EDF are fond of saying they will be creating 25,000 new jobs in the Bridgwater area over the next few years but at the moment for many firms there’s a period of waiting before things really happen.

One company that has been busy working for the French energy giant and will be gearing up for the next surge of activity once Hinkley C is finally given the go-ahead is Plantforce.

“I slept on the doorway of the main buyer for Kier Bam for about six months,” said Geoff Wyatt, Plant Force’s project manager with a smile. “It was to build a relationship with the joint venture construction company who are involved with the building of Hinkley C. We supply either self-drive diggers or driver operated diggers. Our digger operators are all employed by us and have to go through a security process for EDF which can take about four or five weeks. Mostly they are local men (we are keen to employ women as well) and they meet at J24 at about 6.30am and are taken to Hinkley by bus.”

At the moment there is a lull between the initial work at Hinkley C which has mostly been done and the main period of construction which could happen at any time although at the moment they have ten machines on site. It’s called a care and maintenance period with Plantforce busy with other work for building firms, civil engineering outfits and major contractors for road building and ground work ahead of construction. They have worked with Wessex Water in the past and plan to link up with Bridgwater College for training staff in the future. Like many companies, from hotels to transport firms, and from cement manufacturers to caterers they must be patient and wait for the final ‘go’ date from EDF.

Mr Wyatt said the firm was founded by Claire Trott in 2000 and has grown from a small unit in Yatton to a firm with sites in Weston-super-Mare, Exeter and Dunball near Bridgwater with a work force of 70 people. When work gets underway at Hinkley however the firm expect to take on another 100 drivers to more than double the payroll.

Born and bred in Somerset, Mr Wyatt went to school in Clevedon and left become a sales rep for a forklift company before moving to Plantforce to take on the role of site manager at Dunball and project manager for the company for Hinkley C. He’s also a super commuter as he lives in Bude with his family and drives daily to Somerset.

Plantforce have a range of Hyundai and Kobelco diggers from a four ton machine up to the giant 52 ton monsters capable of dredging rivers and working on those difficult to reach places. In Dunball they have offices, workshops and a large area for the giant machines to park up ready for the next job. In the far misty distance across the River Parrett from J23 lies the vast complex of Hinkley which awaits the moment when the new nuclear power station is finally given the green light – and Plantforce can really start digging.

Is your firm gearing up for Hinkley C? Will it transform business? We’d like to hear your story. Email harry.mottram@nqsw.co.uk