Several Hitachi Zaxis-7 excavators are currently working on the M27 Junction 10 improvement scheme in Hampshire for subcontractor CP Groundworks.
The five- to 22-tonne machines and their attachments have been supplied by Synergy Hire, set up by Hitachi Construction Machinery Group in 2019.
The Hampshire road construction project, which is due to be completed by summer 2026, is providing infrastructure to support the Welborne Garden Village near Fareham, where up to 6,000 new homes are planned. It involves upgrading the motorway junction, and includes constructing a new underpass, adding three slip roads, and creating a dual carriageway that will link the slip roads to the existing road network.
CP Groundworks is responsible for all the civil engineering aspects on site, such as earthworks, drainage, kerbing and ducting. The variety of work is reflected by the range of Hitachi machines, including a ZX48U-6 mini excavator, two ZX95USB-7s, a ZX150W-7 wheeled excavator, and two zero-tail swing models: the ZX135US-7 and ZX225USLC-7.
The company hires large machinery to minimise service and maintenance responsibilities, and has relied on Synergy Hire to supply its excavator fleet for five years. “The most important reason for choosing Synergy Hire is the level of service we receive,” says project manager Jon Morgan.
CP Groundworks also appreciates the flexibility provided by Synergy. It can carry out routine servicing on weekends to minimise downtime during the week, which is invaluable on time-critical projects involving road closures. “This helps us to meet our targets and programme delivery,” he explains. “If a machine is down for two-and-a-half hours due to servicing, we lose a quarter of our productivity for the day.”
Quick responses to last-minute requests and reliable support are also key to the success of the relationship with Synergy Hire. “If I need a machine here tomorrow – they’ll say, ‘Do you want it this afternoon?’,” Morgan says. “They would move heaven and earth to transport plant to us. And you don’t often see that approach in this industry.”
As of 31st March 2025, Synergy had a fleet of 1,211 machines for hire, a 45% increase from 836 a year before, and it plans further growth as the Japanese machinery manufacturer seeks to step up its presence in the UK hire sector.
