Staffordshire-based JCB has won a major order from Plant Hire UK for Loadall telescopic handlers and compact excavators worth almost £17 million.

The deal will see the leading UK hirer strengthen its construction machinery line-up by purchasing 300 new JCB Loadalls and 50 compact excavators, along with site dumpers and tandem rollers.

These new machines will be put to work by contractors on construction and civil engineering projects around the country after being added to Plant Hire UK’s existing fleet of JCB machines.

Yvette Henshall-Bell, JCB group managing director of global key accounts (www.jcb.com), said: “As the world’s number-one telescopic handler, the Loadall has a proven track record that construction firms trust implicitly, while our compact excavators are hard-working on-site machines.”

Plant Hire UK was founded in 2005 by managing director Graham Jones and finance director Wayne Illidge. Based on Merseyside, it has a national customer base.