Flannery Offers Dedicated Kubota Fleet To Utilities

Equipment rental giant Flannery Plant Hire has added 62 Kubota KX016-4 mini excavators to its massive industry-leading plant fleet, to meet the needs of a specific utility customer. Each of the machines has been paired with an Ifor Williams Digadoc trailer and equipped with a Whites quick hitch and an Epiroc SB102 hydraulic breaker, along with a selection of buckets. This configuration allows the customer to rapidly deploy the machines behind a light commercial vehicle, increasing productivity and ensuring the fastest possible response times.

The company has also taken 20 Kubota U50-5 midi excavators and 15 U27-4 minis from local dealer Boss Plant Sales, as it continues to expand and update its fleet.

Founded in 1972 by Patrick Flannery Snr with a single backhoe loader, Flannery Plant Hire has grown into one of the UK’s largest operated and self-drive plant hire businesses. Headquartered in Wembley, London, the company operates a fleet in excess of 7,000 assets, supporting major infrastructure, utilities and construction projects nationwide. Its network spans 23 depots and Skills Hubs across the UK and Ireland, including a new 7.5-acre flagship depot in Warrington, alongside locations in Birmingham, Newport, Needham Market, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Inverness and Westmeath.

“We operate a substantial Kubota fleet across a range of models,” said Operations Director Paul Hester. “In addition to the KX016-4, U50-5 and U27-4, our fleet includes other Kubota excavators, selected to meet varying customer and project requirements.

“We continually invest in modern, efficient equipment to support customer demand, while maintaining a young fleet profile. The purchases this year represent a combination of fleet replacement and measured fleet growth.”

Flannery Plant Hire works closely with Boss Plant Sales, using the dealer for technical product support, parts back-up and specialist service assistance. Mr Hester added: “Our relationship with Boss Plant Sales is built on consistent support, product availability and a shared commitment to customer service. Their support complements our in-house engineering capability and we continue to invest in Kubota because of the product quality, reliability, fuel efficiency and strong operator acceptance.

“We don’t operate a rigid replacement cycle. However, our average age fleet profile is currently 24 months. Fleet replacement decisions are based on utilisation, condition, reliability, customer demand and whole-life cost considerations. Residual values are an important factor within our purchasing decisions.”

“Seeing Flannery invest in a further 97 Kubota machines is a fantastic endorsement of both the Kubota product and the partnership we’ve developed together,” said Nick Anwyl, Key Account Manager at Boss Plant Sales.

“Having worked with Flannery for more than 40 years, it’s incredibly rewarding to see that relationship continue to grow. We look forward to supporting the team with their fleet requirements for many years to come.”

“Both Kubota and Boss Plant Sales have been valued partners. The quality of the machines, combined with the support provided by the dealer network, has contributed positively to the performance and reliability of our fleet,” said Mr Hester.