Kelston Sparkes has bought six new Volvo A40F articulated haulers, two EC480D excavators and two L110G loading shovels .
Managing director Alan Sparkes said: “We’ve been very fortunate to secure mid to long term contracts within the extractive industry in the southwest of the country and in particular the Mendips. As a major contractor to several established companies we are committed to work as a team with our clients in delivering a quality service with experienced personnel and first class products. In turn we rely on known and trusted suppliers such as Volvo to help support our endeavours as we recover, as an industry as a whole, from the recent unprecedented recession.”
The six new 40t trucks have been deployed on a major contract within one of the largest quarries in the Mendips and join an existing mixed fleet of 12 of Sparkes’ A30E and A40E trucks. The 42-week contract entails the re-siting of approximately 4m tonnes of scalpings from the quarry’s old tip to a worked out area of the site which involves a 2.5km round trip to expose a fresh reserve of stone. Elsewhere in the quarry, Kelston Sparkes is loading and hauling blasted limestone from the face to the quarry’s mobile crusher, which involves hauling 1.4m tonnes of rock on a rolling five year contract. 
The two new Volvo EC480D excavators are also at work in Mendips quarries. To meet quarry regulations, the 49t machines have been kitted out with safety rails around the superstructure, red and white chevrons on the counterweight and full cab windscreen guard. Heavy duty rock handling buckets with reinforced wear edges have been fitted.
The two new Volvo L110G loading shovels replace existing Volvo L120E and F models on a couple of long standing waste rehandling contracts within the Avonmouth area.
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