A total of 19 RTV’s from Kubota are playing their part in keeping the city safe, clean and operational following a sizeable investment by Glasgow City Council in October 2025. Delivered by dealers Hamilton Ross, the RTV X1110’s are equipped with rear-mounted gritters for crucial winter operations on pavements and cycleways and join Kubota ZD zero-turn mowers and mini excavators on the fleet providing year-round reliability on maintenance tasks throughout the city centre.

Close to 1700 machines currently support over 600 staff working across parks, streets, schools and public spaces where performance and reliability isn’t optional – it’s essential. With over 40 years of mechanical experience, Plant Workshop Manager Jack Aikman knows more than most whether a machine is up to the test. “There aren’t many makes of equipment I haven’t worked on and when it comes to build quality, Kubota is right up there” comments Jack.

“As soon as we put the RTV’s on the ramp you could just tell they were built to last which, given the strenuous demands placed on the vehicles, is crucial.”

Jack worked closely with the team at Hamilton Ross Group, particularly Thomas Connor, to deliver a solution to replace an aging fleet of machines used for gritting. “What we’ve got is a comfortable vehicle, that’s smooth and easy to drive, with a good payload and compatible, high-capacity gritter to get maximum time in the field before the need to head back to base to refill.” He adds, “We also specified the RTV’s with a front-mounted plough so we really are equipped to deal with all weather conditions.”

Not limited to tasks over the winter months, the versatility of the Kubota range enables the team to use the RTV’s across the full year. “These will become a real workhorse, whether that’s for spraying, towing other pieces of equipment or simply loading and moving soil, manure or other materials around the city.”

The 19 RTV’s have since been joined by two Kubota ZD zero-turn mowers for cutting the city’s parks. “Compared to years gone by, the grass we’re having to cut is often longer and denser meaning you need something durable here to get through the task at hand. The Kubota decks seem to take everything in their stride.” Two Kubota excavators were also purchased for the crematoriums and cemeteries, where they will work in tandem with the RTV’s for material moving.

“In this line of work, things get broken – indicators get caught, windows break – it’s just the nature of the beast.” This is where Jack and the team rely on the back up support from Thomas and the whole Hamilton Ross support team. “The back-up we receive is as good as it gets.” He adds, “Running such a large operation, we simply can’t afford to have equipment off the road. Any parts we need are either in stock or available in a matter of days and it truly feels like getting the machines up and running is an important to them as it is to us. That’s exactly why our partnership with Hamilton Ross Group has thrived for close to three decades.”