Hope and Finning form strategic alliance

Hope Construction Materials invest in multi-million pound Caterpillar fleet deal with Finning

HOPE Construction Materials, Britain’s leading independent construction materials supplier, have made a major investment in a new fleet of quarry machines in partnership with Finning, the Cannock-based Caterpillar dealers.

Finning have provided a range of new technology which will allow Hope to manage this new fleet to achieve maximum efficiency, flexibility and fuel efficiency.

In line with one of Hope’s key values, the deal sees the company making an ‘entrepreneurial’ move by taking the operation of its new fleet of 21 Cat machines in house, supported by a bespoke fleet-management package from Finning.

The machines will be used at a range of Hope’s aggregates and cement sites across Derbyshire, South Yorkshire, Manchester and Bedfordshire.

With a focus on fuel efficiency, the new fleet boasts the UK’s first Cat 988K wheel loader as well as two Cat 966K XE’s and eight Cat 775G off-highway trucks.

As part of the multi-million pound fleet-management package, Finning will provide a full turnkey support package to Hope Construction Materials, including on-site Eco-Drive operator training for Hope operators and site managers; equipment monitoring from Finning’s Finsight condition-monitoring team; and the use of Vital Information Monitoring System (VIMS) data through Caterpillar’s MineStar system – all of which will combine to help optimize production.

The overriding fleet-management package will cover every unit in the new fleet, which also includes two Cat 390D LME excavators, two 740B ADTs, two 980K wheel loaders, a D6T LGP dozer, a 962K high-lift wheel loader, and a TH407C and a TH414C telehandler.

Commenting on Hope’s new fleet and services, Finning customer account manager Dean Turner said: ‘Since the formation of Hope Construction Materials, we have worked closely with the business, fulfilling its requirements for its sites using our customer-support fleet to ensure a smooth transition to the new equipment.

Our UK branch network and in particular our Chesterfield branch, which is very close to Hope Works and Dowlow Quarry, have been key to supplying operational support to the business.

‘Over a short period of time we have built strong working relationships across the whole business, understanding how it is looking to develop, and its values and goals for the future. This led to us being invited to tender for the fleet deal.

‘Throughout the tender process we consulted with each site and the management team, to identify how we could add value and flexibility to the deal, bringing in colleagues from Caterpillar and Cat Financial.’

Financed by Cat Financial, the new deal gives Hope the fleet flexibility they need, with equipment selection taking into account the required potential to move units from one site to another, to meet the company’s production needs.

Further details about the new fleet deal between Hope Construction Materials and Finning will appear in the January 2014 edition of Quarry Management.