At Hillhead 2026, beneath clear blue skies and amid the relentless hum of quarry demonstrations, Terex’s Materials Processing segment (Terex MP) made one thing abundantly clear: the segment is no longer trying to be everything to everyone. Instead, it is sharpening its focus – leaning into specialist markets and investing heavily in digital tools and distribution.
Leading the Terex MP press conference on Day 2 of the 23-25 June exhibition were Kieran Hegarty, President of Terex Materials Processing segment, and Pat Brian, Vice President, Terex Aggregates. Together, they painted a picture of a segment transformed – strategically streamlined, technologically ambitious, and determined to stay at the forefront of an increasingly competitive global market.
A strategic reset: from generalist to specialist
Much of Terex’s current identity stems from decisions made nearly a decade ago. Between 2017 and 2018, the company embarked on a decisive divestiture programme, shedding businesses that no longer aligned with its future vision. Crane divisions, construction equipment lines and other generalist operations were sold off, marking a clear departure from its past as a broad-based construction OEM.
For Hegarty, the reasoning was straightforward. “The plain reality,” he told attendees, “was we were not market leaders in many of those categories.”
This was not simply a restructuring exercise – it was a philosophical shift. Under leadership that emerged in 2016, Terex adopted a disciplined strategy: only compete in markets where it could establish and sustain clear leadership positions.
That strategy also defines the segment’s strategy as exemplified by the segment’s sale of its Italian cranes businesses within the last year. Materials Processing sits at the heart of the overall Terex strategy and is one of the company’s most consistent financial performers.
Aggregates: the cornerstone of MP
If Terex’s transformation provides the strategic backdrop, then Aggregates is the operational centrepiece. Hillhead, widely regarded as the premier global exhibition in the sector, provided the ideal platform for the company to reinforce its credentials – with 18 machines across seven brands on show.
“Our focus is aggregates,” says Pat Brian, Vice President, Terex Aggregates. “Certainly, when it comes to mobile crushing and screening, we’re a global leader.”
That leadership position is underpinned by a broad, multi-brand portfolio spanning crushing, screening, conveying, and washing – the four pillars of modern aggregates production. Brands including Powerscreen, Finlay, EvoQuip, Terex Washing Systems, MAGNA, ProStack, MDS and Terex MPS operate across different segments, typically with distinct distribution channels tailored to specific markets.
This multi-brand strategy allows Aggregates to cover a wide spectrum – from compact equipment for smaller contractors to high-capacity systems that support large-scale mining and infrastructure projects.
Innovation as a constant
One of the standout themes of Terex MP’s Hillhead presence was the sheer pace of product development. The display featured six machines that had been launched in the two years since the previous Hillhead exhibition, together with a number of prototypes and concept products. For Brian, continuous innovation is not optional – it is structural.
“One of the reasons we consistently perform, is our focus on new products,” he explained.
Among the equipment showcased were machines across several key categories:
- Jaw crushers, featuring high-volume, market-proven designs
- Cone crushers, including a prototype Powerscreen1000X Maxtrak
- Impactors, including the new Finlay horizontal impact crusher, the I-130RS
- Screening equipment, including Powerscreen’s Chieftain 2200 triple deck screen
Beyond new launches, Terex MP also leaned into its heritage. A refurbished Powerscreen Mark 1 –the original mobile screening machine from the 1960s – stood as a reminder of how far the industry has come. Positioned alongside modern equipment, the comparison underscored a dramatic leap in capability.
“Equipment that was producing maybe 100 tonnes an hour then can now be 2 000 tonnes an hour,” Hegarty notes. “It’s like comparing a Model T to a Lamborghini.”
Powerscreen at 60: celebrating legacy and loyalty
Anniversaries provided another focal point at Hillhead, particularly for Powerscreen, the company’s flagship brand in screening equipment, which marked its 60th year.
Few brands in the industry carry the same weight. Powerscreen is widely credited with pioneering mobile screening, and according to Hegarty, it has become almost synonymous with the category itself.
“Powerscreen built the mobile screening industry,” he said. “It’s the brand.”
To celebrate, Terex MP showcased a mix of heritage and modern machines and launched a Hall of Fame recognition programme for longstanding dealers. These relationships – some spanning five decades – are central to its competitive strategy.
Indeed, both Hegarty and Brian repeatedly emphasised distribution as one of Aggregates’ strongest differentiators.
“It’s easier to replicate a machine than it is to replicate our commercial strategy,” Brian says. “Our dealers have grown with us. That’s the hard part to copy.”
Expanding the portfolio: EvoQuip, Terex Washing Systems and MAGNA
The Materials Processing segment has continued to broaden its reach through targeted brand development and acquisitions, underpinned by established crushing and screening brands including Powerscreen, Finlay and the Terex MPS portfolio, where North American names such as Cedarapids, Simplicity and Canica bring more than 100 years of engineering heritage.
EvoQuip, launched a decade ago, represents the company’s push into the compact crushing and screening equipment segment. Designed for smaller contractors and recyclers, it has quickly established itself as a significant player.
At the opposite end of the spectrum sits MAGNA, a relatively new brand aimed at large-scale quarrying and mining applications. With machines weighing well over 100 tonnes, MAGNA reflects Terex MP’s ambition to penetrate the top tier of production environments traditionally dominated by static equipment.
“We thought there may be a space for us,” Brian said. “What we’ve found is there definitely is a space.”
Early success has come from the United States, Australia and South Africa—markets characterised by high-volume operations and growing infrastructure demand.
Meanwhile, Terex Washing Systems continues to evolve from a component supplier into a full-solutions provider, reflecting the increasing demand for integrated washing processes. At Hillhead 2026, the brand unveiled the AggreScrub P80 Logwasher with PreScreen.
Alongside this is MDS, specialising in heavy-duty trommels, and ProStack, supporting bulk material handling through conveyors and stackers.
Together, these brands form a comprehensive ecosystem that allows Terex to meet customer needs across the entire production cycle.
Digital transformation: beyond iron
While machinery remains central to Terex MP’s identity, much of its future strategy lies in digitalisation. At Hillhead, this was encapsulated in two key initiatives: INNEX and TRAC.
INNEX is a digital platform designed to enhance the customer experience across service, parts and technical support. With a dedicated team of more than 20 specialists, the platform serves as a ‘wrapper’ for a range of digital tools to improve uptime and responsiveness.
“It is about making sure the customer gets the best service, spare parts and technical support,” Hegarty said.
The TRAC system, meanwhile, brings real-time condition monitoring to vibrating screens. Using sensors positioned around the machine, it collects performance data, enabling operators to identify issues such as overheating bearings or misalignment before they escalate.
“What customers care about is uptime and productivity,” Brian explained. “TRAC allows them to foresee problems and make adjustments in real time.”
Artificial intelligence is also playing an increasing role, particularly in service and diagnostics. Tools such as Ask Terex provide users with access to technical information drawn from internal databases, ensuring accuracy while enabling rapid troubleshooting.
Facing competition head-on
As the aggregates sector becomes more globalised, competition is intensifying. Terex MP is under no illusion about the challenge.
“Every time you come to a show like this, there’s more competition,” Hegarty acknowledged.
However, the company is confident in its position. While competitors may introduce new machines, Terex MP believes its breadth of the segment’s product range, combined with its distribution network and service capabilities, provides a significant advantage.
“They’re bringing machines we already have,” Hegarty said of new entrants. “They still have a lot of catch-up to do.”
Brian reinforced the point, arguing that the real battleground extends beyond equipment.
“It is not just about the machine,” he said. “It is about the support, the digital tools, and the relationships we have built over decades.”
Market conditions: cautious optimism
The outlook for 2026 is more positive than last year. Demand in the United States has remained resilient, supported in part by infrastructure and data centre construction. Other markets, including India, have experienced more volatility due to fuel cost fluctuations, but remain key growth areas in the long term, supported by a strong Terex India operation.
Investment in capacity and capability
To support the company’s growth ambitions, Terex continues to invest in its Materials Processing business in both manufacturing and infrastructure. Recent developments include:
- Expansion of Powerscreen’s global headquarters in Northern Ireland
- Increased investment in Indian production facilities
- New manufacturing capacity for Franna cranes
- A major parts distribution facility in Louisville, United States
- Significant investment in fabrication capability in N Ireland
India, in particular, is emerging as a strategic hub – not only as an export base but as a market in its own right.
“It is a rapidly growing market,” Hegarty noted, highlighting Terex’s local production advantage.
The road ahead
As Hillhead 2026 draws to a close, Terex MP leaves with a clear message: focus wins. By narrowing its portfolio and investing in innovation, digital technologies and service, the company believes it is well positioned for the next phase of industry evolution.
At the same time, it recognises that the landscape will continue to shift. New competitors will emerge, technologies will advance, and customer expectations will rise.
For Terex MP, the response is simple: keep moving.
“We have to have a continual pipeline of new products,” Hegarty said. “That’s our DNA.”
In an industry built on scale and durability, Terex MP is betting that agility – combined with expertise – will be the ultimate differentiator.
