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Lynch’s £57m deal with Finning for Cat equipment

National plant hire company L Lynch Plant Hire & Haulage has made a substantial £57 million investment with Finning UK & Ireland over the last two years. This strategic move has resulted in the addition of 305 new Cat machines to its fleet, complete with a full range of machine technology packages and specialist operator training.

The new machines include a number of next-gen excavators with built-in functions such as e-fence, load count capacity and Trimble Earthworks Machine Control. Models include the Cat 320, Cat 330, Cat 336, Cat 352, and Cat 374. Lynch also purchased 20 Cat GC excavators – 10 each of the Cat 313 and Cat 320 GC models. 

The recent substantial machinery acquisition also encompassed buying a range of Cat dozers including multiple D3, D5, D6, D7 and D8 models – including the highly efficient XE which offers ‘best in class’ fuel savings for customers – a critical advantage in the face of rising fuel costs. These purchases bolster Lynch’s existing fleet of dozers and mean that the company now run one of the UK’s largest dozer fleets. Recognising the opportunity for investment in grading machines, Lynch has further strengthened its expanding fleet by introducing two Cat 14 graders, and has even more in the pipeline, with further D8 and D6 dozers on order. These investments only help Lynch to level up efficiency and customer satisfaction. 

Jake Wright, Head of Regional Sales at Finning UK & Ireland said, “Lynch has been a customer with Finning for more than a decade. Over the last two and a half years they’ve really ramped up their operations because of their involvement in some big infrastructure projects across the UK. This has seen them invest in a combination of high performance and efficient machines, the latest integrated technology systems, and aftermarket services. Alongside a comprehensive training programme to ensure they’re getting the best and most efficient return on their investment.” 

Regular sustainability discussions between the Finning and Lynch teams ensures crucial data relating to fuel burn, idle time and the specific features operators utilise are monitored. Anyone operating Lynch’s hired machinery also benefit from having fast access to certifications and machine specifications, as well as ‘How to’ videos via QR codes in the cab. This streamlined approach ensures that customers have information and support at their fingertips for a seamless experience.  

Jake continued, “Sitech have also been involved in the majority of what we do with Lynch. In partnership with them we’ve carried out a series of training sessions, including one to support Lynch hire desk staff so they fully understand all the features built-into the Cat machines – which in turn helps them to provide the most suitable recommendation of equipment for their customers based on project or site application.” 

Lynch Director, Chris Gill said, “Our remarkable growth trajectory, combined with a longstanding relationship with Finning, aligns seamlessly with our preference for the reliability, brand reputation and efficiency of Cat machines. Our decision to further invest with them was a natural step. Finning’s extensive coverage area in terms of the machinery we run from dozers to excavators, complements our needs perfectly. Our new graders amplify the support we offer customers with enhanced site efficiency, because they play a crucial role in maintaining haul routes and in achieving tight tolerances, particularly when combined with the transformative Trimble technology. 

“Trimble technology streamlines operations, which saves our customers time and money," Chris continued. "Having received in-depth training from the expert team at Sitech, we’ve already rolled out our own machine control training and our dedicated training school to over 250 Lynch operatives, along with offering this training to external operators. This will ensure they can also get the best out of the technology. We have also upskilled many of our own operators, and during our sustainability discussions with Finning we assess our operator's performance, monitor our machines efficiency, and map driver behaviour to reduce idling time and increase fuel efficiency,” Chris Gill added. “We carefully match the right driver with the right equipment and provide our customers with the most suitable machines for their project, so they maximise efficiency on site.”  

Carl Parsons, Regional Sales Consultant for Sitech said Lynch were already using the Trimble Earthworks Platform and Trimble Works Manager design management software, but also offer Trimble machine control cab kits to their larger customers where precision, sustainability and efficiency are key. 

He said, “We’ve been working with Lynch to support them in being able to push the technology out to their customers, including the Trimble GPS massless motor grader which is the first sold in EMEA. We’ve also supported with technology days including a session specifically on intelligent compaction and are proud to support them in training their own telematics and machine control teams.”  

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