Howard Plant Hire shifts up a gear with Volvo

Leeds based Howard Plant Hire, a sister company to Howard Civil Engineering has placed a prestigious order for 21 Volvo excavators ranging from 2.7 tonnes up to 28 tonnes in operating weight in a package deal valued at just over £1.5m. 

The order was awarded following a competitive tender process and an appraisal of the proposed machines’ life time operating costs. Brain Sharkey, Howard Plant’s Operating Manager comments: - “The Volvo machines weren’t the cheapest we looked at but in our opinion offered us the best value for money in terms of their anticipated fuel economy, general running costs and not least, their exceptional predicted residual values. Furthermore, opting for a premium brand of machine which has the very latest in engine technology, emissions and other technical advantages sits very comfortably with the image we wish to portray to the market and our client base,” he continues.

In all, 21 excavators have been ordered which includes a mix of compact and general purpose excavators up to 28 tonnes in operating weight. The list includes an EC27C, two 5 tonne EC50D’s and four ECR88D reduced swing compact machines. Their larger brothers include three ECR145E reduced swing excavators, two EC140E’s, two EC160E’s, five 22 tonne EC220E’s and two EC250E’s. The new machines join four existing Volvo excavators purchased late in 2014 and an older 16 tonne EC160C making Howard Plant Hire’s fleet of excavators predominantly of Volvo stock. In addition, the company recently acquired two articulated haulers in the guise of an A25D and an A40D.

Howard Civil Engineering which was established in 2003 by Managing Director Michael Howard has demonstrated a highly successful rate of growth in the civil engineering and groundworks sectors around Yorkshire and the north of England. The company has built a sound reputation as both a main contractor tackling projects up to the value of £11m as well as a major sub-contractor to a cross section of clients working on large scale construction projects. By 2007, with its turnover already well into the millions the company realised it needed to supplement the growing business and decided to incorporate a plant hire business to support its immediate plant and equipment needs.

As the company continues to expand and as part of a long range development strategy, Howard Plant Hire has taken the opportunity to now extend its offering to external hire besides continuing to service the needs of its sister company. “The addition of the new Volvo excavators to our fleet heralds the start of this process and other items of construction equipment will quickly follow such a crawler dozers, tele-handlers and certainly more excavators,” says Mr Sharkey.

All of the new excavators are covered by Volvo’s Blue service agreements ensuring they will be correctly serviced by qualified Volvo service technicians using genuine Volvo Parts. “The fact we can rely on Volvo to ensure the machines get regularly maintained and are being continuously monitored in general thanks to the Caretrack telematics system, gives us a significant peace of mind and will be a great asset in helping us manage the fleet,” continues Mr Sharkey.

Associated Businesses

  • Cambridge, CB22 4QX