£5K Reward Offered after Plant Hire Firm's JCB 3CX for Sale Stolen

Solway Plant Hire have offered a £5000 reward, after three vehicles including a jcb 3cx for sale were stolen from the Wishaw area in North Lanarkshire.

The machines had been supplied to North Lanarkshire Council to assist with snow removal operations in Scotland. All three vehicles were in Wishaw on snow clearing duties when they were stolen. The thieves took a digger, tractor and a jcb 3cx worth over £160,000.

Jason McLurg from Solway Plant Hire, owners of jcb 3cx for sale in Dumfries, has offered the cash reward for information which leads to the return of the vehicles, which police believe will still be in the area.

Mr McLurg, whose plant hire firm has around 40 vehicles in his fleet, said: “I’m sick, it couldn’t have happened at a worse time. We were up doing snow clearing for both North and South Lanarkshire Councils and we had taken eight vehicles there.

“On December 11 a John Deere tractor and a Caterpillar digger were stolen from the Tesco car park in Wishaw during the night. A few days later a JCB 3CX was stolen from a secure compound in Range Road, Motherwell."

McLurg is confident there is still a chance to find the stolen machines, and asks for locals to be vigilant. “I believe they are still within a 20 or 30 mile radius of where they were stolen. I think they are still in the central belt."

He added: "I’m desperate for them back, which is why I have put up the reward. It was the first time we had helped out and we still are, but now we only have five vehicles instead of eight.”

The three vehicles stolen were a John Deere 6830 Tractor with a snowplough fitted to the front, a Caterpillar 432 Digger and a jcb 3cx. Locals have been encouraged to contact police with any information on the stolen equipment.

Irish Mini Digger Supplier Celebrates 30th Anniversary

Dublin-based plant hire firm Kiernan's is celebrating its 30th anniversary. Larry Kiernan started his business with just one JCB mini digger, and now supplies a range of plant machinery for hire from the company's base of operations in Balbriggan, north of Dublin.

"There are now over 50 pieces of machinery available for hire ranging from one-ton mini diggers to track machines, tipper Lorries and other plant equipment," says Bernie Kiernan, Larry's wife and business partner, speaking to Irish Trucker magazine. Kiernan's stocks models from a range of manufacturers including Caterpillar, JCB, Komatsu, Hino, Atlas and Terex. All maintenance work on the machines is done by Kiernan's themselves. “The fleet hasn't been added to for the past year or two, so it is important to keep the plant well maintained. Each driver has his own machine which he maintains and we also have 2 fitters for more bigger maintenance," explains Mrs Kiernan.

Bernie says that the key to their success over they years has been striving to provide excellent customer service, based on the range of well-maintained machines they offer, "Customer satisfaction is our priority as it always has been. We have a large customer base and if we can hold on to what we have then we will delighted. We don't plan to expand the plant too much, but then again you never say never and if we feel that we have too then we will.”

Whether a customer requires one mini digger or a range of tracked excavators and backhoes, Kiernan's operates to the same policy of providing high-quality service, no matter the size of the job. “When the customer wants a job done, we want to ensure that it will be done as quickly and efficiently as possible, while at a reasonable rate," says Mrs Kiernan.

She added: "Most of the customers that we have would be with us for years. Whether they are a big or small company, everyone is treated the same with us and we're very grateful for their business over the years.”