JCB has announced it is to double production of cabs for its machines with the building of a UK facility. The investment of £50m (US$65.8m) in the new plant is also expected to create more than 200 jobs by 2022 and will have the capacity to produce around 100,000 cabs for the company’s vehicles each year.
Work is under way on the 350,000ft2 site which is close to two existing JCB buildings in Uttoxeter, in Staffordshire in the UK.
JCB CEO Graeme Macdonald said, “This new factory will be the most advanced and productive cab facility in the world and will bring even greater levels of efficiency to the business. The investment is one of the biggest in the company’s history and underlines our commitment to manufacturing in Britain and in our home county of Staffordshire.”
Burton and Uttoxeter MP Andrew Griffiths, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, said, “This is fantastic news for Uttoxeter, for Staffordshire and also the wider Midlands’ economy. This investment represents a massive boost for the area and underlines what a great place Staffordshire is to do business.
“It’s wonderful to see JCB continuing to invest in the county and in British manufacturing – something that can only attract even more inward investment.”
JCB Cab Systems’ general manager, David Carver, said, “While new jobs will be created, moving to the new factory will enable us to double capacity without doubling the workforce thanks to high levels of automation. The whole plant is being designed to improve productivity, reduce waste and provide unprecedented quality levels.”
