The order includes fifty of the 14-metre MT1440 as well as more than forty MT625, MT732 and MT932 machines and up to thirty MT625s before the end of the year.
Ardent was formed in 2015 from a merger of One Call Hire and telehandler specialist Fork Rent. It still claims to have the largest fleet of telehandlers in the UK, with more than 3,600 machines.
Almost all of Ardent’s telehandler fleet is the simpler rigid type, with the non-slewing upper works but Ardent is starting to build a fleet of rotational telehandlers as well. Ardent’s roto telehandler fleet which has grown from 12 to 45 units in the last 12 months and this latest order includes several MRT2150, MRT2550, MRT3050 and MRT3255 rotating types. The company plans to have 100 rotos by the end of 2020.
All the new Manitou machines entering the Ardent fleet will be compatible with the hire firm’s proprietary telematics platform.
Ardent chief financial officer Julian O’Neill said: “Our decision to invest with Mawsley Machinery and Manitou Group to grow our telehandler and roto telehandler fleet was based on their industry leading products, service and after sales support. We have worked closely with Manitou to make all machines compatible with our Site Manager platform and we will see further enhancements to the information available during the first half of 2020. Overall, the lower operating costs and strong residuals, coupled with the advances in telematics ensure that the Manitou machines will fit well within our ever expanding fleet.”
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