An official groundbreaking ceremony at the site marked the beginning of construction, where Alice Bamford, daughter of Lord Anthony Bamford, JCB Chairman, turned the first shovelful of dirt on the property.
Work on the 720,000-square-foot factory is now underway at the 400-acre site. It will be the company’s second-largest plant, rivaled only by JCB’s world headquarters in Rocester, Staffordshire, England. The new facility will create 1,500 new jobs over five years.
Scheduled to start production in 2026, the factory will make Loadall telescopic handlers and aerial access equipment. The facility will also have the capacity to expand and build other products in the future.
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“Construction equipment manufacturers sell more than 300,000 machines every year in North America, making it the single-largest market in the world,” Chairman Bamford said. “JCB has been growing its share of this important market steadily over the past few years and the time is now right to invest in our manufacturing capacity in North America, where we already have one factory.”
He also reflected, “JCB really has come a considerable way since we sold our first machine here 60 years ago, and it gives me immense pleasure to see how our business has grown in North America. Today really is a milestone day in the history of our family company.”
During the groundbreaking, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said, “Texas was this year named as The Best State for Business for a record-breaking 20th year, and I am proud to welcome JCB as the newest business to call our great state home. Today’s groundbreaking marks a major milestone in JCB’s journey that will create 1,500 good-paying jobs for hardworking Texans in Bexar County and bring hundreds of millions of new capital investment to San Antonio and beyond. ‘Made in Texas’ is truly a powerful global brand, and I look forward to celebrating JCB’s continuing success as we work together to build a bigger, better Texas for decades to come.”
JCB’s CEO Graeme Macdonald added, “JCB’s business in North America has made tremendous progress in the past few years and the opportunity for growth here is vast. This record investment gives us a fantastic opportunity to build on our success and we look forward to the completion of this great new facility.”
According to Richard Fox-Marrs, President and CEO of JCB North America, “The Loadall telescopic handler is JCB’s biggest-selling product in North America and it is also the single-largest market for aerial access equipment worldwide, and therefore it makes great sense to build these two ranges here.”
Fox-Marrs added, “Texas is an obvious choice for our new North American manufacturing facility, not least because the state is the largest consumer of construction equipment in the USA. San Antonio is also the logical choice as a location for our new factory because of its central location, proximity to the supply chain, and great local labor force. We are really excited about JCB’s new San Antonio factory and for the future of our business in North America.”
The new facility in San Antonio will manufacture machines for customers specifically in North America. JCB’s North American division operates out of its headquarters in Savannah, Georgia, and has regional offices in Dallas, Texas; Santa Monica, California; and Miami, Florida. More than 140 dealers offer JCB products across North America.
Globally, JCB employs 19,000 people and operates 22 factories, including 11 in the U.K., seven in India, and others in Brazil and China. The company will mark its 80th anniversary in 2025.
