Rocester-based JCB (www.jcb.com) has secured one of its biggest-ever deals in the UK — an order worth over £55 million for more than 1,200 machines and a range of generators.

Equipment rental company A-Plant has placed the order, which includes more than 600 Loadall telescopic handlers and more than 450 mini and midi excavators, as well as rough-terrain fork-lift trucks, site dumpers, back-hoe loaders and tracked excavators.

The deal is good news for JCB’s factories in Rocester, Uttoxeter and Cheadle, plus Hixon-based JCB Power Products, which is manufacturing 162 generators ordered by A-Plant — enough to power eight hospitals or 4,000 homes.

A-Plant has now placed orders worth more than £140 million with JCB in the last three years; the equipment will be supplied to its network of over 175 service centres.

Asif Latief, A-Plant’s marketing director, said: “We are delighted to have placed this latest order with JCB, which demonstrates our commitment to working with leading brands.

“It is part of our continual fleet investment programme, which has seen A-Plant invest over £300 million during the last two years.”