ISSUE 1, FEBRUARY 2020

THE

SCOOP

A MESSAGE FROMTHE CHAIRMAN

As the UK enters a transition period to leave the EU, the market still remains unstable as many companies have stockpiled equipment due to political uncertainty. It has therefore been a quiet start to

2020 however, the construction sector is starting to show signs of life after the election.

The signs are positive that the sector is building up momentum for the year ahead and recovering some losses. In addition, the prime minister’s backing for HS2 is good news for the construction sector and will bring a significant number of high value infrastructure projects which will generate demand for construction equipment and inject some market activity in the next 12 months.

Our 2020 strategy will see us put plans in place to accelerate growth across all global markets, whilst creating a fit-for-purpose organisation with clearer customer focus, continued cost discipline, a performance culture and simplified ways of working.

The clear focus for Miller is to become the industry benchmark for customers and to grow faster than relevant markets. This will ensure we further strengthen the market positions we have in all our geographic regions.

Keith MillerChairman

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Miller’s patented Scoop buckets are designed to mirror the natural geometry of the excavator and are shaped to match the natural arc of the

digger arm to reduce strain on the excavator itself. This increases digging force and decreases power requirements, resulting in better fuel economy. The profile of the bucket enables operators to cut through the ground more effectively with minimal resistance, while its self-fill action delivers a maximum payload, designed to optimise the machines’ performance and lower the operating costs.

"We have been impressed with the combination of Miller’s bucket and coupler, these attachments are the perfect partnership for our new Komatsu PC360LCi-11 excavator” said Mark Briggs, Director of Wordsworth Excavations. “It just

goes to show that it’s really important to invest and specify the right attachments, as the increased productivity from using Miller’s products on our new machine has allowed us to achieve the tight schedules on the sites that we work on” he added.

James Ross, Miller’s Business Development Director commented, “It’s really important to select the right attachments for the job and by

doing so the operator will be able to cut through most applications more easily and improve machine cycle times. This enhanced performance can offer significant earning opportunities as well as a project time saving by moving up to 25% more material per machine per day.”

At Bauma earlier this year the world saw the launch of Komatsu’s new PC360LCi-11 intelligent excavator which is the first

excavator in the 36-tonne weight class, factory integrated with a 3D semi-automatic system. The first of these excavators was purchased by Wordsworth Excavations, a nationwide bulk earthworks contractor based in Barnsley. Known as experts in the field, Wordsworth Excavations continue their passion for excellence by expanding their fleet with the latest technology on the market.

The new Komatsu PC360 which has been working in Leeds on the construction of a large distribution centre; the first project in Europe

using one of these new excavators, combines the high productivity of a bulk earthmoving excavator with the renowned accuracy of Komatsu Intelligent Machine Control. This is achieved by powerful hydraulics and breakout forces when excavating, fast cycle times when truck loading, and by completing grading automatically in just one pass. The PC360 productivity has been maximised further due to the machine’s technology being paired with an innovative Miller Scoop bucket which has been engineered to deliver maximum payload resulting in fewer machine cycles, lower fuel costs and increased machine utilisation.

Photo credit: Marubeni Komatsu Limited.

FIRST KOMATSU PC360LCI-11 IN EUROPE IS

KITTED WITH MILLER ATTACHMENTS

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MILLER GTS COUPLERS MAKE A BIG IMPRESSION AT CLANCY PLANT

Clancy Plant, established in 1962 and part of the Clancy Group of Companies, has evolved to become one of the most

diverse and capable providers of assets to the utilities, rail, civil engineering and house building construction contractors in the UK, with a growing portfolio of business around the country.

It puts customer service, innovation and safety at the top of its list of priorities, and prides itself in leading the way in all of those areas, which is why it chooses to invest in only the best people, plant and equipment.

The company recently acquired 12 new U27 Kubota excavators for its already extensive hire fleet – and it had no hesitation in fitting them all out with the next generation of hydraulic quick couplers from Miller UK.

The Miller GTS range has been hailed as the lowest, lightest and safest compact quick coupler on the marketplace, offering a wide range of pick-ups for any attachment within the same class - all from the comfort and security of the cab.

When the range was first launched at Plantworx in 2019, response to the product was described by the company as ‘astounding’ with ‘exceptionally high enquiries’ which were quickly turned into firm sales.

Clancy Plant was among those companies imme-diately attracted to the Miller GTS hydraulic quick coupler – suitable for excavators from one tonne to 6 tonne - and since then they have fitted close on 80 machines with the coupler.

We recently caught up with Clancy’s Head of Plant Lee Peddle, who explained why. “I have worked very closely with Miller UK in the past few years - their Business Development Manager Nick Kealy in particu-lar – to try to bring some uniformity to our fleet with the Miller product.

“We are all about innovation and safety and I already was a big fan of the Miller Mate safety system which can be retro-fitted; it ensures the operator can easily couple and de-couple attachments and vitally it also prevents accidental release. The Miller Mate is a perfect complement for the GTS coupler, and working together, onsite operations can be carried out much more safely and efficiently.”

That is significant, because site safety is an ever-pres-ent issue that is a constant threat in any environment and in any walk of life – and the greatest way to prevent accidents is not only to train people how to reduce the risk to zero, but put controls in place that will limit the possibility of an accident.

The construction sector is one of the most danger-ous. Only 5% of employees in the UK work in the construction sector but it accounts for 27% of fatal workplace injuries and 9% of reported major injuries (HSE figures). Based upon reported accidents it is generally accepted that 80% of accidents are due to human error.

So, have Clancy Plant clients been won over by the Miller GTS units? “Definitely,” says Lee, “especially those working on major specialist contracts like HS2 and UK power networks where health and safety is paramount. As a supplier we need to be in a position to offer the end-user the very best that is available – and we can do that with the Miller product.

“As a business we need to be seen to be proactive about health and safety, which is why we repeatedly opt for the Miller brand over and above other hitches. OK, additional features on our excavators, such as the Miller quick coupler, may add to the cost of the hire, but we know we have the safest machines possible and you can’t put a price on that.”

By David Stokes, Plant & Civil Engineer

GroundTouchMiller’s philosophy, of course, has always been to try to ensure its customers have the safest most advanced attachment products in the market - that’s why it is continuously developing coupler technology to increase safety in hazardous working environments – and that’s why safety is built into every element of a Miller quick coupler.

The innovative GT Series, for example, features GroundTouch technology, an intelligent coupler connect system that will only allow the attachment change process to commence when the attachment is safely placed on the ground. With visual and sen-sory alert-based safety notifications, intentional and accidental operator coupler misuse is easily prevent-ed, while a revolutionary controlled release system promotes safe working behaviour whilst reducing operator complacency.

Other features include simple integration seamlessly into the machine’s hydraulics and electronic system, and a dedicated simplified operating switch for easy use.

Customer SupportAftersales service and support are always vital elements in any supplier/end-user relationship, and comments Nick Kealy: “We strive to look after Clancy Plant to the best of our abilities; we enjoy working with the company and look forward to maintaining that close relationship with them into the foreseeable future.”

Those sentiments were readily echoed by Clancy Plant’s Lee Peddle. “We deal directly with Miller UK and our working partnership couldn’t be better,” says Lee. “Nick Kealy and I keep in touch, meeting up every now and again to discuss what our needs are and how Miller UK can meet those needs.

“As a case in point, we have just purchased two of the latest new 22 tonne JCB machines and we want to fit them with Miller hitches, so all parties are working together to ensure that happens in the most effective and efficient way, which is good – and that’s another reason we hope to continue building on our relation-ship with the Miller UK team.”

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NEWS THE SCOOP

THE SCOOPGT SERIES

CUSTOMER TESTIMONIALS GTS “I have used the Miller GTS quick coupler for various applications such as drainage, landscaping, footings for extensions and concrete (paired with a breaker). Because of the ease of changeover with the Miller GTS coupler, I find that I can easily bring the right bucket or attachment for the right job."Jeff Morris, Morris Plant Hire

"I don't have to get out the cab especially when working in wet and muddy fields. I'm saving so much time on my jobs, it beats the old manual quick hitch hands down." Nigel Irving, Miller Customer

"There's alot of thought gone into the design of the Miller GTS coupler and I'm well impressed. It's very compact, slim and the perfect attachment for my Takeuchi TB216." Terry Disdale, Miller GTS customer

"I'm not loosing breakout force especially when paired with Miller bucket. I've gained time on my jobs and it's made my life easier."Tony Duggan, Owner/Operator/ Duggan & Son Plant Hire

"The Miller GT series quick coupler is lighter and stronger than other models and it has some innovative safety features."Kevin Eeles, Manager, Addison Plant Ltd, Stockton-on-Tees

MILLER UK DONATE £5,000 TO LOCAL NORTH EAST CHARITY

It’s been less than a year since Sarah and Christopher Cookson tragically lost their son Carter who was born prematurely on Boxing Day, 2018. Within the first hours of his life the beloved baby suffered three cardiac arrests and consequently needed a heart transplant to survive. Tragically, Carter was just over three weeks old when he lost his fight on the 19th January, 2019.

Sarah and Christopher Cookson from South Shields also lost their first son Charlie Cookson aged only two due to a mystery progressive disease and now, in their honour they run The Charlie & Carter Foundation in the memory of their two children who were so cruelly

taken from them.

After hearing of the pain and heartache that this local couple had gone through, north east based earthmov-ing attachment supplier, Miller UK pledged to support this local charity during 2019 and have spent the past 12 months organising fundraising days.

The staff at Miller have been determined to raise as much money as possible for The Charlie & Cart-er Foundation and for every pound that they have managed to raise, the Chairman Keith Miller agreed to match it with a company donation. Throughout the year, the entire team took part in a range of fundrais-

ing activities including walks, bake sales, quizzes and a cycling challenge. In addition, Keith’s own children Wils, Emmie and Sadie did all that they could to help raise money including selling some of their toys and Sadie even took on the challenge to quit sucking her thumb resulting in another £100 donation!

Through all of these fundraising events and challeng-es, Miller UK raised a remarkable £3,000 however, after Keith met Christopher and heard in person about how much impact the donation would make, Keith generously increased the donation to a whopping £5,000! The team from The Charlie & Carter Founda-tion were presented with the cheque during their visit to Miller HQ in Cramlington, Northumberland earlier this week.

“We are lucky to have a successful business around the world, and I have achieved this by living my life by three simple mantras, work hard, play hard and if you can, give something back… the giving something back is hugely rewarding,” said Keith. “We are so proud to be associated with The Charlie & Carter Foundation

and we’re very privileged to be in the position to help and support them as our charity of choice for 2019. The team at Miller have done an incredible amount of fundraising and the company pledged that they would match every pound that was raised,” he added.

The Charlie & Carter Foundation provide financial sup-port to parents of seriously ill children with life-lim-iting conditions that require 24 hour nursing care or specialist nursing facilities. The target for the charity is to help 12 families per year at the cost of £36,000 and the donation from Miller will be enough to help two of those families this year.

“We have a lot of families all around the UK that are in desperate need and it’s thanks to donations like these that we are able to provide support through The Char-lie & Carter Foundation. Everyday life can very quickly become extremely difficult coping with the stresses and strains on top of caring for a seriously ill child and we will continue to support the families who are going through this,” said Christopher.

After hearing of the pain and heartache that local couple Sarah and Christopher Cookson had gone through, north east based earthmoving attachment supplier, Miller UK pledged to support The Charlie & Carter Foundation during 2019 and

have spent the past 12 months organising fundraising days.

CHARITY THE SCOOP

AN EFFICIENT INVESTMENT FOR GORDON BOW PLANT HIRE LTD.

Volvo SMT have supplied ten new Volvo EC140E excavators fully kitted with Miller Scoop buckets and PowerLatch couplers to Gordon

Bow Plant Hire Ltd.

Based in West Lothian, Scotland, Gordon Bow Plant Hire Ltd. have recently rejuvenated their fleet, and this recent purchase comes as part of their £5M investment programme.

The new fourteen tonne excavators all kitted with Miller attachments join a fleet of excavators ranging from 1.5 up to 30 tonnes in operating weight, as well as tele-handlers, backhoe loaders, rollers, site dumpers and a host of smaller equipment which all form part of some seventy plus machines added so far in 2019.

“It’s important to invest in the correct equipment so we can maintain our position as the trusted plant hire operator in Scotland. That’s why we continue to invest in our fleet so that we can provide the latest equipment to our customers,” commented Jason Taylor, Business Development Manager for Gordon Bow Plant Hire Ltd. “The Volvo product has a good reputation in the marketplace for reliability and build quality, so this combined with the quality of Miller’s attachments makes an efficient combination for our rejuvenated fleet,” added Jason.

Brendan Quill, Miller’s Sales and Marketing Director commented, “It’s essential to select the right attachments for your machine, and by doing so the operator will be able to cut through most environments more easily and improve machine cycle times. This enhanced performance can offer significant earning opportunities as well as a project time saving by moving up to 20% more material per machine per day. This combined with Volvo’s efficiency makes a seriously impressive combination.

Established thirty-eight years ago by the current chairman, Gordon Bow, Gordon Bow Plant Hire Ltd has grown to be a leading equipment hirer, serving the whole of Scotland and the north of England. Gordon’s son, Graham, has taken over from his father as managing director and continues the steady growth and expansion of the company. Offering equipment for long, mid and short-term operated and non-operated hire, Gordon Bow Plant Hire currently employs 150 personnel, including; workshop and mobile service engineers, operators, drivers and admin staff. Included in the current investment plan is a new facility, which is about to come on stream, with workshops offices and extensive yard space. The new facility is also located close by to the current facility in Broxburn, West Lothian.

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NEWS THE SCOOP

AN INTERVIEW WITHCONOR THOMPSON

How long have you been working for Miller? 9 years

What was your job role when you started? Apprentice Fabricator/Welder

What is your current job role? Specialist Products Division Manager

Tell us about your career progression within Miller I began my career with Miller on a four year apprenticeship. Throughout this time I moved around the special products division and learned a huge variation of jobs and different applications, which were based nationwide. I wanted to learn more, so when the supervisor role became available I wanted to pursue this as it was still a hands on role and I got the opportunity to put my own spin on the department. Miller supported me throughout my promotion and I completed a level 2 diploma in supervising and team leading. After that I continued to build on my experience and felt very comfortable in the role, however, I was still hungry for more so when the department was reformed and the position of Specialist Products Division Manager became available I felt ready to apply.

Since my promotion I’ve had extensive support

and one-to one training on job costing, planning, purchasing, profit/loss and monitoring efficiencies. I’m currently working on a level 3 diploma in management, which has given me the confidence to manage the department and guide the team with confidence. In addition, over the past nine years of my career, Miller have invested in various courses for me to complete such as first aid training, site safety, automatic welding system programming, performance management, mental health awareness, grievance procedures and equality, diversity and dignity at work awareness.

What do you enjoy about working for Miller? Heavy plant and equipment is an industry that I love, I find it interesting and I have a lot of friends in the industry too. It’s important to enjoy your job because you spend a lot of time there… I never think of my job as working because I enjoy it so much and I’m always learning something new at Miller. There’s always a chance to go further at Miller if you have the tenacity and drive to go for it.

How does Miller support your career development?

Miller is good at focussing on what you do best. They harvest your positive energy and they work with your strengths and weaknesses to put you where you will excel the most.

In the latest in the employee testimonial series, check out this interview with Conor Thompson, Miller Specialist Products Division Manager.

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INVESTORS IN PEOPLE THE SCOOP

Miller UK have been judged the North East’s best ‘In-House Marketing Team of the Year’ at the inaugural

North East Marketing Awards 2019. Organised by Echo Events & Association Management and sponsored by Nigel Wright Recruitment, the event was organised to celebrate the very best of the region’s marketing sector last week at an elegant awards ceremony at the Discovery Museum, Newcastle.

The accolade follows suit after the marketing team successfully introduced a new era of marketing to Miller. Becoming a relatively new team of three, Barry Robison, Director of Marketing & Product Management, Cheryl Prior, PR & Events and Meg Parkin, Design & Marketing have all fallen into place with their roles as they work together to reward and recognise valuable ideas to design, create and steer the business to a successful future. Barry and Cheryl have more than 10 years’ experience working in the industry and took on graduate Meg just over a year ago.

Meg brought new and complimentary marketing skills to the existing team.

Over the past 18 months, the Miller shareholders have invested significant funds into marketing which has allowed the team to produce an entire rebrand including a full office refurb and a new website. The success and benefits of this can be seen throughout and the refreshing new look has helped the company connect with a new audience and has also opened the opportunity to reach out to new potential customers.

“We are truly honoured and extremely proud to be recognised as ‘In-House Marketing Team of the Year. As a team we have worked relentlessly on the rebrand and as a result the benefit of this can be seen across the entire business,” commented Barry. “The North East Marketing Awards is a fantastic platform to showcase local talent, creativity and passion from across the North East and we feel very privileged to have been a part of that,” he added.

NEWS THE SCOOP

MILLER UK SCOOPS AWARD FOR NORTH EAST'S 'IN-HOUSE MARKETING TEAM OF

THE YEAR'

MILLER 2020 CHARITYANNOUNCED...

We are delighted to announce that the chosen charity for 2020 will be Dyslexia North East Services.

Supporting this charity is not only close to Keith’s heart, the company is also keen on supporting its employees who may be affected by dyslexia or know

someone who is. I am sure that we will make every effort to get involved in the upcoming events for this important charity during 2020.

The events committee will meet this week to start planning some exciting events into the calendar, so stay tuned for more information!

If you would like to know more about Dyslexia North East Services, please visit: www.dyslexiane.org.uk

Pictured from left to right: Anne Jermy, HR Manager, Miller UK. Liz Ferguson, Dyslexia North East England. Nicky Wall, Dyslexia North East England. Cheryl Prior, PR & Events Executive, Miller UK.

2020 CHARITY THE SCOOP

Last year we signed up for the Better Health at Work Award (BHAWA) to help team #Miller develop a sustainable culture of health & wellbeing. We are really proud to announce that all of the hard work has paid off & we have been awarded bronze level! Now let's go for silver!

To help us promote and support our health and wellbeing campaigns and initiatives, we have a team of health advocates in place. Our health advocates will not only be your point of

contact for any queries relating to the campaigns, they will also work hard to help us deliver a positive wellbeing culture in the workplace and beyond.

MILLER OFFICIALLY AWARDED BRONZE BETTER HEALTH AT WORK AWARD

2020 HEALTH ADVOCATES

The four main campaigns we will focus on for the 2020 Better Health At Work Award are:

• Alcohol and drug awareness • Healthy eating and physical activity • Mental health and finance management • Mens Health

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THE SCOOPBETTER HEALTH AT WORK AWARD

DAVID MCALLISTER -HEWLINGS JOHN HOTCHKISS KATRINA NORMAN

STEPHEN BROWN ANDY RACKHAM TONY HADFIELD

Team Miller were challenged to walk more than 100,000 steps for The Charlie & Carter Foundation. They donned their waterproofs and walked to the peak of Northumberlandia in Cramlington. In true Miller fashion, and despite the wet

weather conditions, the team completely smashed the target!

After the walk, Azure Garden Centre in Cramlington provided catering for the team and a general knowledge quiz was held with the winning team receiving 10 tickets to The Charlie Cookson Foundation annual ball. These tickets were

purchased by Miller and donated especially for the quiz.

207,200 steps & more than £500 was raised on the day. A huge WELL DONE team Miller. Here are some pictures of the day!

100,00 STEPSCHARITY WALK

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THE SCOOPBETTER HEALTH AT WORK

Take control of your own career and personal learning and development.

We believe that nothing is more important to our success than the skills, knowledge, passion and dedication of our people. That’s why we invest every year in learning and development.

To ensure you have every opportunity to grow and progress both personally and professionally, your development will be formally discussed during the appraisal process, but we encourage you to take ownership of your career development and improve your knowledge by discussing your career plans and hopes at any time with your line manager. The Company in turn will provide you with meaningful training and development opportunities relevant to your role and career aspirations.

To make your meeting with your line manager as productive as possible, think in advance about your options for growth and development and how you would like to see your career progress. Some areas for you to think about prior to the meeting are:

• What professional job or career growth goals do you hope to achieve within the next three years?

• What would you like to accomplish this year?

• Identify training opportunities to improve your performance in your current role

Your line manager will then be able to prepare

recommendations on what you can do to ensure that you are making progress on your career path. Your line manager will also be able to determine and discuss with you the resources and support the company can provide so that you can accomplish your professional development or career growth goals.

If you would like to develop yourself within your current role, your manager will be able to determine and discuss with you what professional and personal goals will help you improve or develop great performance in your current job and what additional support the Company can provide so that you can accomplish these goals.

The options for growth and development are varied and could cover aspects such as promotions, horizontal career moves, internal or external training, job shadowing, mentoring, and coaching on particular skills, etc.

Once you and your manager have developed a personal development plan that details your career development, this should be forwarded to HR for review, additional input, and filing.

PERFORMANCE DEVELOPMENT REVIEWS

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INSTAGRAMInstagram is a powerhouse, with more than 1 billion monthly active users. Stories are a big deal on Instagram. They let you share the moments of your day, without saving them to your profile. The number of daily active Instagram Stories users has in-creased from 150 million in January 2017 to 500 million in January 2019 (Statista,

2019).

FACEBOOKFacebook is the market leader and has been shaping the social media landscape since its launch. It's continually evolving to meet its user’s needs, with over 2.32 billion

active monthly users, Facebook remains the most widely used social media

platform.

TWITTERThe usage of social media around the world is ever-increasing. It’s without a doubt one of the most popular online activities that users engage in. Social media statistics from 2019 show that there are 3.5 billion social media users worldwide and this number is only growing. That equates to about 45% of the current population (Emar-

sys, 2019).

LINKEDINIn this day and age, we’re all slowly be-coming social media addicts. Whether it’s scrolling our bottomless Facebook feeds or posting the perfect foodie photo on In-stagram, social media has become ines-capable. An average of 3 hours are spent per day per person on social networks and

messaging (Globalwebindex, 2019).

Get featured on Instagram: #milleruk Follow us on Facebook: @MillerGroundbreaking

Tweet us: @MillerGBLtd Follow our LinkedIn feed: Miller International Limited

LE T 'S G E TSOCIAL!

1,108 FOLLOWERS 2,714 PAGE FANS 1,784 FOLLOWERS 1,153 FOLLOWERS

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THE SCOOPSOCIAL MEDIA

SOURCE: oberlo.com

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