CHEPSTOW Plant International has invested £33.5m in its contract fleet of machinery over the past eight months, resulting in the company’s largest single year investment to date.

The privately-owned mineral and aggregates contractor, which is based at Portskewett near Caldicot, has increased its total fleet by 20 per cent bringing its total number of front-line contracting machines to more than 400.

Almost 70 per cent of the new machinery comes from a £20m investment in new Volvo machinery, including around a 60 per cent investment in its cutting-edge Articulated Dumptruck fleet.

The company has increased the fleet with around 40 machines, with a further £13.5m, consisting of 30 tonne Bell Articulated Dumptrucks, Caterpillar D8 bulldozers and 50 Tonne Rigid Dumptrucks and 70 Tonne Komatsu Excavators.

John Corcoran, managing director at Chepstow Plant International, said: “Following this year’s substantial investment, 85 per cent of our main contract fleet is now under three years old and 65 per cent is under two years old.

"Our modern fleet not only reduces client downtime, but gives our clients piece of mind that our machines carry the most sophisticated health and safety technology available in the industry, while providing optimum fuel burn efficiencies to help lessen the environmental impact our industry has. With an expected positive work portfolio in 2019, we are close to agreeing further substantial investment packages for the year ahead."