MORE than 10,000 new workers will be required in the Scottish construction sector over the next five years to meet demand, new research has revealed. Most sectors of the industry will experience growth during that period, according to a new forecast from the Construction Industry...

A number of leading manufacturers have been disclosing details of what they’ll be showcasing at this year’s Intermat exhibition in Paris. Case said its stand will consist “almost entirely” of models introduced within the past 12 months for a range of sectors including road building,...

THE Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) has called on construction employers to ‘rally round’ and take on apprentices of fallen construction giant Carillion. The CITB wants ex-Carillion apprentices to get in touch with them so the organisation can help them continue their training. With skills...

A new lighting tower is helping to brighten up the construction site of the new multi-million pound Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre (AECC). Taylor Construction Plant’s Ecolite TH200 LED Lighting Tower uses BOC’s HYMERA fuel cell as a sustainable power source. The product has been developed...

A-Plant has cemented its status as one of the nation’s top apprenticeship employers. The hire giant, who currently have 166 apprentices, was named in the Top 100 Apprenticeship Employer list for the second consecutive year at the National Apprenticeship Awards 2017. A-Plant described its commitment to...

GLASGOW-based GAP Hire Solutions has invested in over 100 Kubota KX027-4 mini excavators over the past 12 months to satisfy “record levels” of demand for quality three-tonne machines. The 2.6-tonne model, described as being “ideally suited” to customers who tow them around, is available in...

THE Scottish Government has been urged to ‘learn lessons’ over the procurement of large-scale construction projects in the wake of the Carillion collapse. The Scottish Building Federation (SBF) has also raised concerns about the potential impact of the firm’s liquidation on smaller subcontractors currently working...

2018 is off to a swinging start for Argyll-based TSL Contractors with the purchase of a new Volvo ECR2353. The reduced swing excavator represents a “new departure” for the construction business, which also plumped for a Steelwrist X26 tiltrotator to complement the new machine. TSL’s...

VOLVO Construction Equipment is to enter the rigid hauler market with its own four-model range of machines, manufactured in Motherwell. As a result, the manufacturer confirmed production of Terex Trucks rigid haulers will cease over time. The new range, which will initially be launched in...

BLUE Group has announced plans to break into the attachments market after completing the acquisition of Murray Plant. Murray Plant has been supplying equipment for almost 30 years under the leadership of founder Bruce Murray. The firm distributes products for a number of brands including...

A road planing business has become the first in the UK to utilise the new Cat PM620 cold planers. DP Cold Planing has taken delivery of the new units, supplied by Finning UK & Ireland, and plans to immediately put them into action. Anthony Prescott, managing director...

KUBOTA UK has described next month’s Executive Hire Show as the “ideal platform” to launch its new KX030-4 mini-excavator. The machine features two hydraulic variable pumps, along with a gear pump, which the manufacturer claimed allows “smooth, synchronised digging and dozing operations for improved output...

THE Specialist Engineering Contractors’ (SEC) Group said it is optimistic that the issue of cash retentions in the construction industry will be “properly debated” in parliament, ahead of the first reading of the Construction (Retention Deposit Schemes) Bill in the House of Commons. The Bill...

Astrak UK has announced the acquisition of the undercarriage parts division of Southern Plant Spares. The Kirkcaldy-based undercarriage parts supplier has also acquired the Southern Plant Spares (SPS) name. York-based SPS is a supplier of rubber tracks, undercarriage parts and other associated spare parts for...

JCB has announced a 3.9% pay rise for shop floor employees, with chairman Lord Bamford stating the industry is doing “very well” at the moment. The manufacturer said order books are at their “strongest” in the firm’s history. The 2018 pay rise, which is linked to...

RITCHIE Bros is set to host its first ever one-owner auction in the UK, selling hundreds of items for A-Plant. The one-day auction, being held on February 8 at the Rockingham Motor Speedway in Corby, will feature surplus equipment from A-Plant’s rental fleet including boom lifts,...

JARVIE Plant equipment is playing an important role in the creation of Scotland’s first homeless village. Situated in Edinburgh’s Granton district, the development will comprise ten ‘nest houses’, aimed at providing a safe living environment for up to 20 homeless people each year. They will also be...

MCS is set to launch its latest RM Mobile app to help rental depot managers offer a more flexible way of working. Using their mobile phones, they will be able to access important information and oversee the running of the depot’s activities, even when working...