JCB wins order from UK Hirer

JCB today announced it had won a deal for 550 machines worth £16 million from one of the UK's leading rental firms - with the promise of more orders to follow. The deal has been struck with A-Plant and is part of a phased investment programme which has now seen the plant hirer buy a total of 1,089 JCB machines in the last nine months.

The latest order for 550 machines includes more than 400 mini and midi excavators, including 50 JCB 8085 eco midi excavators, which are 27% more productive and more than 20% more fuel efficient than the model it replaced. The deal also includes Loadall telescopic handlers and rough terrain forklifts and is one of the biggest to be secured by JCB this year. The machines will be supplied through dealer Greenshields JCB.

The announcement was made today as JCB played host to hundreds of existing and prospective customers from the tool hire and small plant and equipment hire sectors at its World HQ in Staffordshire. Lord Digby Jones was guest of honour at the event which saw the launch of two new mini excavators, a product for which JCB is the UK's Number One supplier.

JCB's UK & Ireland Sales Director Yvette Henshall-Bell said: "To win a deal of this size is testament to the quality and reliability of JCB's machines. It also shows huge confidence in the market. We are absolutely delighted to have won this business, which cements a relationship going back a number of years."

A-Plant is part of the Ashtead Group, which is one of the world's biggest hire firms and has extensive operations in the UK and USA. Ashtead's USA operation - Sunbelt - has also just ordered 494 machines, including a fleet of almost 400 Loadall telescopic handlers, more than 40 tracked excavators, in addition to backhoe loaders, Vibromax compaction equipment and rough terrain forklifts. The total value of the A-Plant and Ashtead deals is £36 million.

Most of the machines ordered by A-Plant and Sunbelt will be manufactured in Staffordshire at JCB's World Headquarters in Rocester; JCB Compact Products, Cheadle, Staffordshire; JCB Utility Products, Cheadle and JCB Heavy Products, Uttoxeter. The 19 compaction machines ordered by Sunbelt will be made at JCB Vibromax in Gatersleben, Germany.

Procurement Director for A-Plant, Andrew Winlow, said: "This latest order marks the continuation of a long standing working partnership with JCB which is founded on the shared core value of delivering the highest quality equipment to the market. The provision of class-leading machines supported by excellent JCB service back-up helps us ensure the best possible offering to our customers.

"The scale of the order reflects the strength of our relationship and our positive outlook towards future market growth, which will see us add further JCB models to our fleet."

Lord Digby Jones, a senior advisor to JCB, added: "It is such a privilege to be associated with the great UK manufacturing success story that is JCB. Orders of this size are not just good for jobs and good for tax generation, they fly the flag and lead the way in putting UK innovation & value-added manufacturing on top of the world."

A-Plant is one of the UK's largest plant, tool and equipment hire companies, hiring a vast range of non-operated equipment for industry and construction.

Its hire fleet comprises over 110,000 itemised pieces of plant, tools and equipment and the company invests a multi-million pound figure each year in new equipment and state-of-the-art technology. Accredited with ISO 9001:2008, ISO 14001:2004 and OHSAS 18001:2007, A Plant has one of the most robust safety and quality management systems in the industry.

A-Plant has a UK workforce totalling more than 1,800 employees, based at locations nationwide, including its support office in Warrington, Cheshire. It forms part of FTSE-250 company Ashtead Group plc, which also comprises Sunbelt Rentals based in the USA. Ashtead Group plc has become firmly established as one of the world's leading equipment outsourcers.

For further information contact: Nigel Chell, JCB Press Office
Tel: 01889 590312 Fax: 01889 593455 E-mail: nigel.chell@jcb.com