Exciting times lay ahead for Bell Equipment UK – not only has the company recently opened a new dedicated service facility, but it is also looking forward to the UK unveiling of its latest ADT – the enormous B60E.
Bell Equipment has recently made a major investment in its workshop capability with the opening of a new service and maintenance centre.
At the same time, the company has brought its service back in-house covering England and Wales, leaving United Plant Services to continue the support of its machines in Scotland’s central belt.
The new facility, located on the same industrial park as the company’s existing UK base in Burton-on-Trent, boasts four workshop bays for machine repairs and refurbishment, along with a 15,000 square foot year giving the manufacturer extensive space to house its articulated dump trucks and wheeled loaders prior to dispatch.
The decision to invest reflects the strong market position enjoyed by Bell in the UK, with the company aiming to build on the success of 2015, as Managing Director, Nick Learoyd, explains: “We have seen unprecedented growth over the past year, as our customers seek to renew their fleets in anticipation of increased work in quarrying and construction.
“During the recession, it was understandable that companies ‘made do’ with existing plant and equipment, but the greater confidence we are seeing now means that orders are at an all-time high.
“Seeking additional space was also essential to us, in terms of both servicing and storage. At the same time, with more Bell ADT’s and wheeled loaders in the field, it made sense to make a statement of intent about our customer focus by bringing our service and support in-house for England and Wales.”
Previously, this provision was undertaken by United Plant Services (UPS), a specialist plant maintenance contractor with a nationwide reach.
“UPS has done a great job for us and will continue to offer secondary support during periods of high demand. Nonetheless, the time is right for Bell to employ a team of engineers directly, operating from a dedicated, central base,” adds Nick.
New Facility Manager, Stuart Bickley, agrees “Having this purpose built facility will enable us to provide a complete service from one dedicated location. The facility includes four bays, meaning we can perform remedial work on damaged machines, as well as refurbishing older models.
We have always offered a used machine division but this will enable us to provide an extended and enhanced service,” adds Stuart.
Andy Pearce, Aftersales Manager from Bell, concludes: “Bell Equipment has always offered the complete package, from machine sales, to parts and services.
However, consolidating all of these in one location will streamline the entire process, allowing us to be more efficient, decrease our turnaround times and reduce our customers’ down time.”
Size does matter
The opening of the new Bell Equipment UK service and maintenance centre has been perfectly timed to precede the UK launch of the much anticipated B60E, the latest and the largest of the E-series.
Originally introduced as a concept in 2013, the B60D had already proven itself as a solution for moving large volumes of material in all weather conditions, in a market segment that was previously only contested by rigid trucks.
The B60E is a 4×4 with full articulation steering and oscillation joint, which keeps all four wheels on the ground and fully utilises the traction available, meaning it has more off-road capability than any other conventional rigid truck.
Powered by the latest Mercedes Benz engine, the machine continues the Bell tradition of offering the lowest cost per tonne machines on the market, with an economical drivetrain that delivers significantly lower fuel consumption than a traditional rigid truck.
However, the unit’s real talent is in adverse weather conditions. Rain and excess water can greatly affect traction and while many rigid trucks do not have the capability to cope in these conditions, the B60E, with its all wheel traction, can continue to work safely with no loss in production.
Additionally, less ground maintenance at the load and dump sites, traditionally required to prevent rigid trucks from getting stuck, will save both time and money.
Richard Higgott, Sales and Marketing Manager at Bell, explains: “With its four-wheel drive and ability, through to the incorporation of an independent front and rear chassis to keep its wheels on the ground, the B60E is ideal for a number of specific applications and is already being trialled successfully at many locations across the UK.
The tighter turning circle, and its ability to negotiate steeper ramps, are also significant advantages over its rigid truck counterparts.”
This new launch is the latest addition to the E-series, which already includes the B25E, B30E, B40E and B50E, all of which, the manufacturer maintains, deliver increased production payloads, lower daily operating costs, superior ride quality and higher safety standards.
Key amongst its advantages is fuel efficiency – a quality that has already seen the product range selected by major names in quarrying, earthmoving and plant hire.
The future’s bright, the future’s yellow
“The continued success of our E-series, the addition of our B60E, and the opening of our own service and maintenance centre, puts Bell in an enviable position.
“We can now offer our customers the complete package, from sale to service, from one convenient location, as well as providing the widest choice of ADTs on the market,” concludes Richard.
For more information visit www.bellequipment.co.uk
