JCB hails £35m order from UK's biggest plant hire firm
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The contract from A-Plant includes a fleet of 13-tonne excavators made at JCB’s heavy products site in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire.
The deal is also good news for JCB’s other Staffordshire factories in Rocester and Cheadle, which will manufacture mini excavators, telescopic handlers and rough terrain forklift trucks which have been ordered. A-Plant is also buying a fleet of JCB site dumpers.
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Hide AdJCB UK and Ireland sales director Dan Thompstone said: “JCB has a long-standing relationship with A-Plant and we are delighted to cement that with this huge order.”
A-Plant marketing director Asif Latief said: “This order is part of our investment programme to ensure our customers continue to get the most advanced, reliable, safe and environmentally-friendly equipment.”
JCB employs around 5,500 UK workers at 11 factories in Staffordshire, Derbyshire and Wrexham, and operates other plants in North America, Brazil, China and India.
Last month the company quit the CBI business lobbying group amid reports of clashes over Brexit. JCB’s chairman Lord Bamford has been an outspoken supporter of leaving the EU, while CBI members have warned against it.
Lord Bamford’s support for leaving the EU was underlined when Vote Leave – the official “out” campaign – confirmed this summer that it had received two donations of £100,000 from JCB.
Ahead of the referendum the boss of the heavy equipment firm said as the UK is the world’s fifth largest trading nation it had “little to fear from leaving the EU”.