Ovenden Plant Hire

As we look back on the last 50 years, we cannot proceed without posting an early photo of our founder, Adrian Ovenden. He bought his first digger around 1959-60 and began working initially as A.G. Ovenden, laying the foundations for Ovenden Plant Hire. His determination and hard work were qualities Adrian exemplified every day, and we are eternally grateful for his influence and efforts, which continue to drive our growth.
We will be honoring Adrian and celebrating the 50th anniversary of OPH with some special events this year. Stay tuned!

We don’t just move mountains, we can also move houses and battle tanks!

For 50 years Ovendens have provided heavy lift, specialist transport and heavy haulage solutions to our diverse and innovative customers.

Tricky Weekend at Mondello for the Ovenden’s - https://mailchi.mp/bf2248c16e38/tricky-weekend-at-mondello-for-the-ovendens

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Continuing with our look back at projects over the last 50 years, 1993 marked the completion of the essential Ash Bypass A257 with civil engineering firm Shephard Hill. Shortly after, in 1997 Shephard Hill merged with Jarvis Construction.

The project gathered significant local interest, and further photographs are available on the Ash Heritage Group website. Additionally, the Canterbury Archaeological Trust has published findings on archaeological discoveries, such as 3rd-century resettlements unearthed during the excavation.

As you can see in our toy town picture: significant detail and effort went into the project planning stages back then!

📸 Ash Heritage Group Ash Heritage Group


Canterbury Archaeological Trust

For today’s throwback, we have dug deep into the archives to present one of Ovenden Plant Hire’s earliest machines: a Priestman Mustang. It’s captured beautifully here in its natural habitat, carrying out sea defence work at Whitstable during the late 1970’s. A long-gone distinguished British brand, these machines were truly the workhorses of Ovenden for many years. Operating one, however, was no easy task, as they lacked air con, Bluetooth radio or mobile phone connectivity!

Today we are looking back on the year 2002/03 and the construction of Chatham Dockside. The Grade ll-listed shopping centre, housed in the Victorian boiler, cost £67 million to complete. The clocktower of the old maritime building was preserved. Ovenden Plant also contributed in the transformation of the former dockyard office and engineering shop into what it is now the Ship and Trades pub. For anyone who remembers the area before its development, it looked like a very different place!

We recently visited the Woodpecker class at Nonington CE Primary School. As part of their transport project, Ricky delivered a presentation on haulage and road safety. The children participated enthusiastically, and the highlight of the afternoon was each child taking it in turn in the drivers seat. The event was a tremendous success, and we would like to express our thanks to them for hosting us.

As part of our celebrations we’re looking back at some projects we’ve been involved in over the years. Between 1992-96 we helped complete the Medway Tunnel for Kent County Council.

Simon Ovenden remembers the job well. Construction of the tunnel was taking place 24/7 and he recalls pulling the short straw for the night shift. Apparently Adrian told them it was character building!😂❤️💛

At Ovenden Plant Hire, we understand that the expertise and experience of our staff are what set us apart from the rest, enabling us to deliver the highest level of service. With many staff members having been part of the Ovenden team for 20 years, we strive to maintain a clear vision of our origins and to build strong, trustworthy relationships characterised by friendship and personal involvement throughout our business. Our people are our future, and they are dedicated to helping us achieve our vision of being a first class plant solutions partner.

We’ve seen and been part of many changes over the years and overall we think they have made a positive difference to the construction industry. We will continue to build on our future within the industry offering reliable and innovative services, whilst still being a class leading plant hire solutions partner.

This year we have integrated drone technologies into our operations and the advantages are quickly becoming apparent. Boasting efficiency and streamlining workflows for our clients. Captured data facilitated more accurate progress analysis and decision-making on-site. The images are processed to provide 3D data, which in turn is used to create surface models that are used to run volume reports. Moreover, aerial images proved invaluable for historical event tracking, ensuring a comprehensive record of project development. They also take photos and videos to showcase works on social media platforms.

As the construction industry continues to evolve, we aim to set new standards and provide reliable solutions for efficiency and accuracy in earthworks projects.

If you are interested in finding out more about our drone services get in touch with a member of our team.

As we celebrate our 50th anniversary this month, we also commemorate the 30th birthday of our friend and neighbour, the Channel Tunnel. Hailed as one of the Seven Wonders of the world, we take immense pride in having played a role, albeit small, in one of the UK’s most monumental engineering feats.

In the picture we see a youthful Steve Bonner, who was once known as ‘Electric Lips’, operating a crawler loader.

The Channel Tunnel serves as a powerful symbol of human creativity, and the collaborative spirit of partnerships and teamwork. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for our Commer Truck! 😆🚧❤️💛

LeShuttle

Did you know we’re celebrating our 50th birthday this month ❤️💛🎂🎈

We’ll be looking back at our success over five decades while also looking to the future together with our customers, contractors and employees. So as we reflect on over 50 years of forging successful teams and partnerships, we want to remember the people who made the Ovenden group what it is today. We’ll be remembering some memories and success stories over the coming months.

Do you have any memories from Ovenden across the past 50 years that you’d like to share? Please get in touch to share your story.

We are not your average plant hire business - we’re your one stop shop for the construction, domestic, agriculture, demolition, recycling & haulage.

Combining traditional values with a modern approach, our highly-trained and dedicated team come with a wealth of experience, many of whom have been with us for 20 years or more.

Always delivering the service you need, when you need them and at the right price - Ovenden Plant Hire is a your trusted partner to success 🏆✅

OVENDEN DRONE SERVICES

Check out this great by Jacob Heslop on site in Lydd. He was sat in a loading shovel waiting to send all this gravel being collected up to the yard on the conveyor 🪨⛰️

This 992G is on the go and ready to load 🪨. With this unpredictable weather the low ground pressure tyres make it easier to get around a wet site 💦

DIG IT, LOAD IT, CLEAR IT, CONCRETE IT!

We’re revolutionising the concrete game with our volumetric mixers that measure exactly what you need on site.

Minimum waste plus maximum efficiency equals a successful project for you.

Give us a call on 01304 840845.

Spotted by our friends at Ovenden Allworks in Bexhill-on-Sea helping with pre-augering for timber piling on the beach.

Have you seen us out and about?

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Access Ovenden’s extensive plant hire options with just a tap!

Visit our website anytime, anywhere to find the perfect equipment to get your projects rolling - it’s all there at your fingertips.

www.ovendenplant.co.uk

Did you know our tractors and full range of attachments are also available for agricultural hire?

Ovenden is a family-owned, Kent-based company with 50 years’ experience in the plant hire industry, so British farmers can work with us safe in the knowledge that they’ll get the full support and service they need.

Contact us on 01304 840845 to see how we can help you.

Another great

Can you guess where it is?

If you’ve seen us out and about, send us your pics or tag us on socials.

Ovenden Plant’s all new David Brown 1490 has arrived and will soon be available for hire 🚜🚧

‘Great little utility tractor, good torque and fuel efficient. A bit prone to leaking oil but a very reliable workhorse’

Brilliant start to the season for Will. Well done 👍