British manufacturing giant JCB has broken ground on a $500 million factory in San Antonio, Texas – the biggest investment in the company’s 79-year history

The 400-acre plant will be the firm’s second largest site after its headquarters in Staffordshire, England.

Work on the 720,000 sq. ft. (67,000m²) factory – JCB’s second in the US – began on June 4th when Alice Bamford, the daughter of company chairman Lord Anthony Bamford, dug the first shovelful of dirt.

The factory will make Loadall telescopic handlers and aerial access equipment, with production scheduled to start in 2026.

According to JCB, it will create 1,500 jobs over the next five years.

Lord Bamford said: “Construction equipment manufacturers sell more than 300,000 machines every year in North America, making it the single largest market in the world.

“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.”

JCB sold its first machine in North America in 1964 and opened its first US manufacturing plant in 2001 in Savannah, Georgia, which employs 1,000 people.

The new facility will manufacture machines for customers specifically in North America.

“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,” Bamford added.

JCB employs 19,000 people globally and has 22 factories around the world, including 11 in the UK, seven in India, and others in Brazil and China. The company will mark its 80th anniversary in 2025.

Greg Abbott, Texas’ Governor, 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.”

Images © San Antonio Factory Visualisation, courtesy JCB North America