Lloyd Loaders (MH) Ltd has been trading since 1960.  In the early days the company was known as Lloyd Excavations & Roadstone Ltd... 

Initially the main activities included buying, hauling and selling materials used in building and construction.  Later this developed into excavation of ash and shale tips, quarrying and the processing of materials arising there from.  A natural progression took the company into demolition, excavation and plant hire, during the course of which a workshop for the maintenance of vehicles and plant, together with the gradual building-up of facilities and equipment came about.  

It became clear that the workshop facilities and staff were only fully utilised outside normal hours i.e. nights and weekends, with service and repair work.  Plant was purchased to re-condition or re-build.  The company preferred Chaseside loading shovels which it had tried, tested and standardised.  Initially the machines were intended for our own use but it soon became obvious we could buy and process machines beyond our requirements. 

In the late sixties we were asked by Chaseside to re-build their second hand machines.  This arrangement was successful for a period of two years until unfortunately the Chaseside Company, which was owned by the sadly ailing British Northrop, had to be sold.  As the purchasers, JCB sold through agents the second hand machines were not so readily available.  Also the price increases introduced by the new owners impacted on our operation. 

Although we still operated a number of Chaseside loaders, an alternative ‘direct sell’ manufacturer was sought.  In 1970 the changeover to Muir-Hill, then owned by Winget Ltd. Of Gloucester, began.  By this time the company had moved to a new twenty-one acre site in Halifax.  Re-building, for sale, continued as before, and being secondary to the company’s main activities. 

Coincidentally in 1974 one of the B5000 loaders was actually featured in the Muir-Hill Sales Courier.  Some may still be alarmed by the fact that at the time it was demolishing a local brewery. 

Unfortunately during the second half of the seventies industry was experiencing a severe decline and we found ourselves, like many other firms, looking for work in a shrinking market. 

About the same time, Muir-Hill had just closed their main spares depot at Altrincham and moved the operation to Gloucester.  Owing to this closure our spare parts customers increased.  As a consequence the decision was taken to repair, overhaul, rebuild and sell Muir-Hills, together with spare parts. 

The result was that the company continued to trade profitably, although on a slightly reduced scale, having survived the most prolonged downturn in trade during its twenty-plus years of existence.

In 1982 the whole of the Winget group was sold to Wibau of West Germany, a partially owned subsidiary of IBA, West Germany.  We continued as before and Muir-Hill traded at Gloucester under the title of Wibau-Winget Ltd...

The Muir-Hill changes in ownership, since that time, have been well documented.  Eventually in 1991 Muir-Hill was purchased from Aveling–Barford of Grantham.  Since that time several 131 tractors have been manufactured and sold mainly into the Scandinavian market. 

In addition to re-conditioning and selling used machines and spare parts exclusive Muir-Hill merchandise is becoming increasingly popular.  There is also great enthusiasm for early Muir-Hills.  Hence we are kept very busy providing historical details and genuine spare parts.  In view of this we are currently considering producing collectable items.  However this does involve persuading someone to delve through our dusty archives.  Unfortunately we do not have any volunteers at the moment!!

Watch this space!!!