The final Members’ Forum of the year brought together a strong turnout of members and guests at Caterpillar’s Desford facility for a day of insight, discussion and valuable networking. Hosted by Caterpillar, the agenda covered safety and compliance, new technology, finance, market intelligence and regulatory updates from both the UK and Europe.
CEA Chief Executive Viki Bell opened the Forum, thanking attendees for their continued engagement throughout 2025 and praising the excellent turnout. She also thanked Caterpillar for hosting, with particular thanks to Sam Mottram, Caterpillar Product Management Strategy Director
“It’s been a strong year for the CEA,” she said, “and it’s encouraging to see so many members taking an active role in shaping the direction of our sector. Events like this give us the chance to connect across the industry and tackle the challenges we face together. It was great to see new members joining the CEA community, alongside fresh faces from existing member companies attending their first Forum — the room had a real buzz, which really reflects the association’s growing reach and appetite for collaboration across our sector.”
Viki welcomed Phil Battle, Divisional Director at SMT GB, and Chris Sleight, Global Managing Director of Off-Highway Research, to the CEA Board. Phil takes on the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) and Environmental Sustainability portfolio, while Chris will lead Insights. She also highlighted her formal appointment to the CECE Board.
The Forum heard that PlantWorx 2025, was a success and attracted over 10,000 visitors and more than 300 exhibitors. Members were also reminded to submit turnover details by 28 November 2025 as part of the membership audit to keep the process fair and transparent.
Viki also confirmed that the UK will host the CECE Congress from 27–29 October 2026 under the presidency of Phil Layton from JCB. The three-day event will take place at IET Savoy Place in London, offering extensive opportunities for engagement and sponsorship, and placing the UK firmly at the centre of European dialogue on construction equipment and sustainability.
The evening before the Forum, members enjoyed an informal networking dinner, which proved to be a highlight as always — great company, plenty of laughter and lively conversation set the tone for the following day’s discussions. The relaxed setting gave new and long-standing members alike a chance to catch up, share ideas and swap a few stories — a reminder that camaraderie is one of the CEA’s real strengths.
Caterpillar’s Sam Mottram opened the morning with a detailed safety and compliance briefing, outlining the company’s commitment to ethical leadership, operational excellence and a safety-first culture across its UK operations. Delegates were given an overview of Caterpillar’s structure, covering 13 UK facilities and a workforce of around 10,000 employees.
VUE’s Adam Porter and Peter Oates followed with an impressive presentation on human-form-recognition (HFR) technology, demonstrating how their AI-enabled camera systems are helping operators and site managers prevent accidents in real time. With MIRA testing completed and integration available for a wide range of machines, they showed how amber and red detection zones trigger in-cab alerts, audible warnings and feed live data into the VUEhub dashboard — a proactive approach to incident prevention rather than simple recording.
Versaffix’s Martin McMenamin and Gerard Doherty showcased the company’s UK-built tiltrotator range, designed to improve safety, efficiency and sustainability on site. With family roots in the Doherty Group, Versaffix combines in-house design, manufacture and service to deliver precision-engineered systems that reduce fuel use, speed up operations and address labour shortages by enabling excavators to carry out multiple tasks with ease.
Dale Camsell, CEA Senior Technical Consultant, delivered a recap of how regulations and standards work together, followed by a comprehensive review of current and upcoming regulatory developments. He outlined the CEA’s ongoing work with the Department for Business and Trade to secure continued acceptance of the CE mark beyond the current deadlines, ensuring UK manufacturers can remain competitive in Europe without unnecessary duplication. Dale also addressed the Machinery Regulation, alignment of harmonised standards and the practical implications for OEMs as EU and UK systems are developed.
He drew attention to the emerging EU Data Regulation, which will determine how machine-generated data is shared, and the Batteries and Waste Batteries Regulation, which places new obligations on producers and importers. Dale also covered the CEA’s growing involvement in shaping safety standards for hydrogen-powered construction equipment, developed in partnership with JCB and supported by the CECE. The work is paving the way for the safe use of alternative power sources in non-road machinery. His session, as always, offered a clear and measured interpretation of complex legislation — translating regulatory change into practical advice for manufacturers and suppliers operating in both the UK and European markets.
Delegates were introduced to Construction Plant Finance (CPF) by consultant Steve Moody and Matthew Bull, CPF Commercial Manager, who shared how the company provides independent finance tailored to the construction equipment sector. With more than 40 years of experience in construction finance, Steve explained how CPF works directly with manufacturers and dealers to create vendor finance schemes that help customers acquire equipment easily while supporting manufacturers’ sales.
ScreenServices’ Ben Elliott and Jade Lyman gave an overview of the company’s long-standing partnerships with major OEMs, including more than 30 years as a supplier to Caterpillar. Based in Gateshead, the company offers an end-to-end service from design to logistics, producing safety labels, branding and operator-interface products with rigorous testing and global supply capability.
Chris Sleight, Global Managing Director of Off-Highway Research, joined by video link to present his global market outlook — another session that always draws strong attention. He noted that construction equipment markets are stabilising after two years of volatility, with North America holding steady, Europe looking towards a gradual recovery in 2026 and India continuing to post record sales levels. China remains challenging, with demand softening under slower infrastructure investment, while global production has started to rebalance as supply-chain pressures ease.
Chris also discussed the potential effects of new US trade measures under Section 232, where a 50 per cent tariff on the steel content of imported goods — 25 per cent for the UK — could have a disproportionate impact on equipment manufacturers because of the high steel content in most machines. He explained that this could equate to effective import duties of around 45 per cent for construction equipment entering the US, regardless of country of origin. The policy, he said, makes the steel tariff the dominant cost factor, with country of origin becoming largely irrelevant — an unintended consequence likely to steer buyers toward the lowest-cost producers.
His analysis, supported by Off-Highway Research’s global data, provided valuable context for members looking to plan ahead in light of shifting trade policies, material costs and regional demand patterns.
The final presentation came from Alex Woodrow, Managing Director at KGP Powertrain Intelligence, who explored the global non-road production landscape, including emissions legislation, alternative fuels and powertrain technologies. Drawing on the latest KGP Off-Highway Research global forecast, Alex highlighted that electric machinery is expected to show modest growth through 2030, with the majority of new production still centred on Stage V–equivalent engines.
He explained that India’s postponement of Stage V (BS-V) legislation until January 2025 for construction equipment and April 2025 for agriculture has slowed overall progress, pushing back the timeline for wider Stage VI adoption. What was once considered achievable by 2030, Alex said, now looks more likely around 2032. The data illustrated how emissions compliance remains the primary driver of powertrain development, with electric and hybrid options growing but still representing a small proportion of total volumes.
His presentation provided valuable insight into the real-world pace of decarbonisation and the challenges facing the industry as we balance regulation, technology readiness and infrastructure challenges.
The Forum closed with thanks from Viki Bell, who thanked Caterpillar for hosting, the speakers for sharing their insight, and everyone for their support this year.
The next CEA Members’ Forum will be on 24–25 March 2025, hosted by Trelleborg Antivibration Solutions in Leicester.
Members who’d like to revisit the presentations can download the full slide deck from the website.