A NATIONAL equipment and crane hire firm with a depot at Barleycastle Trading Estate in Appleton has bolstered its services following investment totalling £11.5 million.

Hewden, which is based off Lyncastle Road, has used the funds to bring in 21 new cranes, ranging from a capacity of 70 to 220 tonnes, across each of its sites.

The Construction Products Association (CPA) is forecasting an industry growth rate of 23 per cent between 2014 and 2018.

But Hewden is confident the new machinery will help meet the demand for housing, infrastructure and commercial projects in the area.

The latest investment pushes the size of cranes handled by the company to a new high.

Previously, it only dealt with cranes going up to 130 tonnes of capacity, but the new range substantially surpasses that figure, with two of the rigs provided by Japan-based Tadano.

Depot manager Neal Ocego highlighted the importance of the investment.

He said: "This is a significant investment for Hewden but the construction sector is continuing to show strong prospects in the UK, especially for large scale infrastructure and commercial projects.

"We've been involved in the commercial crane hire sector for more than 40 years but this latest venture is a significant development from our traditional fleet.

"We are going bigger and better, with the new Tadano rig showing how innovative technology can really help to cut costs and improve health and safety.

"We're known locally for our safety, reliability, quality and security and the new investments will reinforce that reputation going forward to next year and beyond."

The CPA represents the UK's manufacturers and distributors of construction products and materials, with the sector, which has an annual turnover of more than £50 billion, providing jobs for 313,000 people across 21,000 firms.

It champions members' interests across both the construction and manufacturing industries and it has set out a number of strategic objectives.

They include gaining greater recognition for construction product manufacturers and distributors, helping to grow members' businesses and reducing 'regulatory risks and burdens'.