H&C Dickie acquire Sheba Plant
H&C Dickie Ltd, the Scottish-based crushing and screening contractors, have recently acquired their English counterparts, Sheba Plant Ltd, in a move that sees the formation of Britain’s largest contract crushing and screening group with a fleet of over 80 items of plant including crushers, screens, washing plant, loading shovels and excavators.
Both companies’ current bases in central Scotland and the English Midlands are being retained, giving the expanded group nationwide coverage from Shetland in the north to Cornwall in the south.
‘Our largest clients are the quarry majors, civil engineering contractors and utility companies,’ explained H&C Dickie’s chairman, Hubert Dickie. ‘Each of these operates all over the UK so it makes sense that we do too.’
Managing director Campbell Dickie added: ‘Sheba Plant are a company we have long admired and we have worked beside them well in recent years often cross-hiring plant between ourselves. Although we had won substantial contracts in England, we were finding it difficult to find continuous work to justify setting up a permanent base there. Not only do Sheba offer such a base, they also provide steady work, new clients, a loyal workforce, and 35 years’ experience in the industry.’
While both companies will continue to operate individually to provide clients with the local service they are accustomed to, the two firms will combine resources and expertise. ‘With areas such as health and safety becoming increasingly expensive to comply with, we can take advantage of an economy of scale to ensure we remain compliant with client and governmental regulations,’ said finance director Colin Dickie.
‘Looking forward, we plan to grow both companies and offer clients more comprehensive solutions. Sheba Plant’s existing experience and expertise in sand and gravel processing was an attraction in the acquisition that will allow the group to offer this service nationwide. Many clients are discovering that contract crushing is a real alternative to in-house crushing. We offer financially competitive rates with no capex or up-front payments and we take much of the associated risk.
‘The philosophy of the new group is to bring contract crushing into the 21st century with the provision of more sophisticated services. The modern quarrier demands fixed prices, flexible production and guaranteed quality, all while maintaining strict health and safety discipline. The one-man-band doesn’t have the resources to double production on demand, nor does he have the financial strength to guarantee production. We can provide peace of mind to our customers and still compete on price.’
H&C Dickie, 2 Cunningham Road, Spingkerse Industrial Estate, Stirling FK7 7SW; tel: (01786) 478114; fax: (01786) 849296.
Both companies’ current bases in central Scotland and the English Midlands are being retained, giving the expanded group nationwide coverage from Shetland in the north to Cornwall in the south.
‘Our largest clients are the quarry majors, civil engineering contractors and utility companies,’ explained H&C Dickie’s chairman, Hubert Dickie. ‘Each of these operates all over the UK so it makes sense that we do too.’
Managing director Campbell Dickie added: ‘Sheba Plant are a company we have long admired and we have worked beside them well in recent years often cross-hiring plant between ourselves. Although we had won substantial contracts in England, we were finding it difficult to find continuous work to justify setting up a permanent base there. Not only do Sheba offer such a base, they also provide steady work, new clients, a loyal workforce, and 35 years’ experience in the industry.’
While both companies will continue to operate individually to provide clients with the local service they are accustomed to, the two firms will combine resources and expertise. ‘With areas such as health and safety becoming increasingly expensive to comply with, we can take advantage of an economy of scale to ensure we remain compliant with client and governmental regulations,’ said finance director Colin Dickie.
‘Looking forward, we plan to grow both companies and offer clients more comprehensive solutions. Sheba Plant’s existing experience and expertise in sand and gravel processing was an attraction in the acquisition that will allow the group to offer this service nationwide. Many clients are discovering that contract crushing is a real alternative to in-house crushing. We offer financially competitive rates with no capex or up-front payments and we take much of the associated risk.
‘The philosophy of the new group is to bring contract crushing into the 21st century with the provision of more sophisticated services. The modern quarrier demands fixed prices, flexible production and guaranteed quality, all while maintaining strict health and safety discipline. The one-man-band doesn’t have the resources to double production on demand, nor does he have the financial strength to guarantee production. We can provide peace of mind to our customers and still compete on price.’
H&C Dickie, 2 Cunningham Road, Spingkerse Industrial Estate, Stirling FK7 7SW; tel: (01786) 478114; fax: (01786) 849296.
