Fox Group chooses McCloskey units from Agg-Pro to help drive ambitious growth and green agenda

Established in 1932, Fox Group has been operating across the North West for over 90 years and specialises in the supply and haulage of aggregates, recycled materials, muck shift and earthworks.

Operating from 32 locations across the UK, the company runs a fleet of 350 trucks including electric vehicles, 5-7 trains a?week and 4,500 items of plant?machinery.

Employing 850 people and working across quarries, recycling, plant hire, earthworks, rail and marine, the company has a strong nationwide presence thanks to several high-profile acquisitions in recent years including Hurt Plant Hire,

B and W Plant Hire, Woods Waste, Bacup Clay, Blackledge, JJ O’Grady and CRH Plant Hire. Further expansion in 2023 has?seen JA Jackson, Monks Training and Tipworx join the group.

In 2018, Fox Group purchased their first McCloskey J45 from Agg-Pro to work on a concrete runway recycling operation and, since then, they have increased their share of the recycling and aggregate sector to become the market leaders for all construction, haulage plant and material?needs.

Fast forward to 2023, Fox Group’s McCloskey portfolio is now in double figures and includes jaw crushers, cone crushers and screeners, and their partnership with Agg-Pro has gone from strength to?strength.

The J40 and J45 the perfect all-rounders for the Fox Group

Nestled inside its crushing shed at the Leyland depot, the McCloskey J40 works 24/7 when required, to constantly process the stream of C+D waste which it helps to turn back into reusable aggregates.

This is key in Fox Group’s circular economy offering and the McCloskey J40’s simplicity makes it the perfect match for the job. A hydrostatic-driven jaw enables it to process a variety of material and the dropdown conveyor feature allows the operator to remove any rebar or wire safely without having to shut the crusher down. This results in less downtime and higher production. Powered by a Tier 5 CAT engine, the J40 is also now up to 25-30% more fuel efficient than its Tier?3?predecessor.

Moving between the group’s multiple quarries and recycling centres and out on hire to its client base, the McCloskey J45 has firmly proven its worth since the group purchased its first unit, an ex-demonstrator model in 2018. Like its smaller brother, the J40, the J45’s ease of use for the operator, high production in a variety of applications and its reliability and straightforward build when repairs and maintenance are needed, place it as the unit of choice when a crusher is requested by clients.

The key features of the J45 include a single toggle jaw, integrated hydraulic folding hopper, integrated hydraulic folding stockpiling conveyors, I-beam plate fabricated chassis construction, a large gap between crusher discharge and main conveyor feed boot, open chassis design for ease of maintenance and a fast setup time.

"We have an excellent working relationship with Agg-Pro. Not only do they offer a premium product but they also have exceptional knowledge of different applications, offer the ability to adapt to our needs when required, and provide an exceptional after-sales service. This puts them as our first choice for all crushing and screening equipment requirements.” - Paul Fox, Group MD of the Fox Group

Fox Group’s growth and green?goals

Following the takeover of Hurt Plant Hire, Fox Group increased their focus on producing quality virgin and recycled aggregates from its CMP Anglesey quarry.

Traditionally servicing the local area, the introduction of a McCloskey C2 Cone crusher has helped them to increase production and produce higher quality single size aggregates, which are delivered all over North Wales and the North West.?

At the heart of the McCloskey C2 is a high-speed, high-throw 200hp cone manufactured by Metso for McCloskey. Its direct-drive concept from the engine dramatically reduces fuel usage, and its steep profile liners increase its wear life by up to 50% in comparison to the?competition.?

In January this year, the company celebrated a major milestone with the installation of a railhead at its Leyland location. With five trains a week delivering high-quality limestone, by opening the railhead we are able to deliver more stone with the same amount of wagons while reducing our carbon footprint. Limestone is also loaded onto the company’s fleet of fully electric tippers, again adding to the company’s green credentials.?

The JA Jackson business and team have achieved record figures through their recent upgraded wash plant, with volumes up and above 10,000 tonnes being diverted from landfill and ploughed back into the aggregate sector.?

Key to Fox Group’s growth has been their partnership with Agg-Pro. The quality of the products speak for themselves and Agg-Pro is proud to offer a straightforward and honest approach, plus excellent technical knowledge and understanding of the sector. Their aftersales service is also second to none with a quick turnaround if there is an?issue.

"We have a great partnership with Fox Group and long may it continue. Our highly experienced team have a wealth of industry knowledge and experience and always strive to offer innovative solutions to our customers.

Fintan Harkin, one of our Sales Engineers, has a hands-on approach and has worked closely with Paul Fox to build a strong relationship, ensuring we meet the company’s changing needs and requirements." - Steve Peterson, Commercial Director at Agg-Pro