Plant Manager's Journal articles from November 2005

Plant Manager's Journal archives from November 2005

It pays to be vigilant.(Brief Article)(Editorial)
November 1, 2005... It was refreshing to attend a recent press conference at the Heahh and Safety Executive (HSE). The cast-iron facade that buttressed the HSE against all criticism (some would say reason) started to crack and it said it wants to disassociate...

HSE issues warning on trapping danger.(SAFETY AT WORK)
November 1, 2005... Following several deaths in the past three years, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued a warning about possible dangers with mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs) and telehandlers. It has identified some common features such...

Royal appointment.(usage of remote controlled machines )(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... ROYAL APPOINTMENT: Demolition specialist John F Hunt is using a pair of remote controlled machines to remove the concrete stage and auditorium floor inside the Royal Festival Hall. The electrically powered Brokk 180 machines have the twin...

Brandon expands into East Anglia.(Lynwood Hire and Sales)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Brandon Tool Hire has expanded its East Anglian presence with the acquisition of King's Lynn-based Lynwood Hire & Sales in a deal worth [pounds sterling]250,000. The purchase sees Brandon takeover the hire part of the business, with four...

H & C Dickie ties up Sheba Plant deal.(ACQUISITION)
November 1, 2005... Scottish-based contractor H & C Dickie has acquired Sheba Plant of Newark for an undisclosed sum to form what is said to be the UK's largest crushing and screening fleet. The combined fleet, mostly for hire on a contract basis, totals more...

Johnston deal gets go-ahead.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... The UK Competition Commission has given final clearance for the acquisition of Johnston Sweepers by Bucher Industries, following completion of the sale in March 2005. The final report concluded that the purchase would not lead to a...

Four on board Network Rail.(RAIL PLANT)
November 1, 2005... The Network Rail has awarded contracts to supply road rail plant for its entire maintenance programme to just four companies. L & W Contractors will service the busy Kent and Sussex area, in a contract worth [pounds sterling]2.5m per year....

Network rail losers told to diversify.(CONTRACTS)
November 1, 2005... Network Rail's decision to award rail plant supply contracts for its maintenance work to only four companies means those not selected will need to diversify to survive. Magnus Mildwater, managing director of specialist rail plant hirer...

Crumbs!(Anthony Bamford retires from JCB Company Ltd. )(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... CRUMBS!: Sir Anthony Bamford, chairman of JCB, joins company employees to celebrate the firm's 60th anniversary with a giant cake. Guests included Bill Hurst MBE, the third employee taken on by Joseph Cyril Bamford for the princely sum of...

Anger at [pounds sterling]250 council charge.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... The decision by Westminster Council to impose a [pounds sterling]250 charge for applications to use a crane or access platform on its roads has angered plant firms, as they believe that the move will drive contractors and individuals to use...

Liebherr MD Field leaves.(NEWS in brief)
November 1, 2005... Bruce Field, managing director of Liebherr UK, has left the company and Nigel Jennison, divisional director--earthmoving sales, will head up the earthmoving side of the business. David Milne remains in charge of the crane business and sits on...

New website for Manitowoc.(NEWS in brief)
November 1, 2005... Manitowoc Crane Group has launched a new website for its CraneCredit financial services products. www.cranecredit.com offers advice on all financial packages, including leasing agreements.

Doosan Daewoo rebrand.(NEWS in brief)
November 1, 2005... Doosan Infracore has announced the re-branding of Daewoo construction equipment as Doosan Daewoo as from 1 October. The move follows Doosan's acquisition of a 51% controlling share in Daewoo. Heavy Industries and Machinery.

Kramer Allrad reaches 80th.(NEWS in brief)
November 1, 2005... German wheel loader specialist Kramer Allrad has celebrated 80 years of manufacturing. Part of the Neuson Kramer Group, the company currently produces 13 models of 4WS and 4WD loaders.

Atlas Copco sells to Pramac.(NEWS in brief)
November 1, 2005... Atlas Copco has signed an agreement to sell assets related to its stationary generator business to the Italian company Pramac Lifter for an undisclosed sum. The divestment is expected to be finalised by the end of November.

Barloworld dealer for Bobcat.(NEWS in brief)
November 1, 2005... Barloworld Handling has been appointed Bobcat dealer for the London, Herts, Kent and Sussex areas. The company has recruited more sales personnel to run the additional network, which complements the existing East Anglia Bobcat dealership.

CPCS calls for card guidance.(Construction Plant Competence Scheme)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... The management board of the Construction Plant Competence Scheme (CPCS) is calling on the industry to propose the way forward for 51,000 red card holders, who have not started the process of conversion to blue cards. "These people only...

Basket case.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... BASKET CASE: Basket weaving at 20m is the best way to describe Jackson (Civil Engineering's) bio-engineered river bank on the Rye in East Sussex. To prevent tidal erosion a series of 3.6m-long poles were inserted into the river bank and then...

Speedy Hire eyes 400 depot target.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Speedy Hire says it is closing in on its 400 depot target after the purchase of Delyn Hire Centres in north Wales for a cash consideration of [pounds sterling]1.2m. Speedy Hire group finance director. Neil O'Brien said the company now has...

GE event generates interest from clients.(OPEN DAY)
November 1, 2005... GE Equipment Services Plant Hire said it received a number of enquiries while participating in a company-wide GE day. The event was staged to show the wide range of companies within the conglomerate; it saw plant hire divisions line-up...

LEEA off the Huntingdon.(Lifting Equipment Engineers' Association )(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... The Lifting Equipment Engineers' Association (LEEA) has moved into a new head office in Huntingdon, which will also house its first training centre. While LEEA's correspondence courses were popular, its chief executive Derrick Bates said...

UK plant hire share prices 2004/05.(NEWS)
November 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 Nov 2005 Oct 2005 ...

Genset wins VT-I order from A-Plant.(LIGHTING TOWERS)
November 1, 2005... GenSet has secured a [pounds sterling]2m order from A-Plant for more than 300 VT-I Superlight lighting towers. The South Wales-based manufacturer developed its Vertical Hydraulic VT-1 in collaboration with A-Plant and is one of its...

Convex mirrors not the only answer to safety.(SAFETY)
November 1, 2005... Fitting convex mirrors is not the answer to visibility problems on construction plant, according to John Iles, managing director of Merlo UK. "We will spend any amount of money to prevent even one death, but these mirrors can give a false...

JCB recruited for [pounds sterling]81m army order.(BACKHOE LOADER)
November 1, 2005... JCB has been awarded its largest-ever order--expected to be worth up to [pounds sterling]81m--to build a high-speed backhoe loader for the US armed forces. The unit, known as the High Mobility Engineer Excavator (HMEE), is the biggest,...

Penny's heavy duty crane.(CRANE)
November 1, 2005... Penny Hydraulics' new Maxiloader 1500 vehicle-mounted crane can handle loads of up to 1.5t at its fill 2.3m reach. The unit is designed with a minimum footprint to minimise the loss of load space, and can be fitted to vans, flatbeds,...

Full tilt.(KIT)
November 1, 2005... FULL TILT: Prodrive has invested almost [pounds sterling]250,000 in a special test bed that can be tilted to 45[degrees] to ensure engine reliability when excavators, 4 X 4s and other off-road equipment is working on inclined surfaces.

Metso Minerals' customer care.(CRUSHING)
November 1, 2005... Metso Minerals has launched a number of new customer care protection plans in an effort to improve and lengthen the lifetime of its crushing and screening equipment. Dave Moon, Metso's UK managing director, said it is no longer good enough...

French connection.(T French )(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... FRENCH CONNECTION: Earthworks contractor T French of Ayrshire has taken delivery of a further four A35D ADTs, bringing its Volvo truck fleet to 40 machines. The ADTs have been specially modified for the company's coal hauling work and have...

Cat's K-series gives more bite.(BUCKET TEETH)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... The Lafarge Aggregates Dry Rigg Quarry in North Yorkshire is the first UK operation to make use of Caterpillar's new K-series tooth system. The quarry said it was having problems with loose bucket teeth on its Cat 988F loader, and...

4B buys Jackson's bolts.(in brief)
November 1, 2005... 4B Braime has purchased the machinery and tooling to manufacture the range of bucket bolts previously made by Jackson Fasteners. The products will now be branded under the 4B name.

ACERT range by Caterpillar.(in brief)
November 1, 2005... Caterpillar has launched a new series of diesel-fuelled generators using its ACERT low emission technology. The unit's ratings range from 900kVA to 1,100kVA, and all are powered by the new Cat C32 engine.

JMS purchases Cats.(in brief)
November 1, 2005... Glasgow-based JMS Plant Hire has purchased three Cat 312C hydraulic excavators from Finning UK. The new machines will be used throughout Western Scotland on groundwork contracts.

Planet's picker at Oak Leigh.(in brief)
November 1, 2005... The Oak Leigh Partnership of Congleton, Cheshire has taken delivery of a CTEZ20E cherry picker from Planet Platforms. As the firm's first machine purchase, it will be used on tree surgery contracts.

Soilmec piling rig to Simplex.(in brief)
November 1, 2005... Simplex Foundations has taken delivery of a new Soilmec R625 dual-purpose piling rig. The rig can perform both CFA and rotary bored piling duties and is currently working on a bridge project in Thurrock.

Advanced takes 20 Volvos.(in brief)
November 1, 2005... Advanced Plant Solutions of East London has taken delivery of 20 Volvo compact excavators. The order consists of 10 EC25s, six ECR58s and four ECR88 reduced swing models.

Hirers to add fuel surcharge.(RED DIESEL)
November 1, 2005... Mobile crane rental firms may be forced to add a fuel surcharge if the government goes ahead with its proposal to outlaw their use of rebated red diesel At present, certain items of plant equipment, including mobile cranes, can run on the...

Manitowoc opens Turin plant.(MOBILE CRANES)
November 1, 2005... The Manitowoc Crane Group (MCG) has opened a new Grove mobile crane production plant at Niella Tanaro near Turin, Italy. The facility is an extension to the company's Potain self-erecting crane facility and will produce a range of rough...

Main water worker.(Hangzhou Irisman Equipment)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... MAIN WATER WORKER: Bournemouth and West Hampshire Water has replaced an ageing Iron Fairy crane at its Knapp Mill Water Works at Christchurch with a Manitou MTI033HLT telehandler. The machine is equipped with a general purpose bucket and pallet...

MW Hire to sell Seddons in Republic.(MW Hire Services )(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Kilkenny-based MW Hire Services has signed an agreement with Seddons to market and sell its range of equipment in the Republic of Ireland. The Seddons range includes poker drive units, brush cutters, pressure washers and floor scarifiers....

Kobelco steels itself for Paddington job.(CRAWLER CRANES)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... A new 135t capacity Kobelco crawler crane is playing a key role in the Paddington Central, London, development being carried out by Bovis Lend Lease. On hire from GH Johnson of Alfreton to structural steel contractor William Hare, the...

Caterpillar investigates 'collapsed' telehandler.(TELEHANDLER)
November 1, 2005... Caterpillar's engineers are investigating an incident where a loaded telehandler suffered a failure while working on a site in Kent. A witness said the 17m telehandler belonging to Hewden 'collapsed' following the failure of a chain. The...

Volvo introduces 13-litre and updates its 9-litre.(ENGINES)
November 1, 2005... Volvo Truck has introduced a new 13-litre engine and an updated nine-litre unit, along with improved FH and FM truck cabs. The 13-litre engine is lighter and more powerful than the 12-litre unit it replaces, with the extra capacity coming...

Ford to prevent refuelling errors.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Within two years Ford will be fitting an intelligent refuelling system that prevents petrol being put into diesel-engined vehicles. More than 150,000 people a year use the wrong fuel. This can damage the engine and is not usually covered by...

No extra premium for Premium plant-carriers.(PLANT CARRIERS)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Renault Truck dealer Staffs CV is marketing a specially converted plant-carrier with a beavertail body for as little as [pounds sterling]30,000. The dealer had a surfeit of secondhand Renault Premium 6X2 tractive units and decided to...

Digging in.(TRANSPORT)
November 1, 2005... DIGGING IN: Croydon-based 777 Demolition and Haulage has taken delivery of a new Volvo FH16 to transport its Hitachi telescopic excavator. The Volvo unit is equipped with a Globetrotter XL cab and twin fuel tanks.

Mercedes increases cab size in revised Canter range.(TRUCKS)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... The revised Canter is now officially available in the UK. Spanning the 3.5t to 7.5t GVW weight range, the new version of the Canter features a bigger cab with larger door apertures, a dash-mounted gearlever and improved impact protection. ...

Eurolight trailers.(in brief)
November 1, 2005... Ifor Williams Trailers has launched the new Eurolight trailer range designed for both domestic and professional use. There are II models in two widths, four lengths and three maximum gross weights.

Abnormal site.(in brief)
November 1, 2005... The Highways Agency has launched a web-based portal to assist route planning of abnormal loads. The service, which is said to be the most up-to-date available, is free of charge and can be located at www.esdal.co.uk

Snugtop's got it covered.(in brief)
November 1, 2005... Snugtop is the official supplier of hardtop loadbed covers for Nissan's new Navara. Its range spans colour-matched models with built-in roof rack, a third LED brake light and 'pop-out' windows to white-only high roof, solid-side models.

Land Rover prefers Cat.(in brief)
November 1, 2005... Caterpillar Remanufacturing Services (Cat Reman) will act as Land Rover's preferred global remanufacturing provider following the signing of a memorandum of understanding.

Scania answers One Call call.(in brief)
November 1, 2005... One Call Hire has taken delivery of four new Scania 8X2 rear-steer rigids, plated at 32t, and fitted with plant bodies built by Andover Trailers. The LPPB32 bodies are 8.8m long.

On track and mobile: recycling is now big business and hirers are finding that renting out recycling equipment is a booming area. Martin Cooper reports.
November 1, 2005... Increases in the landfill tax and a steeply rising aggregates levy have combined to create an environment in which recycling of on-site materials is now an economical necessity. Unwanted material was traditionally loaded into skips and sent...

Family affair: wheel loader hire specialist John Hanlon has found that service is the key to prospering in a niche market. Colin Sowman meets the family.(Company Profile)
November 1, 2005... Companies specialising in hiring particular items of equipment, such as cranes, generators or pumps, are not uncommon, but John Hanlon of Campton, Bedfordshire, is unusual in that it almost exclusively rents out wheel loaders. POTENTIAL...

Check mate: benchmarking your business against the industry's best performers can be a valuable merger tool. Colin Sowman reports.(BUSINESS)
November 1, 2005... At the end of the financial year when the accountant presents the year's figures, it is easy to see if your company has made a profit or not. However, these figures don't tell you what competitors are doing. There are no benchmarks against...

You're dumped ... With competition more fierce than ever in plant equipment, Martin Cooper finds out whether the dumper market is managing to keep up with the pace.(PLANT FOCUS)
November 1, 2005... The site dumper has for many years been one of UK construction's favourite items of kit. Along with the ubiquitous backhoe loader, there was a time when all building sites, big and small, would have had these two machines working in tandem. ...

Money talks: with so many finance packages and products on the market now, Paul Howard reports on why it pays to keep your options open.(FINANCE)
November 1, 2005... Finance is big business, from personal loans and credit cards, to lending money to enable businesses to stay afloat, borrowing is no longer referred to as buying things on the never-never. No self-respecting entrepreneur--even those who still...

Neuson's full house: recent launches mean Neuson Kramer is closing in on its goal of having a full line of compact equipment. Martin Cooper reports.(NEUSON)
November 1, 2005... These are certainly interesting times for Austrian compact equipment manufacturer Neuson Kramer. The company has recently launched another addition to its zero tail excavator range, unveiled a range of telehandlers and announced plans to...

Rocking in Rockingham: the SED show has found a new home--Rockingham in Northamptonshire. Colin Sowman goes on a site visit.(SED)
November 1, 2005... At long last there is an answer to the perennial question 'Where's SED moving to?' Having spent 15 years at Fen Farm, the earthmovers are moving in for the last time--to turn that site into industrial estate. So for the third time in its...

Holiday in the sun for Sinead.(Extec Screens and Crushers honours awards)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... A disabled Derbyshire teenager made a trip of a lifetime and swam with dolphins thanks to the generosity of Extec Screens & Crushers. Sinead McAlister won the Child of Courage category in the Burton Mail's New Year's Honours Awards this...

Caterpillar award goes Dutch again.(CHECKOUT)
November 1, 2005... Caterpillar's eighth annual international operator challenge was won by Peter van Schaik of the Netherlands. Last year's winner. Dutchman Ton Verdam came in second, while third placed was claimed by Jerome Pignot from France. The challenge...

In the picture: win [pounds sterling]50.
November 1, 2005... We made last month's competition a little trickier and consequently had less correct entries. However, a few of you are eagle-eyed enough to have spotted the Komatsu loading shovel on the back of a Scania lowloader. The winner was John Archer...

Diggerland battle ends with Chaos.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Diggerland in Kent recently held an evening of mini excavator fighting under the banner of Digger Wars. The evening kicked off with eight rounds of amateur combat and the eventual winner was Phil Ralph of Aylesford, Kent who competed under...

Events diary.(calendar)(Calendar)
November 1, 2005... 2006 JANUARY 25-26 Hire Show Excel Centre, London Tel: 020 8387 1244 APRIL 7-8 Scotplant Ingliston, Edinburgh Tel: 0141 567 6000 APRIL 24-29 Intermat 2006 Paris, France www.intermat.fr...

Plant disposals manager.
November 1, 2005... Attractive salary + benefits based Bicester, Oxon (TBC) This challenging opportunity has arisen with ALC, an innovative joint venture enterprise between Amey and Lex Defence. Recently awarded one of the largest PFI contracts by the MoD...

Takeuchi.(APPOINTMENTS)
November 1, 2005... TAKEUCHI MFG (UK) LTD supply an extensive range of mini excavators from 1 to 7.5 tonne and are one of the UK's leading brands of compact plant in the UK construction and plant hire industry. Due to continued growth in sales volumes we are...

Finning Used Parts--we're here to help.
November 1, 2005... Finning Used Parts-offer 'as is', stripped, rebuilt, reconditioned and new parts for the full range of Caterpillar equipment--from skid steer loaders to off-highway trucks. Our extensive inventory of used parts, stocked in Cannock, extends to...