Howard Civil Engineering, founded in 2003 by Michael Howard, is one of the leading civil engineering companies in the North and specialises in four key disciplines: RC Frames, S278 works, roads & sewers and groundworks. The family run business prides itself for working alongside a number of prestigious clients such as BAM, Wates, Willmott Dixon and GMI Construction.
To support their civil engineering projects the company also operates their own plant hire business consisting of 60 excavators ranging from 2 – 38 tons. A number of these machines have worked on high profile projects and developments including Victoria Gate Shopping Centre in Leeds, Hard Ings Road in Bradford, Rudding Park Hotel and Leeds City College’s Quarry Hill Campus.
Earlier this year the company won multiple contracts across Yorkshire, prompting them to expand their fleet. This led to them purchasing a number of Komatsu PC80MR-5 midi and PC55MR-5 mini excavators in July. The main contributing factor for choosing this manufacturer over others is because after previous experiences with Komatsu they have found their machines to be the most reliable and efficient on the market. The inclusion of Komatsu Care which covers the first 3 years / 2000 hours of servicing was also seen as a massive plus point, as this frees-up Howard Civil Engineering’s own engineers for other work. Finally, the strong residual values of the machines were also an influencer in their decision.
The new machines are part of Komatsu’s MR-5 generation of mini and midi excavators. The range concentrates the quality and performance of the larger Komatsu construction range into a compact package. Each machine is packed full of high level standard specifications including a Stage V emissions compliant engine, auto idle shutdown, neutral position detection system and Komtrax monitoring system. They also have a tight tail swing radius and a swing boom that hugs the machine making them the perfect tool for confined jobsites.
So far, the feedback from Howard Civil Engineering’s operators has been exclusively positive in relation to cab comfort, responsiveness, power and performance.
The company is looking forward to using the new machines on their Greengate Junction Improvement Scheme, where they are the main contractor for Bradford Council. It is a very high-profile site where they will be widening all four approaches to the existing junction and installing underground attenuation to accommodate surface and rainwater from the increased paved footprint.
