James, Author at Plantforce

Bristol-based plant hire supplier Plantforce has secured a £60m funding line from its existing banks to invest in its hire fleet over the next two years. The deal, funded by a club structure between Natwest Bank and Wells Fargo Capital Finance, will facilitate the Plantforce growth strategy and enhance its commitment to offering customers the latest technology solutions and reliable equipment.

With one of the widest ranges of technology, equipment, and service solutions in the market, Plantforce has built a reputation for delivering industry-leading innovation. This approach has seen them awarded tier-1 supplier status on the two largest construction projects in the UK, Hinkley Point-C and HS2, an achievement held by no other supplier in the plant hire sector.

Lead partner, Natwest Bank UK Financing Solutions Director, Jamie Simons added, “With the market share growth Plantforce have delivered, their contribution to key UK infrastructure products and the robust structure of their business that their diverse service offering provides, NatWest are very pleased to have renewed our support for this ABL facility alongside our partners at Wells Fargo Capital Finance. One of the key benefits of this facility is the flexibility and agility Plantforce will have to secure and dispose of assets secured using this funding. ”

Plantforce has achieved substantial growth by working in partnership with its supply chain to deliver cutting-edge industry innovation. It has also driven a procurement strategy that has seen carbon reduction at the heart of its buying decisions to meet its ongoing environmental strategy and customer demand. This ABL facility will be utilised in line with this strategy to further cement its unique position in the market for customers looking for a reliable yet innovative service partner.

Plantforce CEO, Samuel Mercer said, “We are set for a record year in FY24, and this ABL facility secures the funding to continue our strategic growth of Plantforce, allowing us to maintain our momentum in the coming years. By listening to our customers’ requirements for us to provide a digitised fleet and innovate product lines whilst maintaining a fuel-efficient focus on procurement decisions and adding new services such as heavy haulage, we are confident that with this funding, we will achieve our growth targets.”

Plantforce CFO, Charles Murphy added, “We are very pleased to have the renewal of the ABL facility completed with the support of NatWest and Wells Fargo Capital Finance. It’s an important milestone that recognises the strong current trading and sets us up for the future. I look forward to working with Sam in his new CEO role to deliver on his plans for the business”.

The deal follows BGF’s investments in Plantforce in 2018, which also played a crucial role in securing this latest funding facility. Bristol-based law firm TLT Solicitors played a pivotal role in completing the deal.

Heavyweight recruit bolsters the Plantforce top team.

Charles Murphy joins Plantforce as CFO, bringing a wealth of experience as the tier 1 plant hire firm adds depth to its senior management team. Charles’s experience in the construction sector and beyond will help deliver their ongoing growth strategy.

With over 20 years of experience, Charles brings a fresh perspective to the diverse management team at Plantforce, led by their influential CEO, Claire Trott. With significant experience as FD for Space Engineering and, more recently, as a Divisional FD for Integral, the M&E contracting and build specialists, Charles will be quick to make his mark as he replaces the outgoing David Searle at Plantforce.

Commenting on his appointment, Charles said, “From our first conversations about the role I found the energy and positive attitude of the team contagious. The team have a deep understanding of the industry and what our customers want and need, which puts us in a great position to deliver on our medium and long-term growth strategy”.

With Plantforce already a Tier 1 supplier on some of the largest construction projects in Europe, such as HS2 and Hinkley Point C, this appointment will ensure their numbers are in good order as they continue to grow with several approved supplier deals signed with large principal contractors in recent months.

Plantforce CEO Claire Trott added, “The positive attitude Charles has joined with has already left a strong impression on our management team. We are excited to see the value he will add in the new role, and I am personally looking forward to working closely with him to drive our strategic direction”.

Plantforce turn the key on a new Heavy Haulage division

Plantforce invests in nine new state-of-the-art lorries and trailers to kick start a new heavy haulage division to offer a new service of movement of heavy plant and machinery around the UK.

As an established Tier 1 Plant Hire provider that covers the length and breadth of Great Britain, Plantforce is no stranger to the art of efficiently and safely moving all sorts of heavy equipment around the country to all kinds of locations. That is why they have been able to offer a credible and competitive service of plant and machinery movements to both new and existing customers.

As well as meeting customer demands, increasing safety and reducing emissions have been at the heart of the decision-making process when evaluating which trucks, they would start this division with. This is why Plantforce has selected Volvo Trucks as their preferred supplier for this latest round of investment that sees a range of FL 4 wheel rigid beavertails, FM 430 8 wheel rigid beavertails, FH 540 6 3 axel with step frame trailers in addition to FH 540 and flagship FH16 750 4 axel with step frame trailers join the fleet of existing trucks.

With all of the fleet Euro 6 compliant and fitted with the Volvo Connect telematics system, Plantforce has the ability to manage their fleet effectively to maximise their efficiency, whilst customers can utilise a tracker system installed on all trucks to give an extra level of visibility to exactly where the vehicle is and calculate an accurate arrival time.

To reinforce this, Plantforce Heavy Haulage have CLOCS Champion and FORS Silver accreditations, but the team are not finished there. They are already well working towards being awarded the FORS Gold accreditation. This approach to compliance also means that all vehicles are TFL, FORS and HS2 compliant, meaning deliveries to tier 1 projects is within their capabilities. However, as always, investing in training and developing the people working within the team is even more important. That is why all drivers are qualified with NPORS Loader Securer and Plant Mover qualifications.

Safety has also been a key area of focus for the launch of this service offering, with all trucks fitted with audible warning systems, blind spot aids and close proximity sensors. Extra protection is provided by 360 degree camera systems and in-cab cameras as well as fall restraint systems giving protection to drivers when they are required to be on the trailer bed.

Plantforce Heavy Haulage Transport Manager, Ian Blackburn said; “I am very excited to be launching this division. Our team have built a real depth of knowledge managing the transport of our fleet of hire machines, which puts us in a great position to use this knowledge to support others moving their plant and heavy machinery – adding real value at a competitive rate. I am also really pleased with the units we have invested in. As tried, tested and most importantly, trusted units that are well established in the market, we know we offer a reliable service that minimises environmental impact”.

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Diversity is the key to success

On International Women’s Day, we take the opportunity to reflect on how whilst working in what is still a male-dominated industry, we are fortunate to have many fantastically talented and dedicated women in our team, not least with 50% of our Executive Management Team (EMT) being female.

As a business, we look at motivation and attitude rather than gender and background. This approach does not mean that we do not focus on addressing the imbalance in Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) in the construction industry. However, it is important to acknowledge that as an industry we have taken giant leaps forward on this issue, but there is still more ground to cover.

Sam Mercer, Chief Operating Officer at Plantforce said: “Evidence shows companies with a gender-diverse management team have proven to be more successful than ones without. This is something I can see to be true given my personal experience of working in a female-led business, as this diversity gives us a well-rounded range of views when taking strategic decisions. Personally, I consider myself to be lucky, as I have never known the construction sector any other way”.

Claire Trott, Managing Director at Plantforce said: “International Women’s Day (IWD) gives the opportunity to cast a spotlight on how we can address inequality by ensuring the same opportunities are available to women in our industry as men.

I am pleased to see our team working on this every day, not just IWD. This is being done firstly in our culture, visible in how we operate, recruit, and treat our team. But also, by working collaboratively with others in the industry to have a positive impact outside of our direct reach. This can be seen in our active participation in specific working groups to tackle this issue on major projects such as High Speed 2 (HS2) and Hinkley Point C (HPC), as well as holding an active presence on committees for industry trade associations like the CPA and aid groups like the Plant & Hire Aid Alliance”.