Black Cat Plant Hire based in South Yorkshire say they saw rental business increase during the lockdown.

As such the company has expanded their fleet with the purchase of new Bobcat E10z and E27z zero tail swing (ZTS) mini-excavators from AMS Bobcat, the local authorised Bobcat dealer.

Jack Lycett of Black Cat Plant Hire with one of the new Bobcat E10z mini-excavators

Jack Lycett, company owner, said, “I started the rental business for the self-drive market, as a complement to our paving business, J L Paving and Driveways, which we’ve been running very successfully for over 35 years. But the rental side really began to take off as we went into lockdown in February-March of this year, to meet demand from people looking to do work on their own properties in the extra time they have during the lockdown.”

In addition to the increased domestic market triggered by the lockdown, Black Cat Plant Hire serves local contractors and other businesses in Barnsley, Sheffield and the wider South Yorkshire area as well as Wakefield in West Yorkshire. Jack says all of the Bobcat machines in his company‘s fleet are suitable for a variety of applications including landscaping, construction, demolition, refurbishment, trenching and drainage work.

Jack continued, "We are still a small concern in rental terms, but with 8-9 machines going out every day, the new Bobcat machines have helped us to meet the increased demand we have seen during the lockdown.”