JCB Secures $41M Order From Leading UK Rental Firm

JCB has won an order for more than 800 machines from one of the UK’s leading rental firms — a deal worth more than $41 million.

The order has been placed by A-Plant for a huge fleet of micro-, mini- and midi- excavators and 240 Loadall telescopic handlers. This order provides a significant boost for JCB’s British factories, where all the machines will be made. Delivery of the new fleet to the rental firm’s extensive UK depot network began in May through JCB dealer Greenshields JCB.

The latest deal comes on the back of 550 machines ordered by A-Plant last year — and means the company has now bought 7,500 machines in a trading relationship with JCB stretching back 25 years.

“This is the biggest volume deal of the year for JCB from a UK customer, and we are absolutely delighted that A-Plant has ordered such a significant number of machines,” said Alan Blake, JCB CEO. “It is a huge vote of confidence not only in the quality, reliability and fuel efficiency of JCB’s products, but also in the UK rental market.”

Among the machines ordered are one-ton class JCB 8016 and 8018 mini-excavators, which have just gone into production following their international launch at the Bauma construction equipment trade fair in Munich. The machines feature more than 30 improvements, including an 11-percent increase in dig depth.
Also included in A-Plant’s new fleet are Loadall telescopic handlers powered by JCB’s fuel-efficient Ecomax engine. Developed to meet the EU Stage IIIB/U.

S. Tier IV Interim emissions standards, the JCB Ecomax Tier IVi has no need for costly diesel particulate filters (DPFs) or exhaust after-treatment fluids, resulting in low-cost, efficient operation for customers. This technology has made the Ecomax Tier IVi a clean and efficient off-highway engine, which means that JCB’s Loadalls now use 7 percent less fuel than previous models, according to the manufacturer.

“A-Plant is committed to offering its customers the newest, most productive, innovative and fuel-efficient machines on the market, and this order fulfils that promise,” said Andrew Winlow, A-Plant’s director of purchasing and fleet management. “With the Loadalls powered by the innovative Ecomax engine, A-Plant and its customers both benefit; customers will use less fuel and A-Plant won’t be faced with the expense of maintaining diesel particulate filters or the addition of Ad Blu to the engine.

“A-Plant has been doing business now with JCB for 25 years and from a single machine purchase in 1988, the business relationship has grown into a real partnership between us, JCB and Greenshields JCB. We continue to be positive about future market growth and that is underlined by the size of our investment in JCB machines.”

A-Plant is one of the UK’s largest plant, tool and equipment rental companies, renting a vast range of non-operated equipment for industry and construction. Its rental fleet comprises more than 110,000 itemized pieces of plant, tools and equipment, and the company invests a multi-million pound figure each year in new equipment and modern technology. A-Plant is accredited with ISO 9001:2008, ISO 14001:2004 and OHSAS 18001:2007.

A-Plant has a UK workforce totaling more than 1,900 employees based at locations nationwide, including its support office in Warrington, Cheshire. It forms part of the 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 more information, visit www.jcb.com.