Doosan Bobcat EMEA has appointed Versatile Equipment Ltd as the new Authorised Bobcat Dealer for the counties of Greater London, Essex, West Sussex, East Sussex, Kent and Surrey in the UK. Versatile Equipment replaces Bobcat of London as the exclusive Bobcat dealer in this region, which according to Bobcat accounts for around 20% of the total value of machinery sales in construction and related markets in the UK.
From 1st January 2021, Versatile Equipment supercedes Bobcat of London with sole responsibility in this area for sales and service of the market-leading range of Bobcat skid-steer and compact track loaders, mini-excavators, telehandlers, compact wheel loaders, light compaction and attachments.
Ewen Gilchrist, Network Development Manager UK & Nordics at Doosan Bobcat EMEA, said: “We are excited by the expertise, experience and enthusiasm that Versatile Equipment will bring to the role of the new Authorised Bobcat Dealer for Greater London and the South East. Versatile Equipment is well established and offers a knowledge of the compact equipment and telehandler market that is second to none and is matched by a strong familiarity with the expanding Bobcat product range and an outstanding parts and service back-up for new and existing customers in the area.”
Lee Chater, Sales and Marketing Director at Versatile Equipment, said: “We are very proud to be appointed as Bobcat’s Authorised Dealer for London and the South East. To meet customer demand, we have complemented our successful track record in the compact market, with strong investment in our facilities both at our headquarters in Borough Green near Sevenoaks in Kent, and at our partner business, Hydraulics Plant Services, in East Grinstead, close to Gatwick Airport.
“We are looking forward to a long and fruitful relationship with Bobcat, helping to significantly increase the company’s share of the construction, rental, landscaping, agriculture, industrial, recycling, waste management and other markets in London and the South East.”
Quality Service for Bobcat Customers
As well as sales of the entire Bobcat range of machines and attachments, Versatile Equipment will be offering a full selection of genuine Bobcat accessories and parts to support both new and existing Bobcat customers in its area. This will be backed up by a stock of both brand new and second hand Bobcat machines for sale. Customers will also benefit from Versatile’s on-site service network, covering everything from emergency repairs to routine maintenance.
Lee Chater added: “With Bobcat’s new ’Next is Now’ initiative, the company’s product range offers even more opportunities in the areas of compact wheel loaders, small articulated loaders, light compaction and rotary telehandlers.”
Lee Chater continued: “As I mentioned, we have expanded our HQ on the Hornet Business Estate in Borough Green, with new customer reception, showroom, parts and service, warehouse, administration and sales departments for our Bobcat customers. We are also recruiting additional staff to expand our saleforce and customer support teams. We have made similar improvements at our East Grinstead location to provide an increased service for local customers in this part of our new territory.”
Specialist Rental Fleet
For general hire and more specialist applications, Versatile Equipment runs a state-of-the-art rental fleet of compact loaders and attachments, which is one of the largest in the UK. The company has a team of experts who are on hand to offer customers advice they might need regarding the best machinery to hire for their project.
Lee Chater added: “Not only do we offer one of the UK’s largest rental fleet of compact loaders, we also have a huge fleet of attachments to increase the versatility of the machines. We can cater for a wide range of needs – whether you need to rent a skid-steer or compact track loader with just a bucket or with a selection of attachments to undertake numerous tasks. All machines in our hire fleet are under three years old, fully certified and have a thorough Pre-Delivery Inspection prior to delivery to a customer’s site.”
Next is Now Expansion
Under the new Next is Now umbrella, Bobcat has entered the European wheel loader market for compact wheel loaders and small articulated loaders, as well as launching new generation R-Series compact loaders and R2-Series 5-6 tonne mini-excavators. The company has also added a full range of new light compaction machinery, developed in collaboration with the Ammann Group.
Again Inspired by the Next is Now philosophy, Bobcat has launched an expanded line of new generation rotary telehandlers, including ten Stage V compliant models, with lifting heights from 18 to 39 m and lifting capacities from 4 to 7 tonne. The latter are complemented by the market-leading range of 13 different Bobcat rigid frame telehandler models covering maximum lifting capacities between 2.6 and 4.3 tonne and maximum lifting heights from 6 to 18 m.
The Bobcat range also offers 12 skid-steer loaders including the brand new R-Series S66 and S76 models, complementing these wheeled machines with a selection of seven compact track loaders, including the latest R-Series T66 and T76 models.
The Bobcat mini-excavator range comprises 17 models with operating weights from 1.0 to 8.5 tonne, with the newest additions being the exciting R2-Series E50z, E55z and E60 models from 5-6 tonne.
