Interface

Summer 2021 09 www.hae.org.uk www.eha.org.uk N ixon Hire, which provides plant and tool hire, site accommodation, welfare vans and portable toilet hire, has invested in a fleet of emission, and noise-free lighting towers supplied by the MHM Group. Founded in 1967, Nixon Hire is a family-run business employing almost 500 people across an expanding depot network. The company supplies a wide range of equipment throughout the UK. Their customer base includes agriculture, events, housing, construction, rail, highway and utility contractors. Nick Hibbard, UK Division Manager (Renewables) at Nixon Hire said: “The ST-9 is the latest sustainable product to be added to our hire-fleet. With our drive towards championing zero emission equipment, this lighting set will complement all of our current battery, hybrid and solar powered machinery.” The ST-9 is a solar/battery, diesel-free, site lighting tower that operates from a combination of an AGM sealed lead acid self-charging battery, and four LG360 solar panels. Illumination is via a bank of energy-saving LED lamps fitted to a nine-metre mast. To ensure that the lights are only operating when necessary, the ST-9 is equipped with a ‘Dusk ‘til Dawn Auto Start/Stop Sensor’. The unit works silently and delivers 2,400m2 of light coverage. FAMILY-RUN FIRM INVESTS IN LIGHTING TOWER FLEET MINI EXCAVATOR INVESTMENT FOR SOUTHERN PLANT F amily-run plant and tool hire firm, Southern Plant, a family-run plant and tool hire firm, has purchased 12 new Kubota mini-excavators to support its ongoing expansion. Based in Henley-on-Thames, the firm has been operating since 1988, when it bet that the versatility of mini-excavators would provide major benefits over backhoe machines. Boss Plant Sales delivered four K008-3 micro excavators, alongside four U17-3a and four U27-4 mini excavators. The 12 new excavators are based at Southern Plant’s new Brackley site, which opened in March to meet growing demand in the area as the UK exits lockdown restrictions. Located conveniently near both the M1 and M40, the new branch will serve Coventry, Kettering, Northampton, Bedford and Oxford. Co-director Vincent Rose said: “We’re incredibly excited to be expanding to meet the pent-up demand we’ve seen over the last few months for excavators and hire equipment, and we’ve already received great feedback on our Brackley offering.”