JCB targets North American expansion with new facility

Construction equipment manufacturer JCB is looking to expand its presence in the North American market with a new North American facility in San Antonio, Texas. 

The San Antonio facility will strive to meet demand and manufacture machines for customers specifically in North America, creating 1,500 jobs over the next five years, the company says. 

“The growth we’ve experienced in the past few years in North America has been extensive and demand for our products continues to grow,” Richard Fox-Marrs, president & chief executive for JCB North America said in a recent company release. “The decision to expand our manufacturing footprint will bring us even closer to our customers and will allow us to further capitalize on market opportunities in North America.”

“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,” Fox-Marris said.   

JCB, which is in Rocester, England, began work on the $500 million, 720,000-square-foot factory at the 400-acre site in San Antonio on June 4. It will become the company’s second-largest plant behind its headquarters Fox-Marris said. When the new factory enters production in 2026, it will manufacture telescopic handlers and aerial access equipment, with the capacity to expand production. 

JCB’s market presence

JCB entered North America with its first sales in 1964, before opening its Savanna, Ga. facility in 2001, according to the company release.  

“JCB’s business in North America has made tremendous progress in the past few years and the opportunity for growth here is vast,” CEO Graeme Macdonald said in the recent company release. “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.”   

JCB is the ninth-largest construction company by worldwide sales in 2023, with sales of $8.1 billion, up 15.5% year over year, according to KHL Group and International Construction’s Yellow Table, which ranks the top 50 construction OEMs by global sales. The company held a global construction equipment market share of 3.3% in 2023. 

JCB employs 19,000 people, operates 22 factories, and manages 750 dealers globally, according to the company’s website. The company also begins its 80th anniversary in 2025. 

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