Hewden invests £60m in fleet

PLANT hire group Hewden is investing £61m in its fleet and infrastructure amid a continuing recovery in the construction industry.
    
The company, which has its headquarters at Trafford Park, Manchester, Hewden has placed an order with UK Caterpillar dealer Finning for more than 450 new Telehandler manchines, in a deal worth more than £25m.

The business, backed since 2010 by private equity firm Sun Capital Partners, is also spendi £10m on new excavators and dumpers, £7m on powered access machines as well as £9m to increase and refresh its crane fleet.

It will pour a further £11.4m spent on a range of initiatives including a fleet of 20 Scania tractor units and 13 new trailers giving greater fleet efficiency and improved logistics to support its 31 depot network.

The investment is part of the company’s growth plan and is the biggest investment since the Sun Capital acquisition. It comes as Hewden prepares to return to profit next year after several tough years.

Chief executive Kevin Parkes said: “The recovery plan is complete; it’s now all about growth. We have a clear product offer, an efficient distribution network that supports customer coverage and a compelling proposition, the Hewden Core Fleet.

“Now is the time to invest and grow Hewden. The announcement of £61m investment demonstrates a confidence in the market and a commitment to customers, that we have the kit that customers’ want, where they want it, when they want it.”

Funding has also been set aside for two new major hub depots one in Bedford and one to the West of London, further improving customer coverage and machine availability. Its exisiting hubs are located at Glasgow, Warrington, Willenhall, Bristol and Wokingham.