe weather caught out one road contractor in the Peak District. As the picture shows, a few inches of snow and everything comes to a standstill in the UK. In this roller operator's defence, he did have...

In the picture: win [pounds sterling]50.(CHECKOUT)
April 1, 2005... The last competition was probably too easy, as the office hard hat was overflowing with correct entries for March's poser. The winner was Sarah Watkins of George Wimpey, East Anglia, who correctly identified the bucket of a Volvo L45B wheel...

The winner takes it all.(CHECKOUT)
April 1, 2005... At a recent luncheon at London's Claridges hotel, A-Plant announced the winner of its 'Keep it on Hire' promotion. Pictured is Tayside Contracts's head of facilities services, Ian Shepherd (left) collecting the first prize of [pounds...

Hewden heads Stateside.(CHECKOUT)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... All employees of Hewden Hire Centre in Cardiff West will be heading off to New York, having won the companies Hire Centre of the Year 2004 award. The award scheme is held every year and is said to reward hire centres that achieve the...

Events diary.(Calendar)
April 1, 2005... 2005 MAY 4-8 Samoter Verona Exhibition Centre Verona, Italy Tel: +39 045 8298111 MAY 17-19 SED 2005 Fen Farm, Milton Keynes Tel: 020 8652 4810 www.sed.co.uk MAY 17-19 Health & Safety Expo...