Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/653001
I DA U N I V E R S A L M a rc h -A p r i l 2 0 1 6 51 TRENDS AND TIDBITS continued from page 45 JCB, the company that introduced the backhoe loader to the world, celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2015, marking a history of innova- tion and productivity for the global brand. Since JCB produced its fi rst backhoe in 1953, the company has manufactured more than a million JCB machines on three continents and now sells them in 120 countries. In Australia, JCB Construction Equipment Australia (CEA) has been distributing JCB products since 1999, and their 60 dealer- ships across the country will join in the celebrations. e global company's history stretches back to October 23, 1945, when JCB's late founder, Joseph Cyril Bamford, CBE, started work in a small lock-up garage in Staff ordshire, UK, making tipping trailers from wartime scrap metal. Joseph Cyril's son, Anthony, born on the same day the company was founded, now goes by Lord Bamford and is the chairman of JCB. "He was an engineering genius; there was no doubt about that," Lord Bamford said of his father. "He was always dreaming of things, and dreaming of better ways of doing things. e backhoe loader he invented was a godsend and started a mini revolution in construction machinery." e now-iconic backhoe loader represented the fi rst time a single machine had been produced with a hydraulic rear excavator and front-mounted shovel, and Joseph Cyril's ingenuity still bears fruit today. "The backhoe loader was the building block for the success of JCB," Lord Bamford said. "While we now produce many other different types of machines, it remains one of our most important products." In 1975, having turned JCB into a multi-million dollar company with outposts in Europe and the USA, Joseph Cyril retired and handed the reins to his son. In 1979, Lord Bamford started manufacturing in India, heralding a period of global expansion, and today JCB has factories in New Delhi, Pune and Jaipur. at global expan- sion also brought JCB to Australia, with the establishment of JCB CEA, and more recently to China in 2005 and Brazil in 2012. e original tipping trailer from 1945 now stands in JCB's World HQ as a reminder of the company's heritage, but even with 70 years of operations behind the fi rm, the focus is very much on the future, according to Lord Bamford. "While we are proud of our history, our engineers From Garage Workshop to Global Force: 70 years of JCB Sir Anthony Bamford and Mr JCB are primarily interested in the future and the products of tomorrow," he said. "You cannot rest on your laurels in business; you have to be thinking of tomorrow, the changing world markets and the products our customers need." e spirit of innovation and adventure remains strong at the company. Last year, the world famous JCB GT was crowned the fastest digger on earth by Guinness World Records offi cials at Bathurst, NSW, a er reaching speeds of more than 110 km/h. e digger – originally designed to perform wheelies at racing events – was then taken on a tour of Sydney, ending with the season fi nale V8 race. JCB CEA is the offi cial Australian distributor for the JCB brand of construction and agricultural equipment. For more information, please visit: jcbcea.com.au. ● http://jcbcea.com.au. 12/15