Vac UK – part of the Kilkern Group, a St Albans-based civil engineering contractor – is bidding for UK market leadership in the growing suction excavation market.
The latest order is worth almost £10m and follows a £15m order last year. The latest machines will arrive from the factory in Italy in 2023.
Vac UK secured the exclusive distribution rights for Italian manufacturer Longo in the UK and Ireland last year. As previously reported, it displayed the Longo Rhino at the No Dig Live show in Peterborough last September. It is described as the most powerful twin fan suction excavator on the market, producing a flow rate of 45,000 m³/h and a vacuum up to 500 mbar.
The Rhino can be mounted on any chassis and the Vac UK order will see machines based Scania, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo drivetrains.
Vac UK director Patrick Curran said: “From the outset, we have been absolutely clear that we wanted to build the best performing fleet of vacuum excavators in our markets. On that basis, we have been very specific in our acquisition strategy – to buy only the best and most powerful machines because they offer benefits in terms of versatility, efficiency and safety.
“Our customers have responded very positively to that approach and it has been one of three principal drivers of demand for our services – the others being our extremely well trained drivers and operators and, more generally, increasing awareness of the benefits of vacuum excavation across construction and civils.
“Managers are bringing in vac ex machines more often on jobs and they are specifying high performing machines. I believe this order sets out a very clear statement of intent that we will continue to increase the depth of our resource to meet their needs.”
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