Earlier this week two of the CPA Stars of the Future award winners from last year’s awards were invited to JCB as VIP guests to the JCB Visitors Centre in Rocester, Staffordshire.
Molly Gill and James Grant – both of Flannery Plant Hire – won the Young Plant Operative of the Year and Plant Operative of the Year accolades at the CPA Stars of the Future Awards 2025 respectively and the JCB visit formed part of their prize.
What an experience it was! Molly and James first toured the ‘Story of JCB’ before embarking on a Backhoe Loader Dig Experience at Kevin Quarry and enjoying a sumptuous lunch in the VIP Hospitality Suite. The afternoon included a factory tour before a meal and overnight stay at the amazing JCB Golf & Country Club.
Thank you so much to Duncan Weekes, Paul Mabey, Georgina Williams and the JCB team for organising and being wonderful hosts.
Next week Molly and James will embark on the second part of their Stars of the Future prize, which will see them completing a week-long CPCS training course at
ACOP Group’s training facility in Wales with Siôn Morgan Jones and the CPA’s Peter Brown.
With many thanks to our sponsors for the Young Plant and Plant Operative of the Year Awards 2025 – ACOP Group, L Lynch Plant Hire & Haulage, NOCN Group and JCB. We simply couldn’t offer these amazing prizes and recognition without your support.
If you have apprentices or trainees in your workforce who you believe could be Stars of the Future, nominations are now open for the Stars of the Future Awards 2026, where prizes like these will be offered to the winners.
The nomination deadline is 20th March 2026 and there’s more information on the CPA website at
Stars of the Future
