Sunbelt Rentals & Sustainability

S PECIAL REPORT: SUSTAINABILITY E H RECOMES T HESUN●

Construction Plant News puts the questions to Phil Parker, Sunbelt Rentals Chief Financial Officer on the company’s sustainability policy

Phil Parker

What’s changed in the last two years for Sunbelt Rentals since the start of the pandemic?

We announced our rebrand from A-Plant to Sunbelt Rentals on March 5th 2020, just before the pandemic started. Our reasoning for this was entirely about creating one unified business that focused on our customers and our people. Based on direct input from our people and our customers we reset our vision, mission and our core values. One of the values that we introduced was acting responsibly, and as a business we are ultimately striving to be more sustainable.

Is Sunbelt Rentals seeing a change in demand since the start of the pandemic and how has it impacted the business?

Yes, absolutely. The uncertainty that the pandemic brought has highlighted all the benefits that rental solutions can provide to customers across multiple sectors. We’ve also been fortunate to be able use the depth and breadth of our offering to provide a unified solution to the NHS, through the provision of covid-19 testing centres, as well as working with event organisers to relaunch the events industry following the aftermath of the pandemic. With each of these opportunities the demand for sustainable and eco-friendly products has never been higher.

Has there been a shift to more sustainable or green requirements?

Yes, every conversation with every major contractor leads to a discussion about how they can be more sustainable. The biggest changes we’ve seen in recent years is linked to our power generation, accommodation, lighting and site services’ business. Decarbonisation is a key focus and in 2021 alone we supplied a number of fossil fuel free events, including COP26 and G7 Summit, where we supplied electric telehandlers, powered access, solar tower lights, electric charging

stations, Stage V generators with HVO fuel, accommodation units and electric bikes.

Our tower light fleet is heavily weighted towards solar, battery and hybrid technology and is the greenest in the market. We have over 4,500 low or zero carbon tower lights available to hire.

And it’s not just greener equipment that’s in demand, telematics and data driven technology has never been more important. That’s why we have significantly invested in cloud-based solutions such as Command Centre, our secure customer portal accessible through the Sunbelt Rentals website. Designed to help our customers efficiently manage all their rental equipment 24/7. This investment in technology will help to drive the decarbonisation agenda and will enable customers to operate in a more sustainable way.

We understand that Sunbelt Rentals is leading the way in introducing greener technologies, can you tell me more about this?

Last year Sunbelt Rentals’ UK placed an order of €76 million with JCB, with 92 per cent of that being sustainable, Stage V or electric. Much of our new investment is in assets with enhanced environmental credentials. Our tower light fleet is heavily weighted towards solar or battery technology. We offer Stage V plant equipment, eco-insulated accommodation units, electric bikes, electric vehicle charging, hybrid power solutions and much more.

At 95 per cent recyclable construction, our Trakway system is the most environmentally friendly system available, and we’re also working alongside many of our customers to make the switch to HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil) fuel and start reducing carbon emissions by 90 per cent – we are currently trialling hydrogen fuel generator propositions. Partnering with innovative start-ups we are keen to see how we can use technology to enhance battery storage capabilities which will reduce fuel usage. We’ve made a significant financial investment in electric delivery vehicles, which will increase over time – 80 per cent of emissions in the UK comes from delivery vehicles. We anticipate trialling hydrogen HGV vehicles in the future too.

What’s your view in terms of electric versions of mini-excavators or telehandlers?

From a concept and design perspective they’re great and the market is certainly moving in that direction. At the moment we’re finding that this type of equipment works best in niche applications such as low noise pollution zones, as well as underground, but feedback so far is extremely positive. We’re looking to the future and welcome further investment in the power infrastructure required to match the demand for this type of equipment.

What impact have you seen within the business by introducing these types of cutting edge, greener solutions?

Introducing green solutions has started to shift the mindset of people who were perhaps quite sceptical at first. It’s also highlighted the need to invest in training and upskilling our workforce, now more so than ever. We’ve made it our goal to upgrade our locations and the environments in which we operate from.

This investment includes the move to a sustainable logistics fleet to deliver our equipment and solutions. We are also working with Distribution Network Operators (DNO’s) who can help to install electric vehicle charging points. This will ensure that we have a sustainable fuel source as and when these changes come about.

Lastly, it is clear that you’ve made some great advances in the last 12 months. What else can we expect to see from Sunbelt Rentals?

You can expect to see Sunbelt Rentals operating in new markets that we haven’t necessarily ever been in before. Late last year we launched our 360 solutions, whereby we offer our customers a complete site solution. We are uniquely placed as the only rental company in the UK to offer such a solution, and we have a team of experts available to design, manage and coordinate projects offering clients a fully managed service in addition to our rental products.

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For further information on Sunbelt Rentals WWW.RDR.LINK/CAC020

SHORTS GROUP EXPANDS WITH YANMAR

Productive and designed with the operator firmly in mind is how Yanmar

Compact Equipment EMEA

describes the ViO17 zero tail-swing mini excavators acquired by Berkshire-based plant hirer, Shorts Group. Five new units join four already purchased last year from Farol, the manufacturer’s dealer for the south-east of England, with the hirer professing to be impressed with their performance and versatility. GOTO WWW.RDR.LINK/CAC021

RUTTLE HAS A ROCK SOLID CASE

Ruttle Plant and Ruttle Plant Hire grew its fleet of CASE Construction Equipment excavators to over 70 machines in 2021, with orders for 30 more in 2022 already in place. Superior machine quality and operator comfort, high residual values alongside the oneto-one support from dealer, Dennis Barnfield, are driving the company’s focus on growing its CASE fleet. GOTO WWW.RDR.LINK/CAC022

FIRST STAGE VJCB 150X TAB EXCAVATOR

The first Stage V JCB 150X tracked excavator with triple-articulated boom sold anywhere in the UK has been purchased by Ayrshire-based Tom Grant Plant via dealer Scot JCB. The Stage V 150X HD TAB excavator has also been fitted with a Kinshofer Nox TRF14 tilt-rotator and boasts a Stage V, 4.8-litre DieselMax 448 engine, delivering the same 81kW (108hp) power output, but with 516Nm of torque, a rise of 135Nm from the previous model. GOTO WWW.RDR.LINK/CAC023

M&J EVANS CONSTRUCTION OPTS FOR KUBOTA

Seventy five 3, 5 and 8-tonne Kubota units are on their way to M&J Evans Construction, with 85 per cent of the contractor’s current 143-strong mini and midi excavator fleet now from the Japanese manufacturer. Purchased from BTE Plant Sales, Philip McEvilly, Plant & Transport Manager at M&J Evans Construction, explains the brand loyalty: “With Kubota, reliability is guaranteed –we know the machines are up to whatever work they are put to.” GOTO WWW.RDR.LINK/CAC024

100TH HITACHI DELIVERY FOR TRU7 GROUP

“The machines have always been the driver’s preference as well as having the back-up and sustainability needed for us to run efficiently,” explains Jake Nicholls, Managing Director at TRU7 Group. The

Hitachi Construction Machinery UK

(HCMUK), units on the TRU7 books now include mini excavators from 1.5t to 8t, tracked excavators from 13t to 30t including a number of the new -7 models. GOTO WWW.RDR.LINK/CAC025

HYUNDAI TOP OF THE CLASS

A 14-tonne Hyundai HX140LC has joined the Billericay-based Industrial Training Services’ fleet. Managing Director, Alf Aldridge and his team of eight instructors deliver CPCS and NPORS training for construction operators. “We had the HX140LC on trial here for ten days and the instructors and the candidates spoke very highly of the machine,” he reveals, “and the fuel economy is better, probably by as much as 10 per cent.” GOTO WWW.RDR.LINK/CAC026

LIEBHERR RENTAL REVS UP

Liebherr GB is revving up its Rental operation with an order for 60 new machines in 2022. The £20 million investment will see a sizeable increase in its Generation 8 excavator fleet, with various models ranging from 22 up to 70 tonnes, Generation 8 dozers, T A230 ADT’s, wheel loaders and material handlers. Additionally, there will be some new models which do not currently feature on the fleet – namely the A 914, L H18 and R 938. GOTO WWW.RDR.LINK/CAC028

RECORD TIME DELIVERY FROM MV COMMERCIAL SOLVES CONCERNS FOR JAW HIRE

When Cornish-based Jaw Hire needed a new high spec delivery vehicle, owner Tony Wagner turned to MV Commercial for the solution. The vehicle – a DAF XF480 Space cab 8x2 with a Sterling Cheesewedge body – is a new addition to the fleet and will be used to deliver a wide range of plant including excavators, dumpers and twin drum. Jaw Hire operates over 80 pieces of equipment which are also available for sale on a global basis. GOTO WWW.RDR.LINK/CAC027

RYE DEMOLITION’S FIRST ROTAR

Supplied by Worsley Plant, and joining a wide and varied fleet of attachments designed for excavators up to 50 tonnes, the two Rotar models – an RSS 20 scrap shear and RDP 25S concrete processor – have impressed the operators. The RDP 25S boasts a cycle time of 2.2 seconds to open and 2.4 seconds to close with a cutting force of 107 tonnes. The RSS 20 has a piercing force of 168 tonnes at its tip and over 813 tonnes of cutting force in the throat. GOTO WWW.RDR.LINK/CAC029