JCB seals record £87.5m order with Perth-based plant hire firm

JCB has won its biggest ever deal in the UK after Perth-based rental firm Morris Leslie Plant Hire placed an order worth almost £90 million.

The bumper order from the Scottish group, which operates across the UK, includes a deal for 50 iconic JCB backhoe loaders. The £87.5m agreement will also see Morris Leslie Plant Hire take delivery of excavators, site dumpers, telescopic handlers and compaction equipment, underlining its commitment to provide housebuilders and the construction sector with one of the industry’s most up-to-date fleets. The machines are being manufactured at JCB’s factories in Rocester and Cheadle, Staffordshire. They will be supplied by dealer Scot JCB to Morris Leslie’s 14 nationwide depots throughout 2023.

Morris Leslie, chairman of the group, said: “The backhoe loader part of the order is particularly pleasing, and we look forward to seeing ongoing growth of our JCB 3CX fleet. The backhoe continues to be hugely popular with our customers thanks to its excellent loading and excavating capabilities and the ability to travel directly to the site, cutting the need for costly transportation. Scot JCB and other JCB dealers around the UK continue to provide first-class service to our depots and our customers.”

JCB sales boss Marco Bersellini added: “We are proud of our long-standing partnership with Morris Leslie Plant Hire. This deal demonstrates confidence in the construction market and confirms that JCB has exactly the right products to meet the needs of hirers and end users.”

The diggers are fitted with a telematics system that enables the firm and its rental customers to monitor the safety, productivity and emissions of the machines.