JCB has manufactured its 750,000th backhoe loader.It was produced in Rocester, Staffordshire, U.K., the same location where the first JCB backhoe was manufactured almost 70 years ago.In 1953, company founder Joseph Cyril Bamford conceived the idea of a single machine combining a front shovel and rear excavator arm. In its first full year of production in 1954, just 35 of the machines were produced, and it took more than 20 years for the first 50,000 to be made. JCB now manufactures backhoe loaders in the U.K., U.S., India, and Brazil.
“Some of my earliest childhood memories are of watching our first backhoe loaders being produced and it’s incredible to think we have now manufactured 750,000,” said Lord Bamford, current JCB Chairman, and the son of Joseph Cyril Bamford.“The backhoe remains one of the world’s most popular construction machines almost seven decades after it first was produced, dominating the world market for 19 consecutive years. It is a testament to the versatility of the machine that its popularity continues to endure. With the continuation of JCB’s innovation and capability, we will continue to see this machine prosper in the future,” said Richard Fox-Marrs, president of JCB North America.
The company’s first backhoe was the JCB Mark I, mechanizing many jobs which had previously been done by hand. The product developed rapidly, with the launch of the Hydra-Digga in 1956. The launch of the heavier, more powerful JCB 4 in 1960 was the first machine with JCB’s signature yellow branding.
Source: JCB
