Hillhead 2018 Review

17 July, 2018

First published in the July 2018 issue of Quarry Management

With an unprecedented 546 exhibitors and almost 20,000 trade visitors in attendance, Hillhead 2018 was the biggest and most successful show to date. Quarry Management reports

Industry Showpiece

Exhibitors and visitors alike could not have asked for much better weather at this year’s Hillhead exhibition. For three gloriously warm sunny days in June (26-28), as Britain sweltered in simmering summer temperatures, Tarmac’s Hillhead Quarry, near Buxton, Derbyshire, once again became the focal point for the international mineral products, recycling and construction equipment industries with the staging of Hillhead 2018 – the world’s biggest working quarry show.

With every square metre of exhibition space fully booked and occupied, this year’s trade fair registered an all-time high for the overall number of exhibitors (546), while the total visitor attendance was a record-breaking 19,687 unique attendees – surpassing the show’s previous highest attendance record set in 2005.

As the show swung open its doors, regular attendees may have noticed the new layout inside the Registration Pavilion, which has been expanded (again) to boost its capacity to 90 exhibitors and meet strong demand for exhibition space at the show.

The registration and demonstration areas at the top of the showground were also redesigned to accommodate additional static stands and demonstrations showcasing working plant. And providing a spectacular focal point to this newly expanded area was the ‘Man Engine’, Britain’s largest mechanical puppet, which proved to be a real crowd-puller – wowing audiences during the three-day event.

The general consensus among the exhibitors and visitors at this year’s Hillhead was that this was perhaps the best show yet with more live plant/equipment demonstrations, more new product and service launches, and more technological innovations than ever before.

Perfect Platform

As well as being the first day of the trade fair, the opening day of Hillhead has also become an important platform for the launch of key industry initiatives and developments.

On the first morning of the show, the Mineral Products Association (MPA) highlighted the issue of vulnerable road user (VRU) safety in a drive to address recent data which indicate that the safety of pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists sharing road space with other vehicles is still very much an issue for the industry.

Two new products were introduced, both designed to expand and enhance the MPA’s VRU Safety Toolkit: first, a Driver’s App, in partnership with CLOCS, to help professional drivers achieve the highest standards in their day-to-day work; and secondly, a new Company Car & Van Handbook, designed to complement the existing Driver’s Handbook for larger vehicles, which was launched at Hillhead 2016 and now has a distribution exceeding 60,000 copies.

The launch of the Driver’s App, in particular, was brought into sharp focus by a very moving and thought-provoking presentation by Kate Cairns, from the ‘See Me, Save Me’ campaign, whose sister, tragically, was run over and killed by a minerals industry HGV.

Nigel Jackson, chief executive of the MPA, said: ‘Every year vulnerable road users are killed or injured in collisions with industry tippers and truckmixers. As a founder member of the CLOCS initiative, the MPA is keen to help equip both its members and the wider industry with tools that aim to help professional industry drivers play their part in improving VRU safety.’

Meanwhile, the MPA’s VRU safety-themed stand in the main pavilion also focused on ‘Working in Partnership’ and featured free blood pressure, lung function, diabetes and eyesight testing, provided by Industrial Diagnostics Company, whilst the issue of mental health in the industry was addressed by the MPA’s mental health partner, Mates in Mind.

This emphasis on partnership and working closely together continued on the Duo stand, where the company announced a merger with Denbow International. The two businesses have come together under a new entity called Duo Group Holdings Ltd and Terry Last, the non-executive chairman of both companies, said the merger would ‘have a combined ability to help customers achieve their aims in a very cost-effective manner…and embrace markets wider afield as opportunities become more apparent from Brexit.’

At the same time, the new Duo Group announced a major deal with Doosan, establishing a new company called Seoul Ltd that will sell Doosan machinery to national account customers in quarrying and waste handling.

Another big announcement on the first day of Hillhead 2018 was that the Molson Group had acquired Finlay Plant (UK) Ltd and their subsidiary Finlay Group (including associated companies), their long-established equipment dealers for England and Wales.

Through this acquisition, Molson have successfully secured the distribution rights for the complete range of Terex Finlay mobile crushing, screening and conveying equipment for England, Wales and Channel Islands.

The current Finlay Group of sales, hire and service businesses will remain largely unchanged, but new key resources have already been added to further enhance the company’s regional operations. Aftermarket support will continue to be provided by Sure Equipment Ltd.

Mergers and acquisitions aside, Hillhead has always been, and continues to be, a highly popular showcase event where the main business of the day is the promotion and sale of the exhibitors’ latest plant, equipment and services to a high-calibre international audience.

Expressing his delight at the show, Simon Kennedy, national sales manager for Bomag (GB), said the company had had one of its most successful Hillhead appearances to date. ‘The response to our heavy compaction equipment, product innovations and aftermarket developments has been absolutely phenomenal,’ he commented.

‘It has been a very positive and productive event for us, with many orders taken and, unexpectedly, a number of machines on display were sold to customers visiting the stand. We had a lot of enquiries and received excellent feedback. It really could not have gone any better, so much so that we are keen to take a bigger stand at the next Hillhead show.’

Compact equipment manufacturers Bobcat also enjoyed a hive of activity on their stand, as Phil Stoneham, sales engineer for Bobcat of London, said there was a high level of interest in the company’s varied display throughout the three days.

‘It is important that we continue to exhibit at Hillhead to welcome customers, both old and new, and take them through the new technology and updated machinery available from Bobcat,’ he explained.

‘Our stand was very busy throughout the show, with visitors particularly interested in the new R-Series compact excavators – the E26, E27 and E27z. We’re delighted that these latest machines, making their UK debut, were so well received and this has been reflected in the high volume of enquiries received during the show.’

Continuing the compact equipment theme, Wacker Neuson exhibited their brand new and unique dual-view trucks, along with new products from the zero-emission range, which included the all-electric EZ17e Zero Tail mini-excavator and the electric DW15e site dumper.

‘We are very satisfied with the outcome of the Hillhead exhibition, meeting professionals and having valuable conversations with experts within our industry,’ said Richard Harrison, managing director of Wacker Neuson UK. ‘For us, Hillhead is the best opportunity to show visitors and customers our new products and let them experience the uniqueness and high quality of our machines.’

Other newly launched exhibits on show for the first time at Hillhead included the Volvo L260H wheel loader, P4820D paver and the Swedish firm’s first E-type short tail-swing excavator – the ECR18E – all making their UK debut on the SMT GB stand.

Describing the company’s presence at Hillhead 2018 as ‘highly successful’, SMT GB marketing manager Amy Metcalfe said: ‘Intermat was quiet and we thought perhaps people are getting fed up with shows, but Hillhead has been really busy.’

At this year’s show, the company signed 862 people to the Volvo CE Operators Club – the original target was 500. Ms Metcalfe continued: ‘This now takes us to over 5,000 members, which is fantastic. We also held the Volvo CE Operators Club Challenge heats at Hillhead and the winner was Ryan Sadler with James Covell in second place – they both win a place at the European final taking place at the Volvo CE factory, in Konz, in October this year. Third and fourth places went to Lewis Jarman and Phil Port, who both win a place in the European final in 2019.’

Volvo also featured prominently in the registration demo area where a L220H wheel loader was at the heart of the Man Engine project, which saw the giant mechanical puppet put on a three performances a day at this year’s show. The Man Engine was originally commissioned in 2016 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Cornish Mining World Heritage site.

‘The Man Engine is a magnificent feat of engineering and we were proud and happy to have our machine power its countrywide tour, and here at the Hillhead show,’ said Nick Allen, chief executive officer of SMT GB. ‘We’ve been sponsoring this amazing project since 2016 and couldn’t wait to see the Man Engine transform to his full 11.2m height once again.’

Hillhead offers overseas companies an ideal opportunity to break into the UK and Ireland markets, and first-time exhibitors Superior Industries, based in Minnesota, in the US, were highly enthusiastic about the show. ‘As a foreign business trying to break into the UK and European bulk materials handling markets, we had to exhibit at the show,’ said Michael Dunne, who oversees the company’s international business development.

‘Hillhead is the largest exhibition of its kind in the world and we were impressed with the scale and quality of visitors to our stand. As a result, we have received a number of excellent leads and made a lot of contacts, which will help us promote our brand and products to a wider UK and international audience.’

Elsewhere in the main showground, there was no shortage of plant and machinery making its UK debut on the Wirtgen stand. Making a particular impact was the latest Kleemann MC 120 Z jaw crusher with an electric drive and diesel generator, which Wirtgen sales director Phil Higginson said gives significant fuel savings over hydraulics.

Visitors to the Wirtgen stand also showed strong interest in the Hamm HD +90i PH VO-S tandem roller's oscillation feature, which offers smoother rolling, ideal for bridges and work near older properties, as well as producing higher-quality surfaces. Mr Higginson said the show was very positive and the company had struck a large number of deals on the stand. ‘In some ways it is good to have something to sell off the stand, such as the rollers. We've probably sold what we're showing here 30 times over,’ he commented.

Other exhibitors who enjoyed a highly successful and rewarding Hillhead included Ammann, Danfords and Rubble Master.

Mike Brown, marketing manager for A&Y Equipment, UK and Ireland suppliers of Ammann compaction machinery, Bergmann dumpers, Dieci telehandlers and Cormidi tracked dumpers, said Hillhead provided the perfect platform to show off new and current machines to key customers.

‘It’s been a very good experience and the high-level visitor type coming to the show was exactly what we were looking for,’ he remarked. ‘There has definitely been better footfall on our stands than the 2016 show and feedback on all the promoted products, including Ammann, was extremely positive.’

Likewise, Neil Taylor, sales manager for concrete equipment suppliers Danfords, expressed his delight with the huge interest shown in their stand and confirmed two orders for the Euromec Fastdry concrete plant had been taken.

‘Hillhead 2018 has been our busiest ever show,’ said Mr Taylor. ‘There was a great deal of interest in our concrete plant and systems and we’ve picked up a significant number of potential sales leads, not to mention confirmed sales, including a product on display on our stand.’

Following their acquisition by Rubble Master, Maximus Crushing & Screening continued to exhibit in their own right on the Northern Ireland stand. According to Shaun Montgomery, sales manager for Rubble Master, both Maximus and Rubble Master will continue to operate as before with a dual brand strategy to help grow the overall business.

Mr Montgomery added that a lot of interest had been shown in the RM 70GO! mobile crusher on static display and the larger RM 90GO! model that was put through its paces in the Recycling demonstration area.

Future Tech

The middle day of Hillhead (Wednesday) is usually the busiest of the three days and by the end of the morning on 27 June, most exhibitors were reporting packed stands with lots of business activity, none more so than Finning, who described this year’s exhibition as ‘the best and busiest Hillhead they have ever experienced’.

Over the last few years, technology has moved forward a great deal in the extractive and mineral-processing sectors, and at this year’s Hillhead show Finning and their technology partners Sitech showcased new Cat technologies and service offerings which, they say, will shape the industry's future.

As well as impressive outdoor exhibits – which included a Cat 745 articulated dumptruck and Cat 320 excavator – indoor exhibits on the Finning/Sitech stand focused on future technological developments and solutions for the construction equipment industry. These ranged from state-of-the-art simulators and aerial survey drones to sophisticated 2D and 3D grade-control software, all designed to help fleet operators to manage their machines efficiently while improving safety and reducing operational costs.

The indoor exhibits had plenty of virtual reality (VR) experiences for attendees to view and try out, including one where they could sit in a simulated cab of a dumptruck or dozer and work through a virtual job site.

‘The response to the VR technology, remote-controlled bulldozers and other heavy equipment has been very positive,’ said Phil Lewis, head of Finning Managed Solutions (FMS).

‘Hillhead has provided a future-forward showcase that allows attendees to see and test what is out there now for companies like ourselves and what’s possible. There has been a lot of footfall on our stand during the show and we’ve been busy all day, every day. We couldn’t have asked for a better exhibition, particularly in terms of the quality of visitors.’

Among the other exhibitors keen to show off their latest tech were Keestrack, who presented their revolutionary H4e mobile cone crusher at Hillhead 2018. Making its UK debut, the highly compact plant with optional integrated pre-screen and three-deck hanging screen was displayed as a fully hybrid electric version, capable of offering significant energy savings in secondary or tertiary crushing.

Michael Brookshaw, Keestrack’s global distributor manager, said: ‘We were really impressed by the large international attendance at this year’s show. We met numerous expert visitors from all over Europe and our overseas market regions, including the Americas and Asia.’

Case Construction Equipment were equally positive about the benefits of exhibiting at this year’s event, as Crispin Turner, marketing manager for Case Northern Europe, explained: ‘We had a very good show and were incredibly busy throughout – helped, of course, by the fine weather. It is key for us to exhibit at Hillhead because it is the premier event for the quarrying and construction equipment industries.

‘There have been a lot of enquiries about the all-new Case CX750D, the largest and most powerful machine in our excavator range, as well as strong interest in vehicles from our sister brands Iveco and Astra, particularly the Iveco Stralis X-Way.

Across on the Atlas Copco stand, marketing assistant Rebecca Donovan said Hillhead 2018 was the perfect show for bringing people up to speed with the company’s extensive line of new products, ranging from generators and portable compressors to pumps and lighting towers. ‘This is my first ever Hillhead and I have been particularly impressed with the scale and quality of visitors to our stand,’ she commented.

‘It is a unique trade show, but more importantly it gives us an opportunity to build relationships with prospective and existing customers. We’ve had a lot of top-level people on the stand enquiring about our new technologies and we have a number of good leads to follow up. Overall, it has been a fantastic show.’

Attending Hillhead for the first time, recently formed Epiroc (formerly part of Atlas Copco) offered visitors the chance to view their SpeedCut 100 diamond wire cutting machine aimed at the dimension stone industry, alongside hydraulic breakers from the marketing-leading SB range right up to the HB 10000, which is said to be the largest breaker in the world.

Emma Crump, product marketing manager (hydraulic attachment tools) for Epiroc, said the show was very positive with the company’s new brand identity and recently rebranded products.

‘Following our separation from Atlas Copco, it was important to send out the message to customers that Epiroc products come from the same production, distribution and sales centres as they did under the Atlas Copco name,’ she commented. ‘The launch of the new business brand marks an exciting new chapter for us, as we look forward to offering customers in mining and infrastructure the best products, short lead-times and value-adding services and propositions.’

Another exhibitor who used this year’s Hillhead as a public venue to unveil their new brand identity were Brammer Buck & Hickman, one of the UK’s leading industrial supplies specialists. The company’s brighter and bolder logo has been designed to further unify the Brammer and Buck & Hickman brands and to create a simpler and more modern brand identity.

Chris McLaren, national key account manager – aggregates sector, for Brammer Buck & Hickman, described Hillhead as the ‘biggest showpiece event of its kind in the world’.

‘For me, Hillhead is the best trade fair to capture an audience; the size and scale of this show are outstanding,’ he added. ‘We couldn’t have asked for a better venue to launch our new brand logo and we hope to reinforce the brand in the minds of new and existing customers. The visitor response to the vast range of products we supply has, again, been tremendous.’

Echoing these sentiments was Ian Griffiths, managing director of Berkshire Engineering Supplies, who decided to relocate and take a bigger stand at this year’s Hillhead.

‘We took the decision to book a plot just outside the Registration Pavilion and it has clearly paid dividends,’ he said ‘Visitor footfall on our stand has increased enormously and, as a result, we’ve received numerous leads, some of which will hopefully be turned into orders.

‘We’ve also taken a larger stand to showcase the full spectrum of products that we offer, including the UK premiere of the new Speedymix compact asphalt plant which was well received at the show.’

Another company with every reason to celebrate success at this year’s exhibition were Weir Minerals, who marked 80 years of Warman pumps with a special cake made in the shape of one of the well-known pumps. The products are part of Weir’s ‘total solution’ offering, delivering wear-resistant engineered pumps with service and support to increase productivity and reduce costs for end-users.

The QMJ Group Ltd, organizers of Hillhead 2018 and publishers of Quarry Management, also had a major milestone to celebrate at the show, this year being the 100th anniversary of the monthly magazine. To mark this momentous occasion, a number of guests were invited to a special summer lunch buffet on the joint QMJ/Tarmac stand.

Machines in Action

No Hillhead show would be complete without its working demonstrations. Indeed, the sights and sounds of the various live demonstration areas set in a real quarry are what make the show unique. Having the opportunity to demonstrate and witness plant and equipment doing a real ‘job of work’ in an actual quarry environment is invaluable for both exhibitors and visitors alike, and this year there was more live action than ever with several companies putting on demonstrations for the first time, alongside a whole host of ‘regulars’.

The Quarry Face demonstration area is always one of Hillhead’s biggest attractions. Carefully prepared for this year’s activity following a 20,000-tonne blast that was carried out in late May 2018, this area utilized three benches along an extended length of quarry face to host more than 35 machines – including excavators, wheel loaders, dumptrucks, dozers, cold planers, hydraulic breakers, screening buckets and mist cannons.

Having been introduced to this area for the first time at Hillhead 2016, once again two Terex Finlay mobile jaw crushers, a J-1160 and a J-1170, were located at the heart of the action, whilst numerous earthmoving machines carried out feeding, loading and hauling duties all around them. These included, among others: large crawler excavators from Doosan (DX340LC), Finning (Cat 320), Hitachi (ZX890LCR), Hyundai (HX520L), Liebherr (R956), Komatsu (PC490LC) and Volvo (EC750E); wheel loaders from Case (821G and 1021G), Doosan (DL550-5), Hyundai (HL980), Komatsu (WA470) and Liebherr (L576); and articulated dumptrucks from Bell (B50E), Doosan (DA30), Terex Trucks (TA400) and Volvo (A60H).

Also in the Quarry Face area, Finning demonstrated a Cat PM620 cold planer and a Cat D6T dozer fitted with Sitech/Trimble 3D grade control, whilst a range of excavator attachments from various manufacturers were given a thorough work out, including: a vibrating ripper device from Socomec; hydraulic breakers from Miller; and MB crushing buckets, Remu screening buckets and Rotar demolition tools from Worsley Plant. Effective dust control in this area was provided by MistCannon Ranger, MistCannon Integral and DustLayer dust-suppression solutions from Corgin.

Just short haul away in the area commonly referred to as ‘Crusher Alley’, a range of mobile crushers, screens, scalping grids and stockpiling conveyors demonstrated their rock-processing capabilities using material from the Quarry Face area. Here, at regular intervals, Sandvik put three machines through their paces, including the new QH332 cone crusher with double-deck hanging screen. Operating in line, a QJ341+ jaw crusher with pre-screen fed the new QH332 unit, which, in turn, fed on to a QA451e Hybrid Doublescreen. On the plot next door, Powerscreen demonstrated their Trackpactor 500SR impact crusher and Premiertrak PT600 jaw crusher. Both of these machines operated independently, whilst alongside them two new compact machines from EvoQuip – the Cobra 290R impact crusher and Colt 1000 screen – worked in tandem.

This year Terex Finlay’s demonstration line-up consisted of an I-120 impact crusher and 883 triple-shaft screen, together with a high-level feeder, whilst next door Tesab put an 800i jaw crusher and 8042TSL stockpiler through their paces, and on the plot next to them McCloskey demonstrated their J45 jaw crusher and a tracked stacker. Elsewhere in the Rock Processing area, Quarry Manufacturing & Supplies (QM&S) demonstrated a modular crushing plant consisting of a feeder, B3 cone crusher and two-deck screen. These and all the other machines in Crusher Alley were kept well fed by a variety of haulers, loaders and excavators, and ACE Plant were also on hand both here and in the Recycling demonstration area with their dust-suppression tankers, Quickspray dust-suppression unit and self-contained Dust Fighter dust cannons, to provide the requisite dust-control measures.

Before Hillhead opens its gates to visitors, tonnes of construction and demolition waste is imported on to the site to feed the range of specialist crushers, shredders and screens that occupy the Recycling demonstration area at the southern end of the site.

Here, Maximus Crushing & Screening demonstrated their MXJ110 jaw crusher with the assistance of JCB, who once again had a multitude of machines and equipment operating in the working area, including their brand new X-Series JS220X excavator and pioneering Hydradig 110W. Also in action were JS300 and JS370 excavators, 427X and 457X wheel loaders, the new 7-tonne HiViz dumper, plus a selection of JCB breakers and screening buckets.

Elsewhere in the Recycling demonstration area Baughans, Rubble Master and Herbst Machinery demonstrated their compact crushing and screening equipment, Warwick Ward showcased a Terex TDS V20 shredder and an Ecohog THM ECS-2000 separator, Engcon and ECY Haulmark put various hitches, tilt-rotators, crusher buckets, breakers and other attachments through their paces, and Air Spectrum supplemented ACE Plant’s dust-suppression measures with their DC30 dust cannon complete with 2,000-litre water bowser.

Meanwhile, at the top of the ramp, close to the newly expanded Registration pavilion, the newest of Hillhead’s four live working areas – the Registration demonstration area – was another hive of rock-processing and recycling activity, punctuated at regular intervals by the rise or ‘resurrection’ of the magnificent Man Engine. Crushing and screening equipment in this demo area ranged from the ‘heavyweight’ 50-tonne M515 trommel screen from MDS International to the ‘mini’ RC150 Rubble Crusher from CMB International. These were working with and alongside a range of mobile plant, including a Hidromek HMK 640 wheel loader, courtesy of Buntons, and a 9-tonne Wacker Neuson ET90 excavator, which demonstrated the cylinderless NOX-Tiltrotator and an assortment of hitches, buckets and other attachments from Kinshofer. Various mid-range excavators were also on hand to demonstrate quick-couplers, tilt-rotators, buckets and other attachments from BPH, Rototilt and Steelwrist. Once again, dust-control measures were provided by Air Spectrum and Corgin.

Sun and Success

With clear blue skies, record crowds and all the majors from the plant and equipment world in attendance, business continued to be buoyant going into the final day of the show. And judging by all the positive comments from exhibitors at the show, not to mention visitors, Hillhead 2018 was undoubtedly the biggest and most successful show to date.

With the slogan ‘Wim back ay we!’ – a Black Country reference to Wolves to being back in the Premier League – emblazoned across their stand, Wolverhampton-based Liquid Management Solutions (LMS) were also back in their own preferred location at the top of the ramp. For more than 15 years, LMS have provided a comprehensive range of fuel and lubrication dispensing and control equipment, systems and services to clients within the mineral extractives industry, as well as providing cost-effective solutions to fuel quality problems.

Speaking on the morning of the final day of the show, managing director Kevin Taylor said: ‘If the show ended right now, I would still be going home happy, such has been the quantity and quality of visitors we’ve seen. Hillhead is a great event where everyone from company chairmen to maintenance engineers stop and talk to you. The quality of the conversations we have here is really excellent,’ he enthused.

Back at the main showground, many of the visitors QM spoke to said that the huge array of brand new plant and equipment being exhibited, together with the constant live action displays in a real working environment, are what gives Hillhead its unique atmosphere and popular appeal.

Sam Wood, a surveyor, commented: ‘I have enjoyed it. I was at the first exhibition at Tadcaster in 1982 – and I haven’t missed many over all that time. I will definitely be back at the next show in 2020. It keeps me up to date with the technological advances and what’s available. The show also provides a great opportunity to network with other people in the industry.’

Commenting on his experience at Hillhead 2018, civil specialist Lee Hathersall said: ‘It has been great. I’m always looking for machines and the exhibition gives me the opportunity to compare them. I’ve come to a good few Hillheads and it always pays off.’

Hillhead is widely known for attracting visitors from around the world and this year’s event was no exception. Darren Bassingthwaighte, marketing manager for TEMA Isenmann, noted that the company’s stand had more overseas visitors than at previous shows.

‘There seemed to be more international interest in our screening media solutions this year, which shows Hillhead is recognized worldwide,’ he said. ‘We have welcomed visitors from Australia, Canada, Norway, Iceland and the Falkland Islands. Many of them were impressed with and showed strong interest in our WS85 modular screening system, along with the magnetic and compatible WS2.10 lining solution.’

Likewise, Reuben Bruce, managing director of Northern Ireland-based Bruce Engineering, was equally upbeat about this year’s show and commented on the high-calibre international audience. ‘Footfall on the stand is up on previous shows, the number of enquiries is up and the quality of the conversations is also up,’ he remarked, adding that his stand attracted visitors from the UK, France, Germany, Israel and Iran, and even from countries as far afield as South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

Quite apart from visitor numbers, Mr Bruce had further reason to be cheerful, having completed the sale of the BWPOD 100 Bruce WashPod – the centrepiece of the company’s stand – during the show.

The plant’s proud new owner, Nathan Heelas, general manager of Norfolk & Suffolk Plant Ltd, said the WashPod, together with an associated Bruce water and sludge treatment system, was the first of its kind in the UK and would be installed in the autumn as part of an expansion of the company’s site in Beccles, Suffolk. ‘We’re aiming to create a just-in-time waste-recycling operation that will reduce waste to landfill and increase recycled aggregates to market,’ explained Mr Heelas. ‘It’s an idea we want to expand around the UK.’

Hatz GB displayed several advanced diesel engines, including their new three-cylinder 3H50TIC and four-cylinder 4H50TIC, and used the show to explain to visitors how the clean output and modest dimensions of both engines would be ideally suited to a wide range of machinery. Sales manager Tarryn Jackson explained: ‘Our design and engineering team put a huge effort into developing these engines, so we were delighted to have the opportunity, at Hillhead, to detail all the new features and benefits these engines have to offer.

‘We were busy throughout the three days with a mixture of people visiting our display area, some existing customers, but also a large number of individuals who have yet to consider our engines for their projects. They all seemed impressed with the qualities of the H50 range.’

Mecalac Construction Equipment UK (formerly Terex GB) used Hillhead 2018 to promote their full range of compact loaders, excavators and dumpers, including the recently launched MWR excavator and the company’s all-new cabbed site dumper. Operational marketing manager Allison Sedgwick said the show provided an excellent platform from which to promote the Mecalac brand and to gain exposure for the company’s full range of equipment. ‘We’ve had a really good variety of visitors to the stand,’ she commented, ‘and it’s been great to be able to inform them about the capabilities of our machines.’

David Kinloch, regional manger for UK & Ireland at CDE Global, said he was very pleased with the huge interest shown in the company’s newest products at Hillhead, most notably the AggMax 163SR log-washer and two brand new Infinity screen models. ‘It’s been an excellent show for us, as we’ve picked up a substantial number of positive leads and even closed a number of deals on the stand,’ he enthused.

In a similar vein, Andy Sales, managing director of BDS Marketing Research, said Hillhead 2018 had been a ‘really positive experience’, allowing the business to meet a host of existing customers as well as some potential new clients. He explained: ‘It has also helped to boost the presence of BDS within the industry in ways that we could not have achieved otherwise, which can only help us grown in the long term.’

Mr Sales added that the show’s organization was superb and had been commented on to that effect by everyone he spoke to, including adjacent stand-holders.

Acknowledgements

The QMJ Group – the organizers of Hillhead 2018 – would like to express their gratitude to Tarmac Ltd for permission to use the Hillhead site. Also, a host of services and facilities at the show are made possible by the generous support of sponsors, and QMJ would like to thank the following companies and organizations: ATG, Babcock, FireShield Systems, The Institute of Quarrying, Invest Northern Ireland, Lomas Distribution, Nynas, Torsus and Woods.