Britain’s JCB has celebrated the manufacture of its 100,000th mini excavator since its first such machine – an 801 model weighing 1.4t – rolled off its production lines back in 1989.
The global mini excavator sector is worth an estimated 200,000 units sold for $5.85bn annually, and JCB is in fierce competition with more than 20 major manufacturers for a share of the market.
The British brand has invested $22m in manufacturing technology and product development, launching six models in the last two years alone: the 65R-1, 67C-1, 85Z-1, 86C-1, 90Z-1 and 100C-1 in the 6t, 8t, 9t and 10t weight categories, respectively.
“From being a challenger in the market 25 years ago, JCB is now firmly established as an industry leader,” said Graeme Macdonald, CEO of JCB.
“To have produced 100,000 compact excavators is something for the whole JCB team to celebrate, and with more additions to the range due we can look forward to more growth in this important sector of the market.”
The 100,000th compact excavator – a larger 10t 100C-1 – is today one of 22 models ranging from 1t to 10t in weight – all manufactured at the company’s facility in Cheadle, Staffordshire, UK.
