Dumfries-based AMD Contract Services Ltd has become the first operator in Scotland to put a JCB 420X tracked excavator to work, celebrating a five-decade relationship with JCB and dealer Scot JCB as the firm's mixed fleet nears 150 machines across agriculture, forestry and construction.

The business traces its roots to 1967, when Albert Munro Dykes founded Dykes of Wallaceton to provide machinery services to local farms around Moniaive, tackling bracken on the hills and land drainage. "He started on his own, and built a small team with son Trevor joining in the late 1970s and son Fraser joining the business in 1987, and that went on until 1996," said Fraser Dykes, Managing Director of AMD Contract Services Ltd. "My brother and I took over then, and that's when it really started to grow. We went from around four machines back in 1996 to about 150 now, all different models." The company adopted the AMD Contract Services Ltd name in 1997 and, on 1 December 2016, Fraser became sole Managing Director following a share purchase from his brother, Trevor.

What began in agriculture expanded into forestry in the late 1990s before moving into construction, and today contracting accounts for around 60% of AMD's work. The company now employs about 80 people including operators, office staff and service engineers.

AMD's connection with JCB began in 1973, when the family bought a 3C Mark II from a then 23-year-old Steve Bryant. "I was a ten-year-old boy, and I went with them in Steve's Mark 3 Cortina to Glasgow to buy the digger," Fraser recalled. The relationship deepened as the business grew. "In 1999 we got the first ever brand-new machine I had, a JCB 130 HD," Fraser said. "I've always had a great relationship with Steve and the boys, (Iain and Robin Bryant, Joint Managing Directors), David Donoghue (former Joint MD of Scot JCB) and now Michael (Robinson, Scot JCB Sales Engineer), and it's gone from there.

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For Fraser, aftersales support is as important as iron. "Scot JCB's got an abundance of customers with the same opinion as me. Their service is second to none, and their relationship building is second to none," he said. "If you've seen what's on the wall in Lord Bamford's museum, 'we are nothing without our customers', you can see Steve drove that into his business from the start."

Asked which model has made the biggest impact at AMD, Fraser points to the JCB 131X. "The 131X has been our best digger ever," he said. "It's been a servant for all sorts of jobs, compact, and problem-free to be honest. One of ours is on nine thousand hours now and been trouble free." The 131X fleet is used for spreading stone and general contracting, with fuel use typically seven to eight litres an hour and a Stage V engine that does not require AdBlue. "Drivers think 74 horsepower sounds weak, but that's not the point," Fraser said. "For harder digging conditions use a heavier machine – for everything else the JCB 131X does the job."

Now AMD has added the country's first JCB 420X. "My background is as a digger driver; I drove them for nearly fifty years. The 420X has been beefed up in all the right places. The new undercarriage and the stability that it creates is fantastic." In the 40-tonne class, the 420X is powered by a dual-certified 241kW (323hp) Cummins L9 engine and is paired with a new 2.6 cubic metre heavy-duty bucket, delivering 10% more capacity and an 11% lift performance gain over the 370X. A wider, longer undercarriage further enhances stability, while the JCB UX cab's 10-inch touchscreen allows operators to store settings for up to 15 attachments. As AMD refreshes machines to meet client fleet-age requirements, the 420X will complement its day-to-day operations as a heavier-duty option. The fleet spans from mini and midi excavators up to 40-tonne tracked models, and the company has also invested in JCB's E-Tech range, adding electric mini diggers and dumpers.

Iain Bryant, Joint Managing Director at Scot JCB, said: "It's fantastic to see the first 420X in Scotland go to a business with such a long-standing relationship with JCB. Fraser knows exactly what he needs from a machine, and the 420X's strength and stability made it the right fit for AMD's fleet."

AMD relies on Scot JCB for genuine parts, with rapid availability helping to maximise uptime, and uses JCB Finance for new purchases. Relationships remain central to Fraser's approach: 'John Bigland's been fantastic. Over the years he's become a good friend,' he said.

Would Fraser recommend Scot JCB? "I recommend Scot JCB all the time and there's nothing better than word of mouth"

To arrange a demonstration of the JCB 420X, 131X or another model, contact your local Scot JCB depot.