Plant show fails to stir the interest of the Scots

ScotPlant '98, the spiritual successor to the old Hamilton plant show, got off to a shaky start last week. Strong winds and horizontal rain buffeted the few visitors brave enough to venture out.

Exhibitors were there in strength, machines by the hundred were well displayed, but punters there were few, which is a pity because organisers Peebles Publishing, had done their best to set the scene. However a show without visitors is like Samson without Delilah.

Big news at the show was that the well known industry figure, Gordon Brown, appears to be close to selling his DDT dumptruck manufacturing and sales operation to an as yet unknown buyer. On the new machinery front HPC Kaeser had brought a selection of its 16-strong range of portable compressors from 42 cfm to 920 cfm. Kaeser chose ScotPlant to launch the brand into the UK but will soon be making a bigger push nationwide.

Marubeni Komatsu had a packed stand including the WB93R backhoe-loader, which was first announced in Sardinia.

MKL's Michael Plummer reported that strong interest was being shown in both the new backhoe loader range and the new mini range. Whilst he confirmed that MKL sales in Scotland so far this year are 260 per cent up in the same period 1997.

Trevor Fagan was busy on the BG Paving stand dealing with several customers. He found time to tell us that his new 2nd-generation range of machines is selling like hotcakes with one into Kennedy Asphalt, Manchester, three into Huyton Asphalt, Liverpool, two into Jennings of Leatherhead and two into McKie, Scotland. Its only two years since Trevor bought the rights from Benford and his manufacturing operation in Preston is going great guns.

Caterpillar dealer Finning showed the 312B hydraulic excavator for the first time in any exhibition and Fiat-Hitachi dealer HM Plant's John Jones reported that the company is having its best year ever.