by Kyle Molyneux | Tue 18 Apr 2023
Scottish contractor gets UK’s first Cat 317 excavator
JKR Contractors, based in Aberdeenshire, is the first in the UK to purchase a Cat 317 excavator from Finning UK & Ireland, the world’s largest dealer of Cat machines and equipment. This new model offers JKR several advantages in completing projects accurately and efficiently, reckons its maker. The Cat 317 is a replacement for JKR’s existing 316 machine and has been fitted with the latest Trimble 3D technology from connected site experts Sitech UK & Ireland.
Company director Jim Taylor said the new machine was an extremely versatile small excavator at 18.5 tonnes which fills an essential gap in their fleet as its size class means it can be effectively deployed on housebuilding and roadworks projects. “The machine has been fitted with a tilt rotator, which makes life easier for our driver and the machine is more productive as it can dig from the same position without moving. We run the Trimble technology from Sitech on all our machines which means our engineers can upload and update drawings remotely.
“The technology is an important element for us,” Jim continued. “Engineers are hard to find, as are operators and ground works staff, so having the technology allows one engineer to manage multiple sites remotely from the office. It also cuts the time it would take for them to travel to and from sites.”
JKR was started in 2007 by father and sons Jim, Kevin and Ryan Taylor, providing civil engineering and concrete works to commercial, domestic and agricultural businesses throughout Northeast Scotland, and now employs over 180 members of staff. The purchase of the Cat 317 is part of a significant wider investment in Caterpillar earthmoving machines by the company.
Since 2020 the company has purchased two Cat D6 dozers, three Cat 320 excavators and three Cat 313 excavators. Finning also provides JKR with regular machine performance reports, that include monitoring fuel usage and idle times, together with a warranty and service package which helps them avoid costly downtime by proactively monitoring machine health.
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