James King (Plant) adds to HD Hyundai excavator fleet
Northamptonshire-based earthworks contractor James King (Plant) has added two HD Hyundai HX220A L and two HX140A L crawler excavators to its growing fleet of equipment. The company, which is approaching 50 years in business, operates 53 major pieces of plant, including 10 HD Hyundai excavators. In the past this has extended to 42 and 50-tonne machines, to meet the needs of a diverse range of customers.“When we started purchasing new machines we went with Hyundai. We like Tony Wilcox at Willowbrook Plant and the back-up service that they provide, which is very good,” said Plant Manager Gary Follen.
“The Hyundai reliability is superb. We don’t have to put many spanners on them. Generally, we don’t get any problems once they are up and running.”
All of the HD Hyundai machines have been delivered to local dealer Willowbrook Plant’s in-house specification, with standard hydraulic breaker lines, HD Hyundai’s All Around Vision Monitor (AAVM) 360° camera system and a full ‘boxing ring’ of safety handrails on the upperstructure. The machines also benefit from an impressive standard trim, both under the engine canopy and in the operator’s cab.
“We have also added GPS preparation for our Trimble machine control system on the 22-tonne machines,” said Director Patrick King.
A third-generation family business, James King (Plant) was founded in 1975 in Blisworth, Northamptonshire, by Patrick’s father James. The company has become well known and respected as a specialist earthmoving sub-contractor, working with many of the UK’s leading house builders and commercial property developers, throughout the Northamptonshire area and further afield.
“We do a lot of moving muck for the housebuilders,” said Mr King. “We don’t seek nationwide work, but we will go anywhere to provide a service to our customers. Mostly we are within 50-60 miles of our base location.”
The company dedicates one operator to each machine, with many of its staff having been with the firm for multiple years. The business has had a positive start to 2024 and is looking for continued growth going forwards, as it looks to meet the changing needs of its customer base.
“We’ve been busy so far this year, but it’s been difficult, due to the weather conditions. We’re looking for slow and steady growth,” said Mr King.
“We’ve got a very loyal workforce and we treat them well. They really like the Hyundai excavators.”
HD Hyundai’s HX220A L is a 22-tonne crawler machine powered by a 129kW (172hp) version of the Stage V compliant Cummins B6.7 diesel engine. Equipped with Electronic Pump Flow Control (EPFC) hydraulics, the machine boasts a maximum digging depth of up to 7,720mm and a bucket breakout force of 152-165kN.
The smaller HX140A L is a conventional tailswing 14.4-tonne tracked machine. Powered by a 100kW (134hp) Stage V Cummins F3.8 diesel, the machine is built for the toughest conditions, with robust upper and lower frames, high-grade hoses, side protectors and a durable cooling module.
Willowbrook Plant was founded in 2008, delivering a range of construction equipment to customers across central England. The company has been the HD Hyundai dealer for Northamptonshire, Leicestershire and Cambridgeshire since July 2011 and added Lincolnshire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire to its sales area in 2020