Selwood’s first order with Finning is for four Cat 313FL GC and eight Cat 308 excavators, which will be delivered to depots in Bristol and Cardiff. The rest of Selwood’s branch network will be getting Cat machinery in due course.
As part of the deal, Finning will be providing equipment training to Selwood engineers and sales staff.
Each machine will be connected through the Cat Product Link telematics system, allowing Selwood to monitor machine use and performance remotely.
Selwood chief operating officer Richard Bright said: “Before we made the move to Cat we spoke to our customers to get their views and preferences when it comes to hiring machines. This allowed us to make a much more informed decision with our first ever Cat fleet purchase. For us, this partnership is much more than just the purchase of machines. It is a strategic move to support our ambitious plans for growth, while enhancing the service we offer customers, allowing us to further differentiate our offering in an ever-changing market.
“Finning will be providing us with service, technical and training support across our business to ensure we can help customers make the most of our new machines. By having each asset connected, we will also be able to access data on each machine and we intend to share this with customers so they can make more informed decisions.
“We have also signed up to parts.cat.com, so each individual branch can manage parts orders online. With the fleet details already loaded into the system, the process of finding the right part will be much quicker and simpler.”
With Finning looking after machine service, Selwood engineers will be responsible for machine preparation including safety/operational testing and pre-hire inspection. This information, as well as data sheets, hours and servicing, will be loaded into a new online Selwood information portal, with each machine having its own QR code that both customers and staff can use to assess relevant information.
Selwood Ltd made a pre-tax profit of £11.2m in 2017 on turnover of £64.4m.
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