Breedon choose Terex Finlay equipment

11 September, 2019

First published in the September 2019 issue of Quarry Management as A New Breed

Breedon, one of the leading construction materials groups in Great Britain and Ireland, have recently taken delivery of new Terex Finlay crushers, screeners and washing equipment from Glasgow-based Finlay Scotland

The new machines, delivered throughout the first quarter of of 2019, have been deployed to sites across Breedon’s Northern region, increasing production and generating greater working efficiencies thanks to the cutting-edge technology available in the Terex Finlay machines manufactured in Omagh and Dungannon, Northern Ireland.

Breedon are highly regarded in the industry, with fast-paced growth over the last decade elevating them into a key supplier of construction materials and contracting services throughout Great Britain and Ireland. This growth has come from strong organic performance combined with strategic and bolt-on acquisitions. Recent notable purchases include Hope Construction Materials in 2016 and the £455 million acquisition of Lagan Group, a materials supplier based in Ireland, in 2018.

Breedon Group currently operate more than 80 quarries in Great Britain and Ireland and also feature a diverse portfolio including two cement plants, 40 asphalt plants, around 170 ready-mixed concrete plants, nine concrete and clay products plants, four contract surfacing businesses, six import/export terminals and two slate production facilities, with nearly 900 million tonnes of mineral reserves and resources at their disposal.

The new Terex Finlay crushers are the latest additions in a long line of Terex Finlay equipment supplied by Finlay Scotland to the Northern region of the Breedon Group over many years. This order includes a spread of products, from J-1480 jaw crushers through C-1550 cone crushers, 694+, 693+ and 683 inclined screeners to 883+ heavy-duty scalping screeners and TC-80 tracked conveyors.

Alan Mackenzie, managing director of Breedon Northern, said: ‘We have built a long-standing relationship with the team at Finlay Scotland, as they have been an excellent supplier for us over the years. They have always provided us with a high-quality range of products and been there to back them up when needed.

‘The nature of our business creates an extremely demanding environment for all our machinery, none more so than production equipment such as crushers and screeners. But I feel that the Finlay Scotland team are working with us to help us achieve our goals, something any business needs from their supplier base to become truly successful.’

The latest machines all include the Terex Finlay T-Link telematics system, allowing the team at Breedon to remotely access each machine and monitor both live and historic performance data. This allows the team to analyse the performance of each machine, so they can identify potential improvements, calculate wear rates and keep on top of how their cost of production is tracking – all essential knowledge in an industry where costs are increasing and protection of margins is a priority.

Mr Mackenzie continued: ‘The Terex Finlay products have always served us very well. From a business point of view, we have to evaluate many angles when looking at purchasing new machinery. The initial cost is certainly a factor, but I would argue that it is not the be-all and end-all. We also look at production capacity, versatility, reliability, whole-life cost of ownership, level of after-sales service from the dealer and, finally, the residual value.

‘Terex Finlay machines have always offered great all-round performance. We have a team on the ground that has bought into the brand, thanks to the service and support provided over the years, not only by Finlay Scotland, but the guys at the Terex Finlay factory too.’

The J-1480 stands as the largest jaw crusher in the extensive Terex Finlay range, weighing in at 76,000kg when fitted with the optional bypass conveyor and magnet options. It is fitted with a single-toggle jaw crusher which boasts a throughput capacity of up to 750 tonnes/h, depending on application and material – making it the primary jaw crusher of choice for many large quarrying applications.

Tom McNeil, managing director of Finlay Scotland, said: ‘We know what the customer is looking for – if a plant is down, they need it fixed there and then, and this is what we aim for with all our customers. Breedon are a forward-thinking company who have a keen interest in any new developments in technology that could help them improve their ways of working – something we are always investigating both with our manufacturer partners and in the wider market.’

Finlay Scotland were themselves recently acquired by Molson Group in March 2019, in a deal that, when paired with the acquisition of Finlay Group in June 2018, completed the distribution rights for Terex Finlay equipment across Great Britain for Molson.

Mr McNeil continued: ‘Following the acquisition by Molson Group, Finlay Scotland remains the same dynamic business that it has always been, but thanks to the influence of Molson Group, and particularly Molson Finlay, we now have access to a much greater amount of new machine stock, spare parts and technical expertise and network locations. I believe this puts us in much stronger position to not only offer customers new machines at shorter notice, but also to help us keep their machines running much more cost-effectively.

‘With the scale of the product range within the Molson Group, we are also now able to offer our customers a much wider range of equipment than ever before. With other great brands such as Kobelco excavators, Terex Ecotec shredders and trommels, Sennebogen material handlers and a huge range of hydraulic attachments, to name but a few, we really think we can offer customers such as Breedon a 360o solution moving forward.’

Breedon Northern Ltd will also be working with Finlay Scotland, Molson Finlay and crusher and screener manufacturers Terex Finlay to host an open day at their Raisby Quarry, near Coxhoe, in Co. Durham, on 16–17 September 2019. The event is open to all and will see no fewer than six prototype machines from Terex Finlay as well as a range of equipment available from the Molson Group, including, amongst others, Kobelco excavators and Hyundai loading shovels.

To register for the event, visit: www.molsonfinlay.co.uk