Plant, Equipment & Supplies News

Speedy has invested in 130 new electric lifts as it begins a multi-million-pound equipment expansion plan for 2021.

Construction materials group, Breedon has acquired Express Minimix, a 'mini mix' concrete operator based out of Durham.

Sales of building materials continued their upward growth trend during Q1 2021, as the boom in construction activity offers a helping hand.

Growth for the roofing industry during the first quarter of 2021 has been hampered by recruitment difficulties and continued material shortages and price rises, according to the Q1 State of the Roofing Industry survey produced by Glenigan for NFRC.

UK construction equipment sales climbed 30% above 2020 levels in Q1 2021, as March figures nearly double those seen in March the previous year.

As demand for construction products remains high, the Builders Merchants Federation and Construction Products Association have warned that availability issues are likely to worsen before they improve.

As many industries continue their journeys back from a challenging 2020, global demand for used equipment continues to increase. Many businesses remain wary of making big investments in new machinery, while supply chain issues have hit delivery levels for new equipment. All told, it makes the market for used heavy equipment a place of exciting opportunities for both buyers and sellers, explains Karl Werner, president international at Ritchie Bros.

Travis Perkins is set to move forward on Wickes demerger plans, after placing the process on hold in order to focus on managing through the Covid-19 pandemic.

Dyer & Butler, a part of the M Group Services Transport Division, has introduced a fleet of remote-controlled, miniature vacuum excavators to its plant and fleet portfolio, enhancing its excavation safety procedures.

Select Plant Hire has almost doubled the size of its Cheshire depot and workforce after winning a contract to supply eco-cabins at HS2 construction sites.

Keltbray has signed an agreement with City, University of London for the development of Sustainable Reusable Pile (or Hollow Pile).

Balfour Beatty Flannery, a partnership between Balfour Beatty and Flannery Plant Hire, has launched the Operator Skills Hub, offering training programmes to inspire young people and upskill current plant operators.

M Group Services Plant & Fleet Solutions, a part of M Group Services, has invested in a number of solar pods that will reduce carbon emissions, noise and fuel use on operational sites.

UK construction equipment sales increased by 1% in Q4 2020 compared with 2019, as sales in December were 15% ahead of December 2019 levels.

A chronic shortage of building materials, particularly roofing supplies and timber, is starting to cause issues for the construction sector, says the BMF.

JCB is recruiting more than 400 additional UK shop floor employees in preparation for a surge in production, the company announced today (27 January).

Aggregate Industries has acquired Northumbrian Roads Limited, a road surfacing and highway maintenance contractor with two large asphalt plants in the Port of Tyne and the Port of Sunderland.

Builders merchants’ sales increased by 9% in November, the largest year-on-year increase since March 2019, according to the latest Builders Merchants Building Index (BMBI).

Following an investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), two UK-based companies who supply groundworks products have been fined more than £11.2m and £3.7m.

Builders merchants sales bounced back to near normal levels in Q3 2020, as BMF warns ‘we are likely to see more volatility in the coming months’.