JCB (heavy equipment manufacturer)

Joseph Cyril Bamford Excavators Ltd. was founded by Joseph Cyril Bamford in October 1945 in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, England. He rented a lock-up garage {{convert|12|by|15|ft|abbr=on|order=flip}}. In it, using a welding set which he bought second-hand for £1 from English Electric, he made his first vehicle, a tipping trailer from war-surplus materials. The trailer's sides and floor were made from steel sheet that had been part of air raid shelters. On the same day as his son Anthony was born, he sold the trailer at a nearby market for £45 (plus a part-exchanged farm cart) and at once made another trailer.{{citation needed|date=October 2016}} At one time he made vehicles in Eckersley's coal yard in Uttoxeter. The first trailer and the welding set have been preserved.

File:Aa jcbs first welder.jpg

File:Aa jcb firstproduct.jpg

File:Digger-man - geograph.org.uk - 397018.jpg, made from parts of JCB vehicles, at the headquarters in Rocester]]

In 1948, six people were working for the company, and it made the first hydraulic tipping trailer in Europe. In 1950, it moved to an old cheese factory in Rocester, still employing six. A year later, Bamford began painting his products yellow. In 1953, he developed JCB's first backhoe loader, and the JCB logo appeared for the first time. It was designed by Derby Media and advertising designer Leslie Smith. In 1957, the firm launched the "hydra-digga", incorporating the excavator and the major loader as a single all-purpose tool useful for the agricultural and construction industries.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/obituaries/story/0,,446404,00.html |title=Obituary: Joseph Bamford |work=The Guardian |date= 5 March 2001|access-date=15 September 2009 | location=London | first=David | last=Phillips}}

By 1964, JCB had sold over 3,000 3C backhoe loaders. The next year, the first 360-degree excavator was introduced, the JCB 7.{{cite web|url=http://www.jcb.com |title=J C Bamford Excavators Ltd |publisher=Jcb.com |date=21 November 2013 |access-date=15 June 2016}}

In 1975, Anthony Bamford, Bamford's son, was made Chairman of the company.

In 1978, the Loadall machine was introduced. The next year, the firm started its operation in India. In 1991, the firm entered a joint venture with Sumitomo of Japan to produce excavators, which ended in 1998.Diesel Progress, North American edition – October 1998 Two years later, a JCB factory was completed in Pooler near Savannah, Georgia, in the US, and in 2012 a factory was opened in Brazil.{{Cite web|date=2012-10-03|title=JCB Opens New $100 million Factory in Brazil|url=https://www.forconstructionpros.com/equipment/earthmoving/press-release/10797786/jcb-americas-jcb-opens-new-100-million-factory-in-brazil|access-date=2022-02-11|website=Equipment Today}}

In 2005, JCB bought a company, purchasing the German equipment firm Vibromax. In the same year, it opened a new factory in Pudong, China.{{Cite web|last=Carrington|first=Max|date=2020-10-23|title=The JCB journey from a garage to global force|url=https://www.equipmentjournal.com/construction-news/the-jcb-journey-from-a-garage-to-global-force/|access-date=2022-02-11|website=Equipment Journal|language=en-CA}} Planning of a new £40M JCB Heavy Products site began following the launch of an architectural design competition in 2007 managed by RIBA Competitions,The Uttoxeter Sentinel and by the next year, the firm began to move from its old site on Pinfold Street in Uttoxeter to the new site beside the A50; the Pinfold Street site was demolished in 2009. During that year, JCB announced plans to make India its largest manufacturing hub. Its factory at Ballabgarh in Haryana was to become the world's largest backhoe loader manufacturing facility.{{cite news|url=http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/4356043.cms |title=Economic Times April 3, 2009 |work=The Economic Times |date=3 April 2009 |access-date=15 September 2009}} Although JCB shed 2,000 jobs during the Great Recession, in 2010 it rehired up to 200 new workers.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/8621174.stm|title=Staffordshire-based JCB creates hundreds of new jobs |publisher=BBC |date=14 April 2010 |access-date=29 April 2010}}

In 2013, JCB set up its fourth manufacturing facility in India.{{cite web|url=http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/companies/jcb-india-to-set-up-rs-500-cr-facility-at-mahindra-world-city/article4025730.ece|access-date=9 December 2013|title=JCB India to set up Rs 500 cr facility at Mahindra World City|website=Business Line|date=23 October 2012 }} In 2014, it was reported that three out of every four pieces of construction equipment sold in India was a JCB, and that its Indian operations accounted for 17.5% of its total revenue.{{cite web|url=http://www.livemint.com/Industry/tVcyF9jPSwa3YY0lqAtZlO/JCB-perfects-the-art-of-manufacturing-in-India.html |title=JCB perfects the art of manufacturing in India |publisher=Livemint |date=25 September 2014 |access-date=15 June 2016}} JCB-based memes have also become prevalent in India.{{cite news|url=http://www.everlastingcelebrations.com/wtf/top-best-jcb-memes-jokes-why-everyone-is-making-meme-on-jcb-what-jcb-ki-khudai/|title=Top 25 JCB Memes: Why Everyone Is Making Meme On JCB? What Is JCB Ki Khudai?|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190601074805/http://www.everlastingcelebrations.com/wtf/top-best-jcb-memes-jokes-why-everyone-is-making-meme-on-jcb-what-jcb-ki-khudai/|archive-date=1 June 2019}}

JCB began manufacturing 20-30 tonne excavators in Solnechnogorsky District in Russia in 2017.[https://lonmadi.ru/en/company/about/ JCB Russia] Due to trade sanctions imposed following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, JCB suspended its operations in Russia in March 2022.{{cite web | url=https://www.global.jcb/en/info/20220308.html | title=JCB Statement on Suspension of Russian Operations | date=9 March 2022 | accessdate=27 December 2022}}

In 2020, JCB launched [https://www.jcbexplore.com/ www.jcbexplore.com] - a website dedicated to promoting [https://www.jcbexplore.com/journal/constructive-play/ constructive play] and outdoor activities for kids.

File:JCB 215LC Padum Zanskar Jun24 A7CR 01095.jpg (elev. {{cvt|3,770|m|ft|abbr=on}}]]

Many of the vehicles produced by JCB are variants of the backhoe loader, including tracked or wheeled variants, mini and large version and other variations, such as forklift vehicles and telescopic handlers for moving materials to the upper floors of a building site. The company also produces wheeled loading shovels and articulated dump trucks.

Its JCB Fastrac range of tractors, which entered production in 1990, can drive at speeds of up to 75 km/h (40 mph) on roads and was shown on the BBC television programme Tomorrow's World, and years later as Jeremy Clarkson's tractor of choice in Top Gear. The firm makes a range of military vehicles, including the JCB HMEE. It licenses a range of rugged feature phones and smartphones designed for construction sites. The design and marketing contract was awarded to Data Select in 2010, which then lost the exclusive rights in 2013.{{cite web|url=http://www.mobilenewscwp.co.uk/2013/07/02/data-select-set-to-lose-jcb-exclusive/|access-date=27 July 2013|title=Data Select set to lose JCB exclusive?|last=Garwood|first=Michael|website=Mobile News|archive-date=9 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160109000710/http://www.mobilenewscwp.co.uk/2013/07/02/data-select-set-to-lose-jcb-exclusive/|url-status=dead}}

JCB power systems make a hydrogen combustion engine which aims to be cost effective by reusing parts from the company's Dieselmax engines.{{Cite web |date=2021-08-23 |title=JCB's hydrogen-fuelled combustion engine examined |url=https://www.fwi.co.uk/machinery/technology/jcbs-hydrogen-fuelled-combustion-engine-examined |access-date=2022-05-11 |website=Farmers Weekly |language=en-US}}

JCB Insurance Services is a fully owned subsidiary of JCB that provides insurance for customers with funding from another fully owned subsidiary, JCB Finance.{{cite web|url=http://www.theconstructionindex.co.uk/news/view/jcb-insurance-improves-plantmaster-policy |title=JCB Insurance improves Plantmaster policy |publisher=Theconstructionindex.co.uk |date=19 September 2012 |access-date=15 June 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://www.vertikal.net/en/news/story/13966/ |title=JCB launches insurance website |publisher=Vertikal.net |date=16 January 2012 |access-date=15 June 2016}}

File:JCB Diesel Max Heritage Motor Centre, Gaydon.jpg on display at the Heritage Motor Centre]]

{{Main|JCB Dieselmax}}

In April 2006, JCB announced that they were developing a diesel-powered land speed record vehicle known as the 'JCB Dieselmax'. The car is powered by two modified JCB 444 diesel power plants using a two-stage turbocharger to generate {{cvt|750|bhp}}, one engine driving the front wheels and the other the rear wheels.

On 22 August 2006 the Dieselmax, driven by Andy Green, broke the diesel engine land speed record, attaining a speed of {{cvt|328.767|mph}}. The following day, the record was again broken, this time with a speed of {{cvt|350.092|mph}}.

In December 2000, JCB was fined €39.6M by the European Commission for violating European Union antitrust law.{{cite web |last1=European Commission |title=Commission fines JCB for unlawful distribution agreements and practices |url=http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-00-1526_en.htm?locale=en |website=Europa.eu |access-date=29 June 2018}} The fine related to restrictions on sales outside allotted territories, purchases between authorised distributors, bonuses and fees which restricted out of territory sales, and occasional joint fixing of resale prices and discounts across different territories.{{cite news |title=JCB hit by £22m competition fine |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2000/dec/22/6 |access-date=29 June 2018 |work=The Guardian |date=22 December 2000}} JCB appealed the decision, with the European Court of First Instance upholding portions of the appeal and reducing the original fine by 25%. JCB appealed to the European Court of Justice but this final appeal was rejected in 2006,{{cite news |title=End of the line for JCB's six-year fight against £21m EU fine |url=https://www.birminghampost.co.uk/business/end-line-jcbs-six-year-fight-3977960 |access-date=29 June 2018 |work=Birmingham Post |date=22 September 2006}} with the court slightly increasing the reduced fine by €864,000.{{cite web |title=JCB appeal leads to increased fine |url=http://www.vertikal.net/en/news/story/3045/ |website=Vertikal.net |access-date=29 June 2018}}

In 2017, a Reuters study of JCB group accounts found that between 2001 and 2013, the JCB group paid £577M to JCB Research, an unlimited company that does not have to file public accounts and which has only two shares, both owned by Anthony Bamford. JCB Research has been described as an obscure company, allegedly worth £27,000, but which donated £2M to the Conservative Party in the run up to the 2010 election, making it the largest donor. Ownership of the company which has never filed accounts is disputed by the Bamford brothers. According to a Guardian report, much of the Bamford money was held in shares in offshore trusts.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2010/nov/14/bamford-court-feud-tory-funding|title=Feud between Bamford brothers threatens to cast light on funding for Tories |author=Jamie Doward|work=Guardian newspapers|date=14 November 2010|access-date=9 March 2015}}

JCB Service, the main JCB holding company, is owned by a Dutch parent company, ‘Transmissions and engineering Netherlands BV’, which is ultimately controlled by “Bamford family interests”.{{Cite web|date=17 September 2017|title=JCB pays bumper £75m dividend to Bamford owners|url=https://www.ft.com/content/547fa5dc-d962-11e9-8f9b-77216ebe1f17|access-date=22 October 2020|website=Financial Times}}{{Cite news|last=Bergin|first=Tom|date=25 March 2015|title=Special Report - Top UK industrialist channelled millions through obscure company|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-politics-jcb-specialreport-idUKKBN0ML0Z820150325|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160106114922/http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-politics-jcb-specialreport-idUKKBN0ML0Z820150325|url-status=dead|archive-date=6 January 2016|access-date=22 October 2020}} According to Ethical Consumer, JCB has six subsidiaries in jurisdictions considered to be tax havens, in Singapore, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, Delaware and Switzerland.{{Cite web|date=6 August 2020|title=Ethical Consumer researches JCB in support of Palestine Action launch|url=https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/technology/ethical-consumer-researches-jcb-support-palestine-action-launch|access-date=22 October 2020|website=Ethical Consumer|language=en}}

{{See also|List of companies operating in West Bank settlements}}

On 12 February 2020, the United Nations published a database of all business enterprises involved in certain specified activities related to the Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including East Jerusalem, and in the occupied Golan Heights.{{cite news |date=12 February 2020 | title=UN rights office issues report on business activities related to settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory | url=https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=25542 |work=Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights | access-date=5 July 2021}}{{cite news |date=14 February 2020 | title=Database of all business enterprises involved in certain activities relating to Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank (A/HRC/43/71) | url=https://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/database-all-business-enterprises-involved-certain-activities |work=ReliefWeb | access-date=5 July 2021}} JCB has been listed on the database in light of its involvement in activities related to "the supply of equipment and materials facilitating the construction and the expansion of settlements and the wall, and associated infrastructures".{{cite news |date=12 February 2020 | title=UN lists 112 businesses linked to Israeli settlements | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-51477231 |work=BBC | access-date=5 July 2021}} The international community considers Israeli settlements built on land occupied by Israel to be in violation of international law.{{cite news |date=23 December 2016 | title=S/RES/2334(2016) | url=https://undocs.org/S/RES/2334(2016) |work=United Nations Security Council | access-date=5 July 2021}}{{cite news |date=9 July 2004 | title=Legal Consequences of the Construction of a Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory | url=https://www.icj-cij.org/public/files/case-related/131/131-20040709-ADV-01-00-EN.pdf |work=International Court of Justice | access-date=5 July 2021}}{{cite news |date=5 December 2001 | title=Conference of High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention | url=https://www.icrc.org/en/doc/resources/documents/statement/57jrgw.htm |work=International Committee of the Red Cross | access-date=5 July 2021}}

In October 2020, the British government decided to investigate a complaint that JCB’s sale of equipment to Israel did not comply with the human rights guidelines set by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The UK National Contact Point (NCP), part of the UK’s Department of International Trade, agreed to review a complaint against JCB submitted by a charity, Lawyers for Palestinian Human Rights. JCB said it had no “legal ownership” of its machinery once sold to Comasco, its sole distributor of JCB equipment in Israel.{{Cite news|last=Wintour|first=Patrick|date=13 October 2020|title=JCB challenged over machinery used to demolish Palestinian homes|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/oct/12/jcb-challenged-over-machinery-used-to-demolish-palestinian-homes|access-date=22 October 2020|issn=0261-3077}}

In 2020, JCB received a £600M loan in emergency financial aid from the UK government, during the coronavirus pandemic, despite its ultimate ownership being in the Netherlands and having reported a record £447M profit the previous year. Its chief executive Graeme Macdonald said: “Although not a public company, we are eligible for CCF because of our contribution to the UK economy. We don’t expect to utilise it in the short-term but it gives us an insurance policy if there is further disruption from or second spike or other impact around the world.”{{Cite news|last=Tovey|first=Alan|date=3 June 2020|title=JCB gets £600m government loan as 'insurance policy'|language=en-GB|work=The Telegraph|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2020/06/03/jcb-gets-600m-government-loan-insurance-policy/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2020/06/03/jcb-gets-600m-government-loan-insurance-policy/ |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=22 October 2020|issn=0307-1235}}{{cbignore}}{{Cite web|last=Williams|first=Ollie|title=Bank Of England Spends Billions Bailing Out Europe's Richest Families|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/oliverwilliams1/2020/06/05/bank-of-england-spends-billions-bailing-out-europes-richest-families/|access-date=22 October 2020|website=Forbes|language=en}}

JCB is a significant donor to the UK Conservative Party. Between 2007 and 2017, JCB and related Bamford entities donated £8.1m in cash or kind to the party.{{cite news |date=25 August 2017 |title=Tories boosted by construction donations |url=http://www.theconstructionindex.co.uk/news/view/tories-buouyed-by-construction-donations |access-date=25 August 2017 |work=The Construction Index}} Between 2019 and 2021 JCB donated a further £2.5m.{{Cite news |date=2021-10-01 |title=Conservatives: Who funds them, and what's in it for them? |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-58721596 |access-date=2024-06-04 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}

In 2016, Anthony Bamford donated £100,000 to Vote Leave, the official pro-Brexit group,{{cite news |last1=Chan |first1=Szu Ping |date=10 October 2016 |title=Manufacturing giant JCB ends CBI membership over anti-Brexit stance |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2016/10/10/manufacturing-giant-jcb-ends-cbi-membership-over-anti-brexit-sta/ |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2016/10/10/manufacturing-giant-jcb-ends-cbi-membership-over-anti-brexit-sta/ |archive-date=12 January 2022 |access-date=25 August 2017 |work=The Daily Telegraph}}{{cbignore}} and wrote to JCB's 6,500 staff explaining why he supported the UK leaving the EU.{{Cite news |date=2016-06-09 |title=EU referendum: JCB chairman tells staff of Brexit support |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-36485985 |access-date=2024-06-04 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}

In October 2016, it was reported that JCB had left the CBI business lobby group in the summer of the same year due to the organisation's anti-Brexit stance. In May 2021, Anthony Bamford rejected an invitation to rejoin CBI, after previously having called it a "waste of time" that "didn’t represent my business or private companies".{{Cite news|last=Millard|first=Rachel|date=15 May 2021|title=JCB chief rejects invitation to rejoin CBI after Brexit row.|language=en-GB|work=The Telegraph|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2021/05/15/jcb-chief-rejects-invitation-rejoin-cbi-brexit-row/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2021/05/15/jcb-chief-rejects-invitation-rejoin-cbi-brexit-row/ |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=26 May 2021|issn=0307-1235}}{{cbignore}}{{Cite news|last=Burton|first=Lucy|date=10 May 2021|title=New CBI boss tells Brexiters to rejoin business lobby group.|language=en-GB|work=The Telegraph|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2021/05/10/new-cbi-boss-tells-brexiters-rejoin-business-lobby-group/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2021/05/10/new-cbi-boss-tells-brexiters-rejoin-business-lobby-group/ |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=26 May 2021|issn=0307-1235}}{{cbignore}}

{{reflist}}

{{Commons category|JCB (J. C. Bamford (Excavators) Ltd.)|JCB}}

• {{official website|https://www.jcb.com}}

{{JCB}}

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