Case Study - Jovic Plant
Pirtek might not be the first name you think of to provide a plant theft deterrent. But for Basildon-based equipment hirer Jovic Plant, a call to its local Pirtek Centre was to provide a timely solution to a costly problem.
Formed in 1980, Jovic Plant offers a comprehensive range of plant equipment with over 80 excavators ranging from 800 kg micro machines to 14 tonne models, all available on a self-drive or operated basis. The company’s fleet also includes site dumpers with capacities from 1.0 to 10 tonnes, telescopic handlers, rough terrain forklifts, compaction equipment and traffic lights and lighting towers.
Olympic Requirements
Jovic Plant’s first exposure to the benefits of the CESAR system, including Datatag technologies, came when one its clients, a contractor working on the prestigious London 2012 Olympics site, insisted that his hire equipment was fitted with a theft prevention system. Director Peter Goudie reports that Jovic Plant responded by placing a call to Pirtek Basildon with an order to CESAR register its entire machine fleet. “Plant theft has always been a big problem for us, but our customer really prompted us into action,” Goudie says. “Thankfully, Pirtek Basildon had an ideal solution. We like the fact that CESAR acts as a visual deterrent as well as an effective means of recovery. As soon as a potential thief spots the warning signs, he knows the machine can be tracked and the culprit will always be prosecuted by CESAR.”
Installed in Minutes
For a busy plant hire company, speed of installation was also a key concern, according to Goudie. “The great thing about CESAR is that it can be installed in a matter of minutes,” he says. “With one phone call, we can get a Pirtek Mobile Sales and Service Technician in during a lunch break and have two machines tagged before the operators go back to work.”
Peter Goudie says that he’ll probably never know just how successful the CESAR system has been “in the field” because it’s impossible to know just how many thieves have been deterred from stealing Jovic’s tagged equipment. But, he says, his company is now enjoying an unexpected side benefit of the CESAR system – reduced insurance premiums. “The system pays for itself in the first year simply because the insurance is lowered, so every subsequent premium is a bonus,” he concludes. “And thanks to the accurate records produced by Pirtek Basildon and held by CESAR, the police are much more aware of what to look for should we ever lose a machine.”
The highly visual CESAR warning stickers are usually enough of a deterrent to ensure plant isn’t touched on site
“One of the benefits of the system was that it paid for itself in the first year, simply because it greatly lowered our insurance premiums.”