25 June 2011, 00:00
The recent purchase of a Manitou MLT741TLSU -120 from local Manitou dealer, TH White of Marlborough was the tenth Manitou machine purchased by J & M Bodman Ltd of Urchfont, near Devizes, Wiltshire over an eight year period. Owner, Martin Bodman was originally from a farming background – a traditional man who was always interested in the outdoor life with a touch of enterprise, when he was younger he bred rabbits, milked goats, kept pigs and even had time to mow old ladies lawns, no wonder the family did not have a TV set until Martin was fourteen and today he has established a complementary mix of other businesses to complement the farming activity, including hay and straw merchants, plant hire, construction, demolition and
groundworks. The Manitou product range ideally suits the business profile at J & M. Bodman as the versatility of the Manitou machinery provides a genuine dual purpose role for the fleet of Manitou’s. The line up includes Maniscopics with lift heights of 5 metre, 6 metre, 7 metre which are utilised for both agricultural and construction applications, plus a high lift Maniscopic MT1840 and a 180ATJ Maniaccess platform, the latter two machines are predominately used in erecting steel framework and on construction and demolition projects.
With 65% of the business turnover from construction related activities, J & M. Bodman provide a total solution from planning the project up to completion. To support the Manitou machines on site are 360 degree excavators and backhoe loaders, the company always look to be self sufficient in their machinery requirements wherever possible. An impressive portfolio of bespoke private
Number: 1255 – May 2011 MANITOU UK Limited, Ebblake Industrial Estate, VERWOOD, Dorset BH31 6BB Tel: 01202 825331 Fax: 01202 813027 www.manitou.com
Contact: Owen Buttle o.buttle@manitou.com houses and farm buildings have been constructed over the years, a big achievement since the start of the company’s diversification into
construction 34 years ago. The straw and hay business is very busy in the peak summer harvest months and getting the right equipment to the right location is paramount to achieve maximum efficiency, whatever the weather! Straw is bought from ‘behind the combines’ and then baled up and hauled to farmers in the West Country and Wales for animal bedding and feed. Rye grass hay is also baled for equine usage at racehorse stables or for local sale to the horse owning
public. The farm enterprise is located at Knights Leaze Farm in Urchfont and consists of 250 acres of pasture grass for beef cattle with an additional 400 acres of rented land. In addition, a total of 2,000 acres of farm land is dedicated to the production of hay.
Martin Bodman commented : “ Farming has a continuity with subtle changes in the seasons, the mix of agriculture and construction gives us a higher utilisation of equipment, particularly relevant with the Manitou machines. I am pleased that a large proportion of our business is repeat business or by way of recommendation, the majority comes from within a thirty mile radius”. The flexibility of the Manitou product is not the only advantage for Martin Bodman : “ The seasonal nature of our work in farming means long hours in the cab of a telehandler and the comfort factor of the Manitou is important for high productivity from the operator and the machine. TH White are a crucial part of our success, supporting the machinery in the field at all hours of the day. We employ twenty six staff across the whole business and we are always looking for new opportunities of expansion, our future goal.
Source: KHL GROUP LLP