Star Power places £3m order for JCB generators

Power rental firm Star Power has invested £3 million in 170 generators from JCB distributor Watling JCB to support its strategy for “major expansion” in the UK.

Star Power head of power Paul Ridley (left) and Watling JCB sales director Chris Armitage mark the handover of the first generators at Watling JCB’s headquarters in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire. (Photo: Star Power)

Founded in 2014, the Bristol-headquartered company, which provides services in temporary power, site set-up, water supply and lighting, will receive a number of JCB’s Stage IIIA generators as well as several 40kVA and 100kVA units from its new Stage V range, which represents the first time these have been supplied in the UK. 

According to Star Power, each unit has been “optimised for the rental market” and can run on HVO fuel.  Each generator is also fitted with JCB’s LiveLink telematics system which enables them to be remotely monitored wherever they are in the UK.

Star Power’s head of power, Paul Ridley, said, “Star Power is determined to give customers the best options to provide secure and high quality temporary and critical power solutions, which is why we’ve selected JCB generators.

“Watling JCB will also be giving us the first class technical support its teams are world-renowned for, including advanced remote monitoring, a network of mobile engineers and a training programme for our own engineers.

“This all adds up to the partnership between Star Power and JCB providing our customers with unrivalled service, in terms of the flexibility of the power solutions we provide, their quality and reliability.”

The generators will be distributed through Star Power’s network of seven depots which it shares with its sister company Star Platforms.

According to JCB’s sales director Chris Armitage, the order is expected to be among the biggest the company will receive this year. Armitage said, “It’s been hugely rewarding to work with a dynamic, knowledgeable and forward-thinking customer like Star Power that aims to be an exemplar in temporary power solutions.

“Its commitment to futureproof its service for customers is perfectly demonstrated by being the first to invest in JCB’s new Stage 5 generators that meet all emissions regulations and are at the cutting edge of eco-friendly critical power generation.

“We’re looking forward to developing our on-going relationship with Star Power, not least through the technical support provided by more than 100 mobile engineers, which give Star Power’s customers an engineer close by and on-call 24 hours a day.”

Richard Miller, managing director of Star Group, added, “More and more of our customers, especially those operating in the growing number of low-emission zones across the UK, want to use Stage V generators, not least because they can support their own clients’ carbon zero targets and reputational aspirations.

“It’s a fact that, in many inner city areas, the emissions leaving our JCB Stage V generators will be cleaner than the air going into them. That’s a phenomenal level of performance that we’re proud to deliver for our customers.”