JCB Groundhogs hit perfect pitch for White Horse Contractors

Press Releasein Industry News
White horse Contractors Leading sportsturf specialist, White Horse Contractors, has purchased three JCB Groundhog utility vehicles for work on its high profile projects including the development of the Welsh Football Association's training facility at Hensol.

The Abingdon-based firm's principal activity is the construction of natural and synthetic sportsturf facilities with clients including: Ascot Racecourse, Chelsea Football Club, The Football Association, The Royal Parks and the Crown Estate.

The three new JCB models will be put straight to work on the development of Premiership quality training pitches on behalf of the Welsh FA. The pitches incorporate intensive irrigation and drainage systems and the Groundhogs' primary role at the Hensol facility will be to cross the site during the construction phase - quickly and efficiently - without disturbing the gravel layers which are installed to fine tolerances. The highly versatile machines will perform a series of tasks from pulling a drag mat or carrying small volumes of materials, to transporting a generator and electro fusion kit.

White Horse Contractor's MD, Robert Donald said: "When specifying our latest utility vehicles, we chose the JCB Groundhog for several reasons. It is a robust machine with greater build quality than its competitors and we were impressed that the ROPS protection system was fitted as standard.

We have a longstanding relationship with our dealer Watling JCB, which has a depot 10 miles away, and they have always proved to be both helpful and reliable in both sourcing machines and with their aftersales support."

White Horse Contractors is the UK's premiere sportsturf, water and land drainage specialist contracting company. Offering a complete package from initial design through to construction, it operates a modern fleet of plant and equipment which is also available for hire. It carries out a diverse range of applications across the UK including natural and synthetic sportsturf construction, irrigation, land drainage and water engineering. Founded in 1957, the company now employs 80 people with a turnover of approximately £10 million.

On completion of the Welsh FA project, the Groundhog models will be used for a range of tasks including the transportation of surveying teams and equipment, providing site mobility for drainage and irrigation crews, the movement of light or low volume materials over delicate surfaces and to give access to restricted sites. Helping to improve efficiency and productivity on site, the Groundhogs will replace the more traditional and labour intensive wheel barrow and boards when working in sensitive ground conditions.

JCB has entered the utility vehicle sector with the Groundhog 6x4. Built and sold through the company's Groundcare division, it is heavier and longer than most competitive machines, yet still packs a more powerful punch. It has class-leading torque of 50Nm, which allied to a range of application specific tyres gives the Groundhog unrivalled off road ability, performing impressively in mud and on inclines.

Despite this exceptional performance, it exerts a very low ground pressure - with an unladen weight of just 630kg - creating an ideal hauling tool when preservation of landscaped areas is important.
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