L4 Civil Engineering Ltd Choose Develon Excavators

Success in Trying Times

Five machines later, we catch up with Northamptonshire based L4 Civil Engineering Ltd and their Develon dealer Pioneer Plant.

You might think setting up a business just as Covid locks down the entire country might not be the most sensible idea but these two firms have supported each other from the very outset and have far surpassed all of their expectations.

Pioneer Plant’s Co-Founder and Head of Sales, Brian Conn, explains “At first I did wonder “what are we doing!?” but our decision to set up the Develon Construction Equipment dealership has been the best decision we ever made.” He explains, “With a large number of infrastructure projects and new build housing developments, I’ve never been busier in all my working life.”

The same can be said for L4 Civil Engineering founder, Steve Lattimore, “At the time I thought what the hell have I done but it actually worked out better than I ever expected.” Steve explains, “L4’s main focus is heavy civils projects, we do a lot of groundworks, new build developments, school extensions and industrial building projects. I was able to offer some great operators work as the country went into lock down and their futures with their previous employers were in the balance.”

The two firms have supported each other from day one. Steve had known both Brian Conn and Steve Corner, Pioneer Plant Co-Founders, for number of years, he explains “I’d known both Brian and Steve for about 6 years and worked with them on multiple occasions throughout my career. I really chose Pioneer Plant and the Develon brand for the people, they’re always honest and you know they’ll always have you back.”

Pioneer Plants, Brian tells us, “L4 bought one of the very first machines we supplied. L4 started business just before we kicked off in June 2020. They have been a loyal customer whom we had known previously before we both embarked on new adventures. Steve is building a great business and we envisage we have a customer for life.”

L4 run a fleet of 5 Develon machines, featuring two Develon DX140LC-5’s, a DX85 and two DX225 machines. One of the DX225 machines is the all new -7 model and has receive rave reviews from the operator, “The operator on the DX225LC-7 is a big fan. He ran the -5 previously and is a big fan of the new cab on the -7. The machine is more modern, and the cab has had a face lift, it’s a nice place to work. We have an Engcon and machine control fitted to the -7 and it’s a real animal on site”, says Steve.

“The new -7 excavators from Develon are really receiving high praise across the board with common reactions being ‘quick, powerful, smooth and responsive.’ We look forward to the range extending right down to the DX10 coming in the next couple of years”, adds Brain.

At the heart of Pioneer Plant, you’ll find the focus to build a dealership on customer care. “You will always get a response from our team”, says Brian. “Our engineers are strategically placed within our area, and we intend to be on site within 2 hours, keeping downtime to an absolute minimum.” Something L4’s Steve confirms, “Pioneer always go above and beyond, and we’re never kept waiting. Not having to wait around for engineers is invaluable for us.”

The new DX225LC-7

• Operating Weight 23.3 ton
• Engine Power 129 kW / 175 HP
• Stage V compliant
• 7% lower fuel consumption compared to the previous model thanks to the D-ECOPOWER technology