Excavator Production Underway at JCB’s Latest Factory

While demand in the manufacturing business in North America has increased compared to the past two years, according to Chris Giorgianni, JCB is a worldwide company that has its hands in many different world market cookie jars. “The downturn has allowed us to look inward and maximize our efficiency. As we move forward, our plants our more dedicated to supporting a single product on a worldwide basis,” Giorgianni said in a recent interview with CE associate editor Jason Morgan.

Today’s announcement of JCB’s first 20-ton excavator rolling off its newest factory in Brazil is an example of the company’s continuing investment in its global excavator production. And while it’s larger than us compact equipment folks are interested in, there will be smaller excavators rolling off the line soon.

The sale of the first Brazilian-made tracked excavator follows an investment in the new production facility next to the JCB’s existing backhoe loader factory in the city of Sorocaba. The JS200LC tracked excavator has been bought by Jorcal Engenharia E Construções S/A, a company based in Sao Paulo State, and owner Renato Rédis says he is “extremely pleased” with the performance of the machine.

“The Latin American region is undergoing strong growth this year and our decision to constantly invest in the expansion of production capability will help us achieve our objective of maintaining business growth and increasing our market share in the region,” said Carlos Hernández, regional director JCB in Latin America.

The investment in the facility in Brazil follows the opening of a new £40 million tracked and wheeled excavator factory in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, UK. Vitor Lippi, the Mayor of Sorocaba, David Bell, JCB’s Chief Corporate Development Officer and Hernández attended a ceremony that marked the production of the first excavator in Brazil.

The construction of the new Brazilian excavator factory took just seven months and includes a new training area to enhance the service back up provided to excavator customers in the region. JCB has also recently doubled its backhoe loader production capacity in Brazil to help meet demand for machines in the region.

JCB has 18 plants on four continents: 11 in the UK, three in India and others in the USA, China, Germany and Brazil and employs around more than 7,000 people worldwide.