San Antonio, Texas is the location of a new JCB factory which will become its second largest when it starts producing machines in 2026.

The ground breaking ceremony took place on Tuesday with Alice Bamford and her father, company chairman Anthony Bamford picking up a shovel for the event. This £390 million project will create 1,500 jobs in the first five years on the 400 acre site and will be used to produce telehandlers and aerial access equipment.

“Construction equipment manufacturers sell more than 300,000 machines every year in North America, making it the single largest market in the world,” said Lord Bamford. “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.”

JCB has been active in North America since 1964 and opened its first plant there in 2001 in Savannah, Georgia which employs 1,000 people. The new San Antonio facility will bring the number of JCB factories to 22, with half of these located in the UK, including its largest at Rocester in Staffordshire.

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. San Antonio is also the logical choice as a location for our new factory because of its central location, proximity to the supply chain and great local labour force. We are really excited about JCB’s new San Antonio factory and for the future of our business in North America.”

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