22.08.2014

£15 million access investment at A-Plant

Ashtead’s UK rental business A-Plant has invested £15 million to expand and renew its powered access fleet, placing significant orders with six key suppliers for over 720 new machines. Deliveries are all scheduled to be complete by the end of next month.

The two largest deals comprise a £6 million order with Genie for 274 machines and a £4.6 million order with JLG for 220 units.

The Genie order comprises Rough Terrain scissor lifts from 26 to 50ft, diesel articulated boom lifts from 34 to 80ft, articulated booms from 34 to 45ft and a large number of self-propelled electric scissor lifts from 12 to 40ft and electric.

The JLG order includes diesel booms from 34 to 85ft, electric booms up to 45ft and electric scissor lifts from 12 to 40ft. All of the diesel models are fitted with fuel-efficient Tier IIIB compliant engines, while the electric models include direct electric drive offering double the battery life of hydraulic drive machines.
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Some of A-Plant's new Genie and Niftylift machines from its £15 million investment

Other suppliers included Niftylift which received an order worth £1.8 million for 48 new diesel articulated booms, electric bi-fuel booms and trailer lifts. A £1.7 million order for Skyjack for almost 70 diesel scissor lifts, along with Haulotte for its booms, and Power Towers for 110 Pecolifts and Nano push-around machines.

All new diesel booms are equipped with ‘secondary guarding’, while all diesel scissor lifts feature built-in 110 volt generators to enhance operator productivity.

A-Plant marketing director Asif Latief said: “This investment confirms A-Plant’s access fleet as one of the most up-to-date and efficient anywhere in the UK, as the new machines will replace our older models, while the environmentally friendly equipment meets ‘green’ building requirements. We now have a fleet of well over 2,000 powered access machines, in addition to thousands of non-mechanical, low level units, including self-propelled and push-around models, so we can offer our customers a huge selection across the range, whatever their access requirements may be.”

The investment in powered access forms part of a major capital expenditure programme for A-Plant to enhance its rental fleet which exceeded £100 million in 2013 with similar figures due to be reached this year.