It’s not just the Premier League that’s been making classy Italian signings this season because A&Y Equipment recently became Britain’s sole distributor of Dieci machinery. Construction Plant News visits the company to find out more.
With the recent volatility in the value of the pound the importers of machinery have been amongst the first to feel the early headwinds of a certain referendum result.
Potential relief is, however, at hand because having a diverse portfolio of equipment, together with an infrastructure in place that can service customers with a full range of parts and after sales support, will certainly provide some shelter against potentially inclement movements in the currency markets, and that’s exactly what A&Y Equipment can offer.
Adding to that burgeoning range, the Warwickshire-based firm announced earlier in the year that it was further bolstering its machinery supply by becoming this country’s distributor for Dieci.
Best known for its telehandlers, the Italian manufacturer also produces truck mixers and dumpers, all of which will complement an A&Y Equipment catalogue that already includes Yanmar, Cormidi Tracked Dumpers and Ammann 
Compactors. So what place will Dieci now find amongst the yellow and red that presently dominates the UK market?
“We’ve already placed a stock order that will be in the region of 5 times what was sold last year, because we believe that the industry wants an alternative to the established major players,” explains A&Y’s Glyn Stanton.
“Whilst the likes of the 14 and 17 metre machines will be the volume models, there is also growth potential in the heavier lift Hercules units. Rotos are machines that are far more common on the continent and Dieci provides a good number of options there as well, so we’ll hopefully see more contractors converting to the benefits of these 3-in-1 machines.
“Dieci are already serious players in their native land and across some of Europe’s biggest markets and beyond, and that is reflected in a breadth of range. Not only that but these are machines that are well-known for using some of the best available components in their construction, and once we get them out there in bigger numbers their virtues will become apparent.
“The compact sector is one that is still seeing growth, for instance, which should make the Apollo 25/6 an important part of the offering, and there’s still a demand for 7 & 10m units.”
That level of choice is a particular asset in the plant hirer sector, where rental firms will instinctively look to pare down the number of its suppliers, whilst there’s also a degree of commonality in the components used. Spicer axles are favoured by Dieci, for instance, and can also be found on their Manitou and JLG counterparts, but equally there are unique innovations that have emerged from the Montevecchio Emilia production facility in northern Italy.
A patented compensation cylinder located inside the lifting ram, for example, ensures that the load on the boom is balanced at all times, minimising excessive stress on the machine and producing a more reliable product.
As well as that, the equipment has already acquired the kudos of being trusted on some of the UK’s largest infrastructure projects, with its truck mixers in evidence at Crossrail and now Hinckley Point. On both sites the contractors reported that these were extremely robust machines, but any prospective construction plant purchaser will need confidence not just in the product but in the crucial backing post-sale, and that’s where A&Y’s experience can score highly.
“We are a company that understands what it is to be an importer and are well versed in not just selling machines but providing the back-up that dealers, hirers and end users demand,” adds Mike Brown.
“We already have a dedicated parts team operating from our Warwickshire base and will stock all of the fast moving items on our shelves, whilst anything more unusual can be shipped very quickly from the continent. That’s one of the 
key messages for us – because of the expertise we’ve built up with other brands we can provide a surety of support.”
Robert Brown, A&Y’s Managing Director is equally enthusiastic about the synergy between what his company already does and what their new Italian partner needs: “You’d be hard pressed to think of who else out there can offer so many different machines, and if we were to personally visit a jobsite it would be very unlikely that we couldn’t find a Dieci that could fit that customer’s application.
“We are always looking for complementary products and brands but they need to be of a certain quality and fit with the customers and dealers we already have and Dieci fulfils all those requirements. In fact, we’ve talked to end users, most recently at Plantworx, about what problems they might have and how we can help, and what emerged is that they are very happy with the product itself. What they’re telling us is that they need the parts and service support to go with it.”
“Dieci have made the decision that they want to make a serious move into the UK market,” concludes Glyn, “and they have the range to do it. What A&Y offers is the experience of a seasoned machinery importer to help them make the journey.”
For further information on the range of construction plant available from A&Y click here.
