Kelston Sparkes invest in Volvo brand
Contracting and plant hire firm refocuses business in the South West with significant investment in new machines
MARKING the 40th anniversary since purchasing their first Volvo 860T articulated hauler, Kelston Sparkes Group have made a further significant investment in the Volvo brand with the purchase of new articulated haulers, excavators and loading shovels.
A total of six new A40F articulated dumptrucks, two EC480D excavators and two L110G loading shovels have been purchased for several prestige contracts currently being undertaken by Kelston Sparkes in the close proximity to the company’s Stanton Drew headquarters, near Bristol.
‘We’ve been very fortunate to secure mid- to long-term contracts within the extractive industry in the south-west of the country and in particular the Mendips,’ commented managing director Alan Sparkes.
The six new 40-tonne trucks have been deployed on a major contract within one of the largest quarries in the Mendips and join an existing mixed fleet of 12 of Sparkes’ A30E and A40E ADTs.
The 42-week contract entails the re-siting of approximately 4 million tonnes of scalpings from the quarry’s old tip to a worked out area of the site, which involves a 2.5km round trip. In an adjacent part of the quarry, Kelston Sparkes are engaged in loading and hauling blasted limestone from the face to the quarry’s mobile crusher, which involves hauling 1.4 million tonnes of rock on a rolling five-year contract.
Two new Volvo EC480D excavators have also been acquired by Kelston Sparkes Group and, like the new ADTs, have been deployed on local extractive contracts within the Mendips.
Completing the line-up are two new Volvo L110G loading shovels which replace existing Volvo L120E and F models on two long-standing waste-rehandling contracts within the Avonmouth area.
‘Historically, we have built our reputation for high-quality contracting from numerous nationwide contracts,’ said Mr Sparkes. ‘However, having weathered the turmoil of the last couple of years, we’ve concluded that providing a solid service concentrating on the extractive industry in the south-west of the country is the way forward.
‘We are pleased that in doing so we continue our long-standing partner relationship with the team from Volvo CE.’
