The story of JCB is one of innovation, ambition and sheer hard work. From small beginnings building agricultural tipping trailers in 1945 to the global force in manufacturing the company has become today, JCB has constantly pushed the boundaries in our desire to be the best. My father and company founder Joseph Cyril Bamford’s motto was, “Jamais content”, and that is exactly right – we are never content with our achievements. But I believe that even he would be amazed by what the company has become. Today, we have 22 plants on four continents and more than 750 dealers around the world.
These are exciting times. In just 67 years we have gone from one man in a garage in Uttoxeter to major global brand renowned for its pioneering spirit. All of this is down to our people – a 10,000-strong worldwide force that makes up the JCB family we are so proud of. Our achievements over the past 67 years have been considerable, but at JCB we believe in always looking ahead to the next development, the next level of success. As we speak, JCB is continuing to innovate and push the boundaries in research and development; in particular within the area of sustainability, where energy costs and emissions are becoming an increasingly important purchasing consideration. Many of our customers will need to reinvent their businesses to meet new building standards and emissions legislation, and we will be there to support them every step of the way, as we have always been.
Do take the time to read through the innovation milestones over the decades on the menu below.
Anthony Bamford
Chairman JCB
Innovation milestones
- 1949: JCB Major Loader revolutionises agriculture
- 1952: JCB backhoe loader is born with the Mk 1 Excavator
- 1963: JCB 3C takes backhoe performance to new levels; a design classic
- 1964: JCB 7 becomes JCB's first crawler excavator
- 1971: JCB 110 hydrostatic crawler loader proves our pioneering spirit
- 1977: JCB 520 telescopic handler, a new concept, takes the industry by storm
- 1980: JCB 3CX marks the construction industry's largest investment in a single machine
- 1990: JCB Fastrac becomes the world's first fully suspended, high-speed draught tractor
- 1993: JCB robot skid steer loader becomes the world's safest skid steer
- 1997: JCB Teletruk takes the industry by storm
- 2006: 2 JCB 444 diesel engines power the JCB Dieselmax to the diesel word land speed record
- 2010: JCB Eco machines take machine efficiency and productivity to new world-beating levels