Constructing the Future celebrates the breadth of UK construction equipment manufacturing in areas such as engineering, innovation and low carbon solutions. Held in partnership with the Construction Equipment Association, the display includes a JCB 8018CTS mini excavator and a TCP Ecolite mobile lighting tower, designed for very low running costs.

Opening the exhibition, Business Minister Mark Prisk said, “The construction equipment industry is one of the UK’s most dynamic sectors, and contributes £8.5 billion to our economy each year. Most people don’t realise that the UK is the second largest net exporter of construction equipment in the world. Over 75% of products manufactured in the UK are exported to 150 countries world-wide.”

Depot manager, John Ashton, said, “The opening is the culmination of a great deal of planning and investment, and we are delighted to be strengthening our presence in the city. A further five positions will be created at the new location in the foreseeable future.”

The large facility is the first of its type to be opened by Speedy in 2012, and eight more are planned at other sites across the UK during the course of the year.

“In all, 15 people were in our group, comprising staff and customers,” said Hire Controller, Lee Panton. “Conditions were atrocious. It rained continuously, with the constant threat of snow and very poor visibility, particularly in the final stages. However, we all completed the ascent in less than four hours.

“The temperature at the top was -10C with sleet and rain swirling around us, but we were all elated. We would like to thank everyone who sponsored us for such a worthy cause, and money is still coming in each day,” said Lee. To make a donation, visit www.justgiving.com/richmondplant

Seaward has also been actively involved in a range of training, educational and information campaigns, designed to help hire companies to meet their obligations of ensuring that equipment supplied to customers is electrically safe.

Seaward MD Rod Taylor is pictured, far right, receiving the Award with, from left, compere Shaun Williamson, Paul Mason, Seaward’s UK Sales Manager, and Steve McIntyre, Group Marketing Director of sponsor, Speedy Services.

Designed and manufactured for a variety of applications, including construction sites, rail projects, emergency services and events, the portable temporary lighting product has opened up new markets for ArcGen Hilta, including contracts with suppliers to the UK film and television industry. The unit weighs 8kg and can illuminate areas of up to a 1500m2.

ArcGen Hilta CEO Chris Morris is pictured, extreme right, with Commercial Director Phil Winnington, second from left, receiving their trophy from Darron Cavanagh of sponsor, HSS Hire, with compere Shaun Williamson.

ArcGen Hilta was also Highly Commended in the Supplier of the Year Award.

The building can accommodate up to 100 people and is situated less than a mile from the existing head office, which will be retained as the company’s Newcastle depot.

Joint MDs Chris and Graham Nixon told EHN: “Despite the recession, our business has grown by a third in the past two years and we have ambitious plans to grow at a rapid pace for the remainder of this decade. We have spent £12m on new equipment since January 2011, which has effectively halved the average age of items in the fleet.”

JCB has also achieved a similar Queen’s Award for Enterprise for its Backhoe Loader Business Unit, which achieved an increase in overseas sales of almost 150% from 2009 to 2011. It is the 27th Queen’s Award to be won by the JCB Group since 1969 – a record for a UK company.

The total package, which also included Kubota mini excavators and Ingersoll Rand portable compressors, amounted to £1m and follows a £1.4m investment in equipment made last year by the hirer, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. “This has strengthened our product portfolio throughout our six depots, which serve East Anglia and the Midlands, down and across the whole of the south east of England,” said owner Carl Jarvis.

As well as expanding organically, Newmarket Plant Hire has acquired several other companies over the years including Harlow-based Sarbir Plant Hire in 2000, P&R Tool Hire in Luton in 2002 and the plant and tool side of the business of Rawley Plant Hire in Basildon in 2005. To improve coverage in East Anglia, a new depot was added in Ipswich in 2006. The company is currently looking to expand in the Norwich area.

Each sales executive is issued with a customised iPhone loaded with an app called Target Mobile. This enables them to check equipment availability, open new accounts, obtain quotes, off-hire and on-hire items, and to show equipment details to customers.

A-Plant launched a customer-facing version of its iPhone app to some larger customers in 2011, and this is now available to download by the company’s extranet users, allowing them to on-hire and off-hire as they require.

A-Plant’s IT Director, Andy Wortley, says: “We have seen an increased efficiency of our field sales team, helping cut down on carbon emissions by reducing the need to travel to and from A-Plant Service Centres. Furthermore, such is the quality of the Target Mobile app, the requirement for paper print has reduced dramatically.”

The Target Mobile is featured in an A-Plant case study, which can be viewed on the official Apple website at www.apple.com/uk/iphone/business/profiles/a-plant/

Chairman Sir Anthony Bamford said: “This record financial performance has been delivered on the back of very strong growth in both traditional markets and the emerging economies. While we are mindful of the continuing economic and political uncertainties in some parts of the world, JCB’s on-going investment in its 22 global factories, coupled with the biggest product launch programme in our history, means we are well placed to seize new opportunities for growth and deliver another strong performance in 2012.”

The manufacturer is launching several new products at Intermat, which is taking place this week in Paris and will be reviewed in the June issue of EHN.

The latest additions comprise 10 Genie Z30/20N electric articulating boom lifts, 15 Haulotte Star 10 electric mast lifts and 18 Haulotte Compact 14 electric scissor lifts.

HSS Chief Executive, Chris Davies, said that the arrangement would help Gatwick to manage and control its on-site equipment requirements with more transparency and operational efficiency.

MD Simon Tomblin said, “To increase safety and convenience for our customers, we are committed to supplying zero tail swing machines throughout the fleet. Users often tell us how pleased they are with the Doosan excavators, and this has led to substantial repeat business.”

All machines are configured to an exacting specification, and are equipped with check valves, Geith automatic hydraulic hitches, four sizes of bucket, vandal guards and electronic immobilisers.

“When a machine returns from hire, we give it a complete valet, draining and cleaning both the oil and fuel systems, and then refilling, to ensure there is no contamination for the next customer,” added Simon. Rocket Rentals operates within a 50 mile radius, covering Gloucestershire, Somerset, Oxfordshire and Wiltshire.

His Royal Highness was shown Niftylift’s expansion plans for its Milton Keynes facility, and expressed appreciation of the contribution the company is making to the UK economy. He was also shown round the manufacturing facilities and given an explanation of the assembly process.

The Duke, who is the UK’s Special Representative for International Trade and Investment, was introduced to apprentices undergoing their training at the factory, and also spoke to ex-apprentices who had stayed with the business and progressed into product management roles. He was shown the company’s new product development facility and saw the computer aided design and advanced simulation techniques used to develop new machines.

A demonstration of Niftylift’s HR17 Hybrid, a low-weight, self-propelled mobile elevating work platform containing several patented technologies, was also included during the visit.

The organisation says that, despite a steady decline, falls from height remain the most common kind of workplace fatality. Provisional figures for 2010/11 suggest that a total of 38 workers died and 4,327 employees suffered a major injury as a result of a fall from height in the workplace, with a further 10,232 employees suffering an over three day injury. Against this background, the AIF will be running various events to promote a message of working safely and competently at height, using appropriate equipment, with personnel professionally trained to industry recognised standards.

Sessions will include a discussion of the Lofstedt Review, which recommended that the Work at Height Regulations and associated guidance should be reviewed by April 2013. Other panel discussions will include a debate on whether the current accident claim culture can ever be brought under control, and an examination of how the CDM (Construction Design and Management) regulations apply to working at height.

New for 2012 is the AIF Live Zone, which will host presentations and demonstrations highlighting best practice when using equipment ranging from ladders and towers, to scaffolding and mobile elevating work platforms.

The AIF’s eleven member organisations include the Association of Technical Lightning & Access Specialists (ATLAS), British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF), Edge Protection Federation (EPF), Fall Arrest Safety Equipment Training (FASET), Industrial Rope Access Trade Association (IRATA), International Powered Access Federation (IPAF), Ladder Association (LA), National Access & Scaffolding Confederation (NASC), Prefabricated Access Suppliers’ and Manufacturers’ Association (PASMA), Specialist Access Engineering and Maintenance Association (SAEMA), and Work at Height Safety Association (WAHSA).

The April/May issue of EHN will include a Market Report on Low Level Access.

The two-storey premises offer 14,000ft2 of space together with a sizeable yard, and more than £1m has been invested in new machinery for the hire fleet, from suppliers including JCB, Thwaites, Makita, Altrad-Belle and Camon. Items available range from power tools and consumables up to site generators and 18 tonne mini excavators.

Like the Worcester branch, the Tewkesbury depot includes purpose built facilities for the in-house testing of equipment for HAV and noise levels by specially trained staff.

Director James Clutterbuck said: “We are delighted that we have been able to open this second depot in Tewkesbury. At a time when many companies are scaling down, we have taken the decision to invest and expand.”

The April/May issue of EHN will include a dedicated article on the new Tewkesbury facility and the wider WHC operation.

The company says that additional positions will be created to handle an expected increase in business, and that the new facility will help larger, national customers by removing the inconvenience of them having to deal with different centres for various requirements. The new Cardiff branch is one of nine such sites that the hirer plans to open during 2012.

The Express version is targeted at smaller hire companies and start-up businesses. At the Show, the company also launched Dashboards, a new function of the software designed to give customers an up to the minute snapshot of how their business is performing, such as live hire information and analytical data for depot managers, or details of items due for preventative maintenance to assist workshop departments.

“We had an excellent Show,” said Mark Taylor, inspHire’s New Business Development Manager. “We were inundated with independent hirers wanting to see how our software could make improvements and efficiencies in their businesses, and the new Dashboards generated excellent feedback.”

The judging process included an analysis of all aspects of the Leach Lewis Plant business, including new machine preparation and handover, workplace layout and organisation, engineer training and competence, and customer feedback.

Mr Clow, who currently sits on the B512 Ladder Committee for the British Standards Institution (BSI), says that he has two principal objectives upon taking office. First, with a view to improving safety when working at height, he wants to raise awareness and understanding of the need for professional ladder training in the workplace. Secondly, following the Ladder Exchange’s change of ownership from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to the Ladder Association, his aim is to expand and develop the campaign as a further step towards improving safety and best practice on site.

The Ladder Association promotes the safe use of ladders and stepladders and delivers a national training scheme. It also provides a range of safety-related products and publications, and is a founder member of the Access Industry Forum.