One of the UK’s leading builder’s merchants is investing heavily in its tool hire business with a £5.5 million order for more than 450 JCB machines.

Tool Hire - the rental division of Jewson - is buying a fleet of 300 JCB 8014 mini excavators, 100 JCB 8008 micro excavators, and 53 VMT160-80 vibratory tandem rollers. The company has also invested in 200 Thwaites mini dumpers in a deal worth an additional £2.2 million. All the JCB machines and those manufactured by Thwaites will be supplied by JCB dealer Gunn JCB.

Richard Pedersen, Jewson Tool Hire Director, said: “This is a significant investment which makes our fleet of micro and mini excavators one of the most modern in the industry. We are committed to offering our customers the most powerful and up-to-date machines around and this investment delivers on this promise.

“We selected JCB machines after extensive research into a number of suppliers. We have operated JCB mini and micro excavators and compactors for a number of years and they have proved to be an invaluable part of our fleet.”

JCB’s UK and Ireland Sales Director Yvette Henshall-Bell said: “We are delighted to win this repeat business from Jewson’s Tool Hire division. JCB has supplied machines to the company for many years and it’s testament to the quality of our range of mini and micro excavators and compaction equipment that we’ve secured this valuable business again.

“Securing important business like this is not only about producing world-class products but also offering world-class service back-up supported by the most extensive dealer network in the UK.”

Jewson, whose head office is in Binley, Coventry, first entered the micro excavator market in 1995 and have had a partnership with JCB since 2004 when the company purchased 70 JCB micros – a venture which has grown in success and led to the continued investment in this product now and back in 2008 when 100 JCB micros were also purchased. The company also invested in 10 VMT160-80 rollers in 2007.

With over 480 branches across the country, Jewson is the UK’s leading supplier of sustainable timber and building materials. Jewson offers an extensive range of over 400,000 products and a significant number of renewable technologies and sustainable solutions. Every branch stocks a massive range of quality products including heavy and light building materials, timber, sheet materials, joinery and plumbing materials. Many branches offer kitchen and bathroom showrooms, landscaping centres and tool hire services. Jewson is celebrating a landmark 175 years of trading in 2011.

Picture caption: John Dolphin (left), Gunn JCB Group Sales Director, and Jewson Tool Hire Director Richard Pedersen with the line up of new machines.