In an investment worth around £1.3 million, John F Hunt Hire Services has acquired 26 Kubota mini and midi excavators.
The Hunt fleet is now joined by a mix of machines, ranging from the K008-5 micro and U17-5 and U27-4 zero tailswing mini models, through to larger KX030-4, U50-5 and KX085-5 midis. All have been supplied by Boss Plant Sales, marking the dealer’s first major fleet order since the opening of its Essex depot earlier this year.
“By growing our fleet, we’re increasing capacity and flexibility to better support our customers’ needs and provide the service they have come to expect from us,” explained John F Hunt Hire Centres MD, Martin Lavery. “We were initially created to support the demolition and regeneration companies within the John F Hunt Group, although now around 80% of the business is external, working with groundworkers, landscapers and civils businesses."
Established in 1994, the John F Hunt Hire business operates from headquarters in Grays, Essex, alongside depots in East and North-West London. The company manages a fleet of over 5,000 assets, supplying compact equipment to contractors across a range of sectors. While still supporting the contracting businesses within the Group, the company has evolved into a significant external hire operation.
Alongside compact excavators, the company’s fleet also includes dumpers, telehandlers, powered access and a comprehensive range of tools and attachments. Specialist products, such as lifting gear, concrete cutting equipment and demolition robots have also become an important part of the offering. The latest investment brings the company’s Kubota fleet to over 120 machines, reflecting a partnership that stretches back more than two decades.
“We’ve had Kubota machines for more than 25 years and we’ve known Boss Plant Sales for a long time,” added Mr Lavery. “The opening of the Essex depot is ideal for us, providing local engineering support right on our doorstep.
“Reliability is vital for our customers and we’ve always found Kubota machines to be extremely dependable. The residual values also remain very strong," continued Mr Lavery. “We employ in-house service engineers and we operate an apprenticeship scheme. The CITB helps find applicants and we will bring a number of potential trainees into the business before selecting our apprentices for the year.”
Commenting on the deal, Nigel Booley, sales director at Boss Plant Sales Essex said: “In what remains a highly competitive market, a £1.3m investment of this scale is a real statement of confidence, not only in the continued development of the John F Hunt fleet, but also in Boss Plant Sales and in Kubota. The order demonstrates John F Hunt’s continued commitment to investing in high-quality, reliable equipment and we’re extremely proud to be supporting them with this latest investment.”
www.johnfhunthireservices.co.uk/
