A Perthshire farmer and businessman has made a record-breaking investment of £87.5 million in machines from British machinery giant JCB.
The order has been made by Morris Leslie Plant Hire, almost 50 years after the founder Morris Leslie, established the company on his parents’ farm in the Carse of Gowrie, near Perth.
Mr Morris attended Elmwood Agricultural College in Cupar and now owns and operates four arable farms in Perthshire and Angus covering a total of 2,000 acres.
The company began buying and selling construction equipment and now operates across the UK, with many of the firm’s customers working in the agricultural sector.
Mr Leslie’s order includes a large fleet of 50 iconic 3CX backhoe loaders at a time when new figures show a resurgence in demand for backhoes in the UK, with the market growing by more than 12% in 2022.
His investment will also see the company take delivery of Loadall telescopic handlers, excavators, site dumpers and compaction equipment.
Large fleet of 50 JCB backhoe loaders sold to Perthshire farmer and businessman
“Our business was founded on a farm in 1974 and I am proud that farmers and the wider agricultural community continue to be vitally important to the success of the company today,” he said.
“This order ensures we can continue to support them with the very latest and best equipment.
“We are delighted to have agreed our largest ever order with our long-term partner JCB to support our 2023 growth plans and by the end of the year our entire JCB fleet will be operating with the latest Stage V engines.
“The backhoe continues to be hugely popular with our customers thanks to its excellent loading and excavating capabilities and the ability to travel directly to the site, cutting the need for costly transportation.”
Manufactured at JCB’s factories in Rocester and Cheadle in Staffordshire, the new machines are powered by the latest Stage V engines which deliver low emissions.
Largest ever deal secured by JCB
They are also fitted with the JCB LiveLink telematics system which enables Morris Leslie Plant Hire and its rental customers to monitor the safety, productivity and emissions of the machines.
The order will be supplied by dealer Scot JCB to Morris Leslie’s 14 nationwide depots throughout 2023.
JCB sales managing director Marco Bersellini, said: “We are proud of our long-standing partnership with Morris Leslie Plant Hire. This deal confirms that JCB has exactly the right products to meet the needs of hirers and end users.”
