News Release

The Dorset-based distributor will introduce Yanmar’s compact equipment range to customers across parts of West Sussex, providing local sales, servicing and technical expertise for contractors operating in the region.

Yanmar Compact Equipment EMEA (Yanmar) has appointed Locators Ltd. (Locators) as a new dealer in its official UK network, strengthening support for customers across the South Coast. The agreement also marks Locators’ entry into the compact excavator market.

Under the partnership, the business will support customers across a newly assigned territory covering the districts of Chichester, Horsham, Mid Sussex, Arun, Adur and Crawley, providing local sales and aftersales support for Yanmar compact machines.The territory represents an important opportunity to expand Yanmar’s presence in the region, with the potential for the dealership area to expand further west in the future.

Established distributor expanding its portfolio

Founded in 1985, Locators is an equipment distributor specialising in forklift trucks, warehouse storage systems and construction machinery. The company employs around 75 people, including experienced sales specialists, service engineers and technical support staff, and supports customers across southern England from its headquarters and main depot in Wimborne, Dorset.

The business also operates a service location near Newbury, Berkshire, supporting field engineers working across the region. Led by Managing Director Keith Stewart, Operations Director Tony Stevens and Sales Director Nick Hitchcock, Locators holds three ISO accreditations, reflecting its commitment to maintaining high standards in quality, safety and operational management. Via sales teams and field service engineers, it provides equipment sales, servicing, maintenance, parts supply and technical support for the Yanmar equipment.

Introducing Yanmar machines to new customers

For Locators, adding Yanmar compact machines to its portfolio provides an opportunity to broaden its construction equipment offering while introducing the brand to new customers across the region.

“We’d been looking to add another product to our construction portfolio for some time,” said Nick Hitchcock, Sales Director at Locators Ltd. “What appealed to us about Yanmar was the quality of the machines and the fact that we were already familiar with the brand through its engines in the forklift industry. It gives us a great opportunity to reach new customers while complementing the construction equipment we already supply.”

Locators has placed an initial order for a range of Yanmar machines including the SV08-1C and SV17 conventional tail mini excavators, the ViO17 and ViO80-1 zero tail swing mini excavators, and the C08 tracked carrier, with the first ViO23 already sold. The range is designed to support a wide variety of applications, helping contractors working in sectors such as plant hire, landscaping, utilities and general construction throughout the region, where compact equipment is often required to operate efficiently in confined spaces.

“The construction market is very hands-on,” Hitchcock added. “Customers want to see the machines working and understand how they perform on site, so our focus will be on getting out to meet people, demonstrating the equipment and building relationships.”

Strengthening Yanmar’s UK dealer network

The appointment forms part of Yanmar’s continued efforts to strengthen its dealer network across the UK and Ireland, ensuring customers benefit from strong local expertise and support.

“We are very pleased to welcome Locators Ltd to the Yanmar dealer network,” said Phil Elam, Business Manager UK & Ireland at Yanmar Compact Equipment EMEA. “They are a long-established and respected distributor with strong industry knowledge and a proven commitment to customer service. Their experience and regional presence make them a valuable partner.”

Through the new partnership, Locators and Yanmar look forward to supporting customers across the territory with reliable compact equipment and dedicated local expertise.