One of our market leading brands, Manitou, is celebrating 50 years contributing to the UK market.

The first international subsidiary created by the group in 1972, Manitou UK distributes products and services throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland.
The Manitou Group’s first international operation was established in 1972 in Chandlers Ford, Hampshire, under the name Manitou Site Lift Limited. It therefore became the first overseas subsidiary, marking the beginning of the group’s internationalization. In 1980, Manitou Site Lift Ltd expanded to its current premises in the town of Verwood, near Southampton. In 1998, the subsidiary took its current name and became Manitou UK.
Manitou UK provides technical and sales support to 51 Gehl and Manitou dealers in 91 locations across England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The UK subsidiary now has around 50 employees, divided between sales administration, marketing, spare parts and after-sales service. The market covered by Manitou UK represents nearly 10% of the group’s turnover, making it one of the main markets after France and the United States.
The subsidiary’s business is dominated by construction, which accounts for 60% of sales, with the agricultural market accounting for approximately 20%. Mark Ormond, Managing Director of the Manitou UK subsidiary adds: “We are very proud to be celebrating our 50th anniversary. The construction market recovered very quickly after the 2020 fall, meaning our 2021 turnover was back to pre-pandemic levels and close to a record level. Although supply is currently the limiting factor affecting our turnover, we expect 2022 to be a new record year of sales for Manitou UK. Thank you to all of our staff, dealers and customers for the trust you put in us.”
In 2017, the subsidiary saw its premises completely renovated in order to provide employees with optimal working conditions. The previously separate offices have made way for a large open-plan space that promotes team cohesion and communication between departments. The workshops have also been modernized to improve the accommodation of technicians during training sessions. 

Kubota UK has just  announced Rob White as their new Division Manager for Construction.

Rob is well known in the industry as he started his journey in construction at JCB in 1996, where he was involved in mini-excavators as a product specialist and then went on to hold senior sales and marketing positions. With more than 25 years’ experience in the construction industry we are sure that Rob will be a great edition to the team.

Rob commented: “I’m really pleased to be joining Kubota and heading up the Construction Division. The product range has a fantastic reputation for quality and reliability, and even though Kubota leads the mini-excavator market in the UK and Ireland, there is still a huge opportunity for further growth. I am looking forward to working with my team, our customers, and the fantastic Kubota dealer network as we continue to deliver growth for mini-excavators, tracked dumpers and compact loaders.

We now stock Green D+ HVO diesel replacement fuel in handy 20 litre 'boxes'.

Green D+ HVO is a drop-in replacement for Gas Oil/Red Diesel and can be used in  Diesel engines (on/off-road).

HVO is a fossil-free, paraffinic fuel made from 100% renewable materials. It is a more sustainable, higher quality Diesel fuel, suitable for all Diesel-powered vehicles and industrial powered generators. Produced from waste fats and vegetable oils, the fats are transformed into biofuel by hydrogenation.

Available from stock, COLLECTION ONLY, 20 litres £37.50 plus 5% VAT.

N.B. Not all manufacturers have approved this fuel. Check before using.

This fuel is however suitable for use in Boss Cabins generators for example.

After completing the launch of its entire range of dumpers with higher 
payloads, 6 and 10 tonnes, AUSA is continuing to upgrade its equipment with the new 
D301AHG dumper, which has a 3,000 kg payload. A completely new dumper, designed 
with the aim of delivering higher productivity and a better return on investment for the 
customer, as well as improved operation safety.

With the D301AHG, AUSA has upgraded its first mid-range dumper. Machines that are 
perfectly suited to relatively large-scale construction works, whether for public works or 
quick earthworks in open spaces. 
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To move the load, the dumper is equipped with a Kubota four-cylinder 18.5 kW engine 
with no DPF, which complies with the Stage V low emissions standard. Additionally, the 
machine's low weight and permanent all-wheel drive give it excellent off-road capability 
and 50% gradeability.

More productive
This new dumper has been designed to achieve optimal productivity. In this new design, 
a new skip has been devised with a heaped capacity of 1,742 litres, which is 12% higher 
than in the previous model. With this notable increase, AUSA is seeking to minimise the 
number of journeys that the operator has to make to transport the same amount of 
material, thus speeding up the completion of the works.

The power-to-weight ratio has also been optimised, resulting in a machine that is more 
manoeuvrable, quicker and with greater off-road capability.

More cost-effective
Calculating the return on investment is a crucial moment when it comes to choosing the 
right investment, so basic elements have been prioritised to lower this outlay:

Firstly, the new design has angular lines to the rear, that allows to include large engine 
covers on both sides, which can be easily reached on your feet, without using any kind 
of step. All of the regular maintenance components such as filters and fluid tanks have 
been arranged to make them fully accessible in this area. Additionally, the 
counterweight's large central grille makes it possible to quickly access the cooler, making 
it easy to clean and remove.

It is also worth noting that the optimisation of the D301AHG dumper's power-to-weight 
ratio ensures that fuel consumption is significantly lower than in the previous model.

Safer
In terms of equipment, the new 3-tonne dumper includes a set of safety features that 
make it a top performer in this regard.

Firstly, the power is transmitted via hydrostatic transmission, ensuring smoother and 
safer operation. Furthermore, the driving position is equipped with a seat that has a 
presence sensor and a seat belt with a buckle sensor, to prevent the machine from being 
started if the recommended safety measures have not been taken and to avoid any 
inadvertent movement of it. Additionally, it has been equipped with an electronic negative 
brake, which is automatically engaged when the dumper's engine is switched off to 
prevent any movement whatsoever.
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Finally, the new D301AHG all-terrain dumper has an extensive range of optional 
accessories, so the machine can be customised to meet each customer's requirements. 
These include the AUSAnow fleet manager and lighting equipment

Globally Kubota aims to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGS) as a company that supports the sustainable future of the earth and humanity.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted at a UN summit in 2015 established 17 goals for a better world by 2030. Kubota’s corporate principles support the prosperous life of humans while protecting the environment of this beautiful Earth. We believe that our vision for the future is in line with the objectives of the SDGs.

​The Kubota Group will strive to achieve the SDGs - alongside the rest of the world - while contributing to solutions for social issues that enable the sustainable development of communities and companies.

Market leader, and innovator, Manitou has today revealed a new ultra-light and compact telehandler known as the ULM.

Manitou designed and build the world's first Rough Terrain Forklift Truck (RTFL) and they have continues to innovate and now have an unparalleled range of masted trucks, telehandlers and rotary telehandlers.

​More info will follow! 

Dragon Equipment issued the following press release at the Executive Hire Show in Coventry yesterday!

Today we are excited to announced the appointment of Boss Plant Sales Ltd as our official dealer for London and the Southeast of England.
This includes our product range, the CR300 Crusher, tracked LF750 and LF1000 ‘lifters’, DS110 Dust Suppression unit, and related attachments. Despite being a relatively young business we are already making an impact in the market through with our innovative products and unique approach to the on-site recycling of concrete, brick, asphalt, and paving.
Dragon Equipment’s Managing Director Jeff Haines commented on the second day of the Executive Hire Show in Coventry:
“Boss Plant Sales is an excellent partner for us with a large and diverse customer base across the territory, and a market leading range of complimentary products for use with our equipment. They bring wide market coverage, excellent customer service, and a very experienced sales and aftermarket team to our mix”
Boss Plant Sales Ltd is an independent company, owned and managed by MD Graham Stansfield, providing sales, service and parts support across London and the Southeast to customers in construction, civil engineering, demolition, recycling, and the plant hire/rental sector for market leading brands including Kubota, Manitou, Bomag, and Ausa. Boss Plant Sales is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2022.

The Manitou Group has recently unveiled the two main targets of its 2030 low carbon trajectory, namely reduce its direct and indirect carbon emissions by 46%, while reducing the CO2 emissions of its machines by 34% for every hour of use.

This approach is based on scientific data through the “Science Based Targets” initiative, a program supported by the United Nations, the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World-Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

Using 2019 as the benchmark year, the first target applicable in scopes 1 and 2 involves reducing direct and indirect CO2emissions by 46% by 2030 throughout all its worldwide locations. The second target concerns the emissions in scope 3 (value chain), with a 34% reduction in the CO2 emissions generated for every hour of use of the machines produced by the Group.

Michel Denis, President and CEO, explains: “It’s an extremely important and transformative stage for the Group. Climate issues are a genuine concern, but also an opportunity to reinforce our competitive edge by transitioning to a low carbon intensity economy. We are doing everything to steer the ecological transition towards a more sustainable economic model. We have set ambitious yet realistic targets that we can achieve by innovating with our customers, suppliers, and employees. 89% of our indirect emissions come from the use of our products. It is therefore a collective approach for the whole value chain.”

To accomplish these targets, Manitou Group will rely on a number of tactics:

• Develop new electric ranges and innovate with hydrogen
• Continue the work already undertaken on the energy efficiency of equipment
• Reinforce eco-design with a global life cycle approach
• Increase the use of recycled materials in purchases of components and parts
• Use low-carbon solutions for upstream and downstream freight
• Develop the activity of spare parts from the circular economy
• Reduce energy consumption and roll out a green energy procurement program

Registered on the SBTi website, the Manitou Group’s low carbon pathway will be studied by experts in the Science Based Targets initiative with a view to confirming it, hopefully by the end of the half-year. The Group can further promote this action plan during the annual CSR event “On the way up”.

KUBOTA UK has today announced a 12-month activity campaign to celebrate 25 years as the UK’s ‘number one supplier’ of mini-excavators to the construction industry.

Planned events include a ‘Kubota Challenge’, which will see operators show off their skills, and several charity fundraising initiatives. Kubota has pledged to match a percentage of the total funds raised to help industry charity, The Lighthouse Club.

Industry roundtables, testimonials from the Kubota network and customers, and a kids design competition will also take place during 2022.

“It’s an honour to celebrate any milestone, but 25 years as a leader in the UK’s construction industry, which is a vitally important sector of the UK’s economy, is especially rewarding,” said Geoff Smith, dealer manager, construction department, Kubota UK.

“A lot of hard work has gone in to securing this position and success wouldn’t be possible without four vital components; the excellent and tireless Kubota UK team, our vital dealership network, who are the lifeblood of the industry; our incredibly loyal customer base; and of course, the innovative and unique Kubota engine technologies and machinery.”

Geoff Smith added the activities will reflect on how grateful the business is to be in the position of being the industry’s ‘trusted, go-to supplier’ for mini-excavators.
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“It’s not just a celebration about our accolade, it’s a celebration of the industry as a whole and how integral it is to the country, from every local community project to large infrastructure works,” he explained.