Hundreds of existing and prospective customers descended on JCB today for a conference dedicated to highlighting the company’s machine range for tool hirers.

Businesses from the length and breadth of Britain were welcomed to JCB’s World HQ in Rocester, Staffordshire, where the event’s guest of honour was Lord Digby Jones. The tool hire and small plant and equipment hire sectors buy thousands of mini excavators every year and JCB is the UK’s number one supplier of this machine – a position it has held for the past two years.

The event was designed to highlight the range of 19 mini and midi excavators from one to eight tonnes manufactured at JCB Compact Products, Cheadle, which delegates later toured. In addition, JCB also offers compact telescopic handlers, skid steer and track loaders and compaction equipment for the sector. The centrepiece of the day was the UK launch of JCB’s two brand new mini excavators – the JCB 8018 and the JCB 8026 and the unveiling of the VMT380 compactor.

JCB UK and Ireland Sales Director Yvette Henshall-Bell said: “For the second consecutive year, JCB is the Number One supplier of mini excavators in the UK which, given the intense level of competition in this sector, is a great vote of confidence in the quality and productivity of our machines.

“We’ve made great progress with our mini excavator range over the past few years which is paying dividends now with increased orders from small to medium sized hirers and also major national players. Today’s Tool Hire Day is designed to cement existing relationships and build new ones and highlight the tremendous range of machines JCB has to offer the tool hire sector.”

Lord Digby Jones, a senior advisor to JCB who made a keynote speech at the Tool Hire Day added: “It is such a privilege to be associated with the great UK manufacturing success story that is JCB, a company that leads the way in putting UK innovation & value-added manufacturing on top of the world."

Picture caption : L-R Lord Digby Jones, JCB CEO ALan Blake and JCB UK and Ireland Sales Director Yvette Henshall-Bell pictured today as news was announced of a £36 million order, including 550 machines from A Plant.