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This year, the company is marking its 50th anniversary and is continuing to go from strength to strength, as highlighted by its recent record-breaking order with JCB for £68 million worth of plant machinery. The investment will add new telescopic handlers, excavators, dumpers and compaction equipment to the fleet, underlining the company’s commitment to provide the industry with the most up-to-date plant.
Humble beginnings
From humble beginnings, Morris Leslie established himself in business 50 years ago from his family’s farm in Rait, Perthshire, immediately after leaving agricultural college. Morris started buying and selling agricultural and construction equipment locally. Such was his success, he soon expanded to trading nationally and, in the last two decades, selling his modern, nearly new plant machinery to the global market.
In 1980, Morris began renting plant machinery, entering the local plant hire sector. Morris quickly established the business as a major player in the Scottish hire market supplying the construction industry.
Growth and acquisition
As the business grew, Morris purchased Errol Airfield, a former World War II airfield and training site. This was the ideal site to allow the expansion of the business into plant auctions. Morris was now hiring, selling and auctioning plant machinery across Scotland and beyond. Errol Airfield became the headquarters for the company, also housing its support functions such as finance and administration.
In November 1990, his business expanded into England with the acquisition of depots in Exeter, Plymouth and Saltash in the South West. Further acquisitions followed with two former Cox Hire depots in Burgess Hill and Woking in 2000, providing top quality plant hire alongside tool hire and equipment for events and festivals in the South East.
2013 saw the acquisition of three Ambrose Plant Hire depots and, in 2017, Morris acquired four Hewden depots.
Never one to rest on his laurels, Morris continued the rapid growth of the company with the acquisitions of Chertsey Plant in 2018, Selwood in 2021 and Harborough Hire in 2023.
In 2023 the company placed the largest ever order with JCB in the UK to purchase £87.5 million worth of machines – including a big fleet of 3CX backhoe loaders.
Giving back to the industry
Morris Leslie is a passionate and generous supporter of the Scottish Plant Operator Challenge which has been held at the company’s headquarters at Errol Airfield in Perthshire since the very beginning. Morris donates his time, plant and members of his team to ensure that the competition runs smoothly and is a great experience for everyone.
Giving back to the community
Under Morris’ leadership, the company supports a number of charities including Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance (SCAA).
In 2020, Morris joined forces with a local charity that provides hospice care for children with terminal or life limiting conditions. He created a 300m2 library and bookshop on his land that is run by the charity. Open every Sunday as part of a weekly market, it sells quality, donated books and toys and has raised over £80,000 to date.
Additionally, he supports TASH4Ukraine, also based at Errol Airfield, where volunteers work at the donation hub collecting, sorting, packing and loading lorries to deliver aid to Ukraine. Morris provides warehousing and machinery to assist the charity which has so far delivered over £600,000 worth of vital aid directly to the Polish/Ukrainian border.
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