80th anniversary of JCB
One of the United Kingdom’s great companies JCB celebrates its 80th anniversary in 2025. It’s a company built on innovation like so many others that owns much of its success to the invention of the modern tractor with hydraulics and quickly changeable implements a century ago in the Ferguson Master Patent of 1925 by Harry Ferguson.
The JCB Company has its name taken from the initials of its founder Joseph Cyril Bamford (1916 – 2001) who was born at Uttoxeter, England. Today JCB has 22 factories around the world and a global workforce of over 19,000. This is a far cry from the humble start of JCB that was founded on the 23rd October, 1945 at Uttoxeter, the same day as the current chairman Anthony Paul Bamford, (Lord Bamford) son of its founder was born. The first product the company manufactured was an all steel farm manual tipping trailer in a small rented garage at Uttoxeter using war surplus materials and a second hand electric welder purchased for £2.50. Money from its sale at £45 was reinvested in the company and JCB soon moved into using an hydraulic ram instead of a manual screw hand tip on its tractor trailers. Hydraulic technology as pioneered by Harry Ferguson, would remain key to JCB’s expansion.
In 1949 JCB would build its first hydraulic front end loader that could be fitted to a number of different tractors including the famous Ferguson TE20. But it would be in 1953 that JCB made a major breakthrough when they built the world’s first backhoe loader by attaching a prototype backhoe or excavator to the three point linkage of a tractor using hydraulic rams to move the bucket and excavator arms and a JCB front-loader also fitted to the tractor. This machine was a revolution, able to undertake a multitude of tasks on the farm or for construction. It would become the backbone of the success of the JCB Company.
1991 saw JCB produce its first Fastrac or fast tractor capable of a top speed of 47MPH. A four-wheel drive tractor with hydro-pneumatic suspension system that is self-levelling and so makes the Fasttrac able to go fast on the road while still able to do all manner of farm tractor work with Ferguson System three point linkage and hydraulics on the rear and optionally on the front.
In 2004 JCB celebrated building their half millionth backhoe loader, and by 2020 the 750,000th example. Recently JCB has become a pioneer in hydrogen internal combustion engine technology and electric excavators.
This year the milestone of the millionth JCB backhoe loader was reached when it came off the production line on the 24th February, 2025 at the JCB Uttoxeter factory. To mark the special occasion a plaque was unveiled by King Charles that also marked the 80th anniversary of the JCB Company.
Stevan Patterson, Castlederg, Co. Tyrone.