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CPA at Plantworx

The Construction Plant-hire Association (CPA) is exhibiting at Plantworx (June 13th to 15th) and the CPA team will be on hand to welcome visitors to stand B-EDB. The CPA is the leading trade association for the plant-hire sector in the UK with over 1,800 members who supply some 85% of hired plant to the construction and allied industries.

It has been a busy few months for the association, with judging taking place for the CPA Stars of the Future Awards, which recognise outstanding apprentices and trainees in the construction plant sector. The Stars of the Future awards ceremony is due to take place just a few weeks after Plantworx, on July 6th 2023. Planning is also well underway for the CPA Conference 2023 and visitors to the CPA stand at Plantworx can take advantage of a special show offer. The CPA Conference 2023 will take place on November 9th 2023 at the Heart of England Conference and Events Centre near Coventry.

The conference theme is ‘Facing the Challenges in the Plant-hire Sector’ and there will be a series of panel discussions addressing some of the core issues that are of most importance to CPA members and the wider construction sector right now, such as the latest developments in alternative fuels, and theft and fraud in the industry. The CPA Conference 2023 will be held in association with headline sponsor Point of Rental Software and the conference will run alongside a small, targeted exhibition. Confirmed exhibitors at the  event so far include Genquip Groundhog, Thomas Group, Nexus Vehicle Rental, Plant Planet, Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA), Capja, MHM Group, Tobin Plant/LiuGong Machinery (UK), NOCN Group, Prolectric and CITB.

Visitors to the CPA stand can pick up a leaflet with a special show offer for CPA Conference 2023 delegate tickets. The standard delegate ticket price is £75 plus VAT but the flyer will entitle delegates to a 20% discount off the ticket price until June 30th 2023.

Plantworx attendees will also have the opportunity to meet new additions to the CPA team. Katie Kelleher recently joined the CPA in the newly created role of CPA Technical and Development Officer. In her new role, she is providing CPA members with guidance and advice on technical, training and safety subjects, and helping produce and maintain the CPA’s large range of safety and technical publications. She is also helping represent the CPA on a number of industry-led initiatives and working groups.

Katie’s construction story started in 2014 when she was the first woman to commence the Lifting Technician Apprenticeship with Select Plant Hire, before becoming a Crane Operator working on large projects such as Crossrail and the Tideway Project. She has also worked as an Appointed Person and is well known throughout the construction industry for being a champion for women and young people working in construction. Katie has already won many accolades in her career so far. In 2021 she was declared one of the Top 100 Women in Construction and she has been selected as a ‘LinkedIn Top Voice’. In 2019 she was in the ‘Construction News 15 People to Watch’ list.

Also joining the CPA team is Stu McInroy who has been appointed the new CPA Chief Executive, replacing outgoing Chief Executive Kevin Minton, who announced his retirement in August 2022. Stu and Kevin are working alongside for a period of time to allow a smooth handover. In his new role as Chief Executive of the CPA, Stu will report to the CPA’s governing Council and work alongside CPA President Brian Jones and the Chairman Steven Mulholland to shape and ensure the continuing success of the CPA. Stu joins the CPA from the Road Safety Markings Association (RSMA), where he was Chief Executive since 2018.

In addition, the CPA is instrumental in the running of the Plant Sector Representative Organisation (PSRO) which, in conjunction with the Supply Chain Sustainability School, has devised an Eco-operating Training Delivery Framework. The framework provides an overarching criteria for eco-operator-based courses in order to create consistency across all courses being developed to assist with emission-lowering and fuel-saving strategies.

The framework lays out a set of learning outcomes and training content and identifies the depth and extent of learning for a range of plant-based occupations, as well as recommended course durations and assessment methods. More information about the framework can be found at www.psro.org.uk.

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