PlantWorx 2025 wrapped up last week (25th September) at Newark Showground after three packed days, and early feedback from exhibitors confirms it was a resounding success. More than 10,000 visitors flocked through the gates to see over 300 exhibitors, as the sun shone (mostly) on the largest working construction equipment show in the UK in 2025.
Visitors travelled from across the UK and beyond — with international guests arriving from as far afield as Latin America and Mongolia, underlining PlantWorx’s reach as a global meeting point for the construction equipment sector.
PlantWorx 2025 welcomed 107 new exhibitors, with some booking just days before the event, bringing fresh energy and innovation to the show. The indoor pavilion was described as an “Aladdin’s cave” of products and solutions, drawing crowds throughout the three days and offering a wide range of offerings, from compact tools to high-tech software.
Innovation and product launches were at the heart of PlantWorx 2025, with hundreds of reveals creating a real buzz across the showground. We can’t mention them all – but there were some standouts. GAP Hire Solutions drew crowds with its new Fusion Pulse welfare units – the single-axle GP360 and twin-axle GPO660 – combining solar panels and smart power management to slash generator use. Takeuchi made headlines with the UK debut of its TL compact track loader range (TL8R-2 and TL12V-2) and a showcase of its electric excavators, including the TB10e.
Safety innovation was also front and centre. Parksafe Group launched its Human Form Recognition (HFR) safety system under the new Zone AI brand, while Safety Shield Global’s new S.T.R.E.A.M app gave a glimpse of the future of real-time site safety alerts. IPG Energy drew a steady crowd with its fuel-flexible generator capable of running on hydrogen, LPG, e-fuels, and diesel blends, and Sunward brought an exclusive line-up of compact excavators, loaders, and scissor lifts, including the SWE 08F and SWE 35UF.
Finning UK & Ireland brought the new Cat® 285 XE Compact Track Loader to PlantWorx Construction Exhibition 2025, marking its first UK showcase. The largest and most powerful model in the range, it features a 3.6 litre Cat engine built in Peterborough.
Cat Product expert Jas Kundra said: ‘They don’t get any bigger than this, and the 285 XE is perfect for operators wanting to lift larger payloads and traverse longer distances. With a bucket pin height of over 3.7 metres, it’s also great for loading applications. The 3.6 litre Cat engine is built in Peterborough, and you can raise the bucket while still opening the door, which is handy on a trailer or uneven ground. The door can even be removed on a sunny day and reinstalled in minutes.
Merlo created one of the most talked-about experiences at PlantWorx with the ROTO 50.30 S PLUS and operator platform. Many visitors accepted the invitation to rise 35 metres into the sky with product expert Graham Imms, enjoying a bird’s-eye view of the show while seeing first-hand the machine’s stability, reach, and height in action. The extendable three-person basket made the demonstration a memorable highlight of the event. Displayed with a hydraulic winch, the ROTO 50.30 S PLUS combines a 5-tonne capacity, 30-metre lift height, Stage V 170hp engine, 360° turret rotation, unique tilting cab, and multi-position stabilisers, making it well-suited to infrastructure, steel erection, forestry, and high-rise construction.
David Clark of Manitou UK said: ‘At PlantWorx, we previewed the brand-new MRT 4070 – a 40-metre, 7-tonne capacity rotating telescopic handler with an overall 27 metres of forward reach. It had the same four points of access as our Vision Plus machines, featuring a flat deck and no trip hazards, ensuring safety for all operators. The cab was spacious with a capacitive joystick, flat armrests, and an easy-to-use touchscreen.
Richard White of Site Arc reported “a fantastic show,” with strong interest in their welding solutions and plenty of face time with tier one contractors. He confirmed that Site Arc took orders during the event and has already committed to return “bigger and better” for PlantWorx 2027.
Peter Spillard of Spillard Safety echoed the sentiment, saying his team had a good show with plenty of productive conversations.
Scott McCabe of PVS Data was delighted with the exposure PlantWorx provided, adding that the show put him in front of tier one contractors, buyers, and key decision-making organisations — exactly the audience PVS Data wanted to reach.
Groundhog used the event to announce a major long-term partnership with GAP Group to supply sustainable mobile welfare units, describing the collaboration as a plan for the next 10–20 years, not just a one-off deal. Groundhog Sales & Marketing Director Peter Beach said, “PlantWorx 2025 was a really well-planned and executed event. From the exhibitor manual and set-up to access during the show, everything was well-organised and ran smoothly. We’ll definitely be back for PlantWorx 2027 — and next time we’ll be booking on hard standing and aiming to be even closer to the buzz.”
Xwatch Safety Solutions celebrated a major milestone at the show, winning the PlantWorx Innovation Award in the Safety category for its new-generation Mk2 system. Jemma Dycer Hopkins, Sales and Operations Manager at Xwatch, said, “PlantWorx 2025 was a fantastic event for us — winning the Innovation Award for the Mk2 system was the highlight of the week. It was brilliant to see so many contractors, hire companies and OEMs visiting our stand, and we had valuable conversations about the future of safety and telematics. This show is the perfect platform for us to demonstrate how our systems protect operators and machines, and we’re already looking forward to PlantWorx 2027.”
Advanté also shared their enthusiasm, saying, “What an amazing few days at PlantWorx. From great chats and delicious pizza to a round of sticky golf, we loved every moment — especially showing everyone around our Oasis Welfare units.”
Auger Torque thanked everyone who visited their stand, saying, “It was a fantastic event, and we really enjoyed connecting with customers old and new, providing solutions, and showcasing our high-quality attachment range.”
Machinetech said “three- fantastic days at the PlantWorx Construction Exhibition 2025,” adding that there were “lots of interesting conversations about machine control, RODRADAR and the future of construction technology.”
Jonathan Jarvis, General Manager of Holmbury Group, said, “PlantWorx has been excellent. This is our third time at the show, and we love it. We get to see real customers, understand their real problems, and offer solutions tailored to our products. It’s our favourite show — definitely.”
He added that having one space where they can meet people and have conversations is “invaluable, because ultimately, for all the technology that we have these days, people still buy from people. We’re not a corporate giant — we’re a medium-sized, family-run business with the ability to make things happen. Talking to people face-to-face is absolutely invaluable.”
Jonathan Guest, CEO of Safety Shield, said, “The foot traffic’s been fantastic — we’ve had a constant stream of old and new contacts on the stand and we haven’t stopped talking all day. It’s been really worthwhile.”
He added, “PlantWorx has delivered exactly what we hoped for. We’ve had lots of new customers coming on board who had heard about us and came to meet us here. The atmosphere’s been great, our stand position worked brilliantly, and even the weather played ball — it’s been a really good show.”
JCB had a very strong presence at PlantWorx 2025, with a packed stand and a whole team of sales staff, product specialists and dealers engaging with visitors. Event Manager Charlotte Etemad said, “It’s been really useful to engage with our customers and bring our dealers on stand as well. We’ve had a lot of our JCB sales team, our product specialists, and dealers join us on stand — it’s great for them to interact with our contractors and customers throughout the show.”
Their efforts were recognised during the show itself, when JCB was awarded Best Stand Build with the award presented live on the JCB stand.
SANY UK & Ireland also marked a major moment at the show. Reuben Stapells said, “PlantWorx 2025 was the perfect setting to meet with Lynch Plant Hire Managing Director, Merrill Lynch. We’re proud that Lynch is taking delivery of our new 3.5-ton fully electric excavator straight after the show — a real milestone in our shared commitment to sustainable construction.”
Leigh Harris, Business Development Director at SANY, added, “What a great week at PlantWorx 2025 — probably our most successful show yet for deals done on the stand. Huge thanks to the SANY team, our dealers and in particular Charlotte Bright for managing such an awesome event. And of course, a special thank you to the customers who placed their orders — it’s been fantastic to celebrate those deals here at the show.”
The buzz around the showground was reflected in the number of machines displaying ‘SOLD’ stickers by the end of the event — with XCMG, Hightop and others reporting strong sales and orders placed during the show. It was a clear reminder that PlantWorx is a true working show, where buyers come not just to look but to do business.
The new PlantWorx Drag Race proved to be a crowd-pleaser, with Ford Rangers from Evans Halshaw thundering down the runway, towing fully loaded Brian James trailers in head-to-head battles throughout the day. Scott Heath, CV Sales Leader at Evans Halshaw Ford Lincoln, said, “So far we’ve made nine sales from the event — for us, that’s a great success.”
Visitors were equally enthusiastic. A spokesperson for GeneX Construction said, “It was a brilliant day yesterday for us visiting PlantWorx, looking at so many different manufacturers and dealers and seeing all the new tech on offer. There's definitely a lot to think about for the future. Fantastic event.”
The PlantWorx Innovation Awards evening, sponsored by Finning Cat, Merlo and the DBT, held on the first night of the show, was once again a sell-out success, with winners celebrated in front of a packed audience. Highlights included Worsley Plant taking home the Best Use of Engineering & Technology Innovation Award for its Dynaset HRVB bucket, Kubota winning the Alternative Power Innovation Award for its Electric Retrofit Kit, and Gaia Group securing the Sustainability Initiative Award for Automate®. The Excellence in Workforce Development Award was jointly presented to Rethinking Futures and Lynch Plant’s Second Chances programme. CEA CEO Viki Bell said the awards “show how committed our industry is to tackling the toughest challenges — from reducing emissions and improving safety to investing in skills and innovation.” For a complete list of winners, see PlantWorx Innovation Awards 2025
The Operators Challenge, sponsored by JCB, was a huge hit and drew strong crowds throughout all three days. The atmosphere around the arena was buzzing as operators showed off their skills, cheered on by visitors. Content creators from across the industry turned out in force to capture the action, and Digging with Dave was a brilliant compère – keeping the crowd entertained and the energy high.
The Site Sustainability Showcase also proved a major draw, with visitors exploring battery storage solutions, hydrogen-powered machinery, solar-hybrid generators and electric NRMM. Prolectric, as headline sponsor, and DF Capital, sponsors of the Recharge Café, reported excellent engagement from visitors keen to discuss low-carbon site solutions. Luis Bassett, Decarbonisation & Sustainability Manager at the CPA, said, “Huge thanks to all the suppliers that supported the PlantWorx 2025 Site Sustainability Showcase. There was a great turnout, impressive technology, strong public sector engagement, and great weather. The diversity of machine types, business models, infrastructure requirements and suitable use cases really brought home the industry’s message. We are specialists. Keep our options open and support all forms of progress, not just perfection.”
PlantWorx also shone a spotlight on the future of the workforce. Rethinking Futures was a massive success, inspiring secondary school students with real-world engineering challenges and industry judges. The dedicated PlantWorx Student Day also saw strong participation, giving young visitors a hands-on introduction to the sector and helping build the pipeline of future talent.
Social media buzzed throughout the event, with exhibitors and visitors sharing images of packed aisles, live demos and product launches amplifying the show’s reach well beyond Newark Showground.
Viki Bell, CEO of the CEA, said, “As my first PlantWorx, the show exceeded my expectations in every way. The main thing I took from the event was the passion of all the exhibitors and visitors, and how much they genuinely love this show. The CEA Stand in the Indoor Pavilion was busy from the get-go, and it was lovely to see so many members stop by for a coffee and a catch-up. We had so many new member enquiries that the stand team had to book appointments. The team worked tirelessly, serving over 200 coffees, 250 packets of biscuits, and six cases of beer at our after-show networking event. A big thank you to the show team, the CEA stand team, and all the visitors and exhibitors – see you all in 2027.”
PlantWorx will return in 2027 – stay tuned for announcements.