JCB broke ground on a new $500 million factory in San Antonio, Texas, marking the company’s biggest manufacturing investment ever.
The 720,000-square-foot factory on a 400-acre site will be JCB’s second-largest plant, rivaled only by the company’s world headquarters in Rocester, England.
The factory will manufacture Loadall telescopic handlers and aerial access equipment, specifically for customers in North America, with the capacity to expand to other products in the future.
Production is scheduled to start in 2026, and the new factory will create 1,500 new jobs over five years. JCB’s North American headquarters, which opened in Savannah, Georgia, in 2001, has 1,000 employees.
Alice Bamford, daughter of JCB chairman Anthony Bamford, turned the first shovelful of dirt to signal the start of construction at the June 4 groundbreaking ceremony.
Chairman Lord Bamford said: “Construction equipment manufacturers sell more than 300,000 machines every year in North America, making it the single largest market in the world. JCB has been growing its share of this important market steadily over the past few years, and the time is now right to invest in our manufacturing capacity in North America, where we already have one factory.
“JCB really has come a considerable way since we sold our first machine here 60 years ago, and it gives me immense pleasure to see how our business has grown in North America. Today really is a milestone day in the history of our family company.”
“Texas was this year named as the ‘Best State for Business’ for a record-breaking 20th year, and I am proud to welcome JCB as the newest business to call our great state home,” said Governor Greg Abbott. “Today’s groundbreaking marks a major milestone in JCB’s journey that will create 1,500 good-paying jobs for hardworking Texans in Bexar County and bring hundreds of millions of new capital investment to San Antonio and beyond. ‘Made in Texas’ is truly a powerful global brand, and I look forward to celebrating JCB’s continuing success as we work together to build a bigger, better Texas for decades to come.”
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JCB CEO Graeme Macdonald said: “JCB’s business in North America has made tremendous progress in the past few years and the opportunity for growth here is vast. This record investment gives us a fantastic opportunity to build on our success and we look forward to the completion of this great new facility.”
Richard Fox-Marrs, president & CEO of JCB North America, said: “The Loadall telescopic handler is JCB’s biggest selling product in North America, and it is also the single largest market for aerial access equipment worldwide, and therefore, it makes great sense to build these two ranges here.”
“Texas is an obvious choice for our new North American manufacturing facility, not least because the state is the largest consumer of construction equipment in the USA.