Murray Plant moves on and upwards.

It has been 6 months since Blue Group completed the purchase of Murray Plant Ltd and a lot has been going on since then as the business continues to grow both organically and through the introduction of new brands in to their product portfolio.

Murray Plant has been supplying equipment to the construction, mining, demolition and quarrying industries for almost 30 years, having been set up in 1988 by Bruce Murray. Murray Plant have held the exclusive distribution rights for the Rammer range of equipment in Scotland, which ensured steady growth due to the popularity of the Rammer kit. In addition, the business has always had a strong focus on aftersales care, which has meant high retention of customers and ultimately synergy with the culture of Blue Group. Despite the relatively small Scottish market compared with other territories, Murray Plant continuously ‘boxed above their weight’ regularly winning Rammer’s ‘UK Dealer of the Year’ award, and incredibly have very recently won Rammer’s ‘World Dealer of the Year’ for 2017.

Since the deal with Blue back in January, there has been some exciting new developments. These include securing the distribution rights for a number of new brands, Allu and Fortress.

Allu offer a range of screening buckets which have been designed and built to make a variety of applications and processes more efficient. By reducing the number of process steps needed, these hydraulic attachments enable operators to screen on site. This reduces both transportation and material costs as the screened material produced can be retained and used on site for remediation or construction. The range incorporates the DL Series which is considered the perfect attachment for landscaping and agricultural applications. From composting to aerating, top soil screening to waste and debris processing, all can be carried out on-site. In addition, there is the D Series. These screener buckets have been developed for larger processing jobs, meaning everything from aerating compost, primary on-site screening and processing construction material. Finally, there is the M and G Series, both of which are ranges of multi-faceted tools for mining and process industry applications.

Fortress Shears and Crackers are, quite simply, considered to the best in the world, boasting innovative engineering with an optimized structure for long life and high strength to weight ratio. The Fortress equipment have also been designed with maintenance in mind, having large, removable access panels for component replacement. Key features that set these shears apart include a significantly enlarged pivot group eliminating the need for auto guide. This also dramatically improves the performance and durability of the shear. There is a substantial two-piece piercing tip on the demolition shears which doubles the size of the protected area when compared with most demolition shears. Furthermore, the fact that the upper and lower jaws are made from 6” high-yield structural plate steel significantly reduces the need for laminations.

When it comes to the Fortress Demolition Crackers, the upper jaw is machined from a solid 6” thick steel plate, with absolutely no welds. These pieces of equipment also offer tight blade clearances allowing rebar to be processed across the entire jaw length including the tip that offers unmatched power.

Whilst there has been significant change in terms of breadth of portfolio, there are some things that have remained constant at Murray Plant, as these are the factors which have brought strong growth, as well as the numerous awards over the years. Bruce Murray remains in charge of daily operations within the business, and still even has customers that have been with him for years who won’t deal with anyone else. Sales Director Fergal O’Neill, who has been influential in identifying and securing these new brands, has grown the team around him, with Mick Reeve Dane Fitzpatrick and Jack Miggin now selling, not just in Scotland, but across the UK as Murray Plant have extended their territory with the assistance of Blue Group to now incorporate the whole off the British Isles.

Sales growth from the changes made has been instant, not only on the new machines but with Rammer kit too, as the Blue Group deal has meant access to new Blue Group customers. This was clear at the recent Hillhead event where the sales target for the event was exceeded by 400%. Much of this was due to Blue Group customers coming on to the stand, being introduced to the Murray Plant team by the Blue Salesmen, who were then able to illustrate the quality of the kit they sell.

As if all that hasn’t been enough, Murray Plant have also launched a new website, www.murrayplanthire.co.uk This showcases both the products and aftersales service they provide.

Commenting on the first six months with Blue Group, Bruce Murray said, “Blue Group’s purchase of Murray Plant has enabled us to reach the next level. It’s not just their investment capabilities, but also their knowledge, influence and strength in the market. We have seen outstanding growth in a very short period of time because of what they bring to the table.”

CEO at Blue Group, Adrian Murphy who was responsible for overseeing the deal back in January also highlighted “Fundamentally the Murray Plant business was in great shape when we made the acquisition. There was also a lot of similarities between Blue and Murray Plant which has made integrating the two businesses that much easier. We project continued growth in the future and will be investing in their site, personnel and stock to ensure that happens.”

It’s certainly an exciting time for Murray Plant. No doubt the progress over the last 6 months is only a taste of what’s to come. For more information on Murray Plant equipment contact Fergal O’Neill on fergal@rammerhammer.co.uk

Associated Businesses

  • Warrington, WA4 4SN
  • Linwood, PA3 3BW