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The Hillhead Show is the UK’s largest quarrying, construction and recycling exhibition, which took place last week. Located in Tarmac’s Hillhead Quarry in Buxton, the show welcomed over 19,000 visitors from across the world for three days of live demonstrations and manufacturer exhibits, making it the most visited edition ever. 

With around 600 UK and international companies showcasing machinery, products and service solutions at the show, it’s one of the most popular events in the construction calendar. GRP headed to Buxton last week to get in on the action, here’s what they got up to…

The live demonstrations crushed it

Perhaps Hillhead’s most memorable moments for GRP were the live demonstrations. Cooled down by a welcome sprinkle from the Terex mist canons, visitors get the opportunity to see heavy plant up close and personal, doing what it does best. It’s one thing to see brand new machines at the manufacturers stand, but watching them work their magic amongst the rock is a whole different ball game. 

The Hillhead Show has four separate demonstration areas: the Quarry Face, Crusher Alley, the Recycling site packed with specialist crushers, shredders, screens and washing equipment, and the Registration area that hosts rock processing and recycling demonstrations. 

Check out our TikTok from the day.

SMT showcased Volvo CE’s first fully-electric excavator

Our relationship with Volvo and SMT spans decades. One of our very first machines was an EC140. Now our fleet includes a range of L220 wheeled loaders, as well as hooklifts and trucks. 

SMT’s stand at Hillhead this year was pretty impressive, from showcasing Volvo CE’s first fully-electric mid-sized excavator, to its fully rebuilt wheeled loader, and heaps of interactive tech to get stuck into. 

Volvo’s 23 tonne EC230 excavator is its first fully-electric mid-sized excavator model, boasting zero exhaust emissions and quiet operation. 

A machine that drew a lot of attention from plant owners and operators alike was the fully rebuilt wheeled loader, a service SMT have introduced as an option to increase machine service life and reduce costs to plant owners. 

Driverless demolition equipment introduced by Husqvarna

It’s not just the big kit being showcased at Hillhead, the smaller machines bring in the crowds too. Husqvarna Construction introduced their new DXR 95, the manufacturer’s lightest and most compact demolition robot.

Joining a diverse range of Husqvarna’s high-quality robots, the DXR 95 affords customers a huge productivity boost when working in confined spaces. The robot’s user friendly remote control makes it simple to operate in cramped and fragile environments, removing the need for an operator inside or on the machine as mini-diggers would.

JCB swapped yellow for green with their Hydrogen range

Each year, JCB draws huge numbers of visitors to their stand, and this year was no exception. Whilst you’d expect to see a sea of JCB yellow flooding the stand, this year was a sea of green from their latest Hydrogen range. Having developed the first hydrogen motor in the construction industry, JCB showcased their G60RS H generator at Hillhead this year. 

Its hydrogen combustion engine combined with the JCB Powerpack allows the generator to reduce carbon footprint without sacrificing performance. Their Hydrogen 3CX ECO backhoe loader was also on the stand. 

It was great to see friendly faces from Molson, Aldermore, SMT and more. We look forward to Plantworx in 2025.