JCB follows military order

DIGGER firm JCB has won a £14 million order from the French military.

The deal, the biggest the company has ever won from the French armed forces, is to provide a fleet of around 100 specially armoured and camouflaged backhoe loaders.

The machines, made at the company's headquarters in Rocester, are to be deployed by engineer regiments in conflict zones around the world.

The news comes less than a week after the firm announced it had won a £2 million-plus deal from vehicle auction company Copart UK.

Directors at JCB said the French order was secured in the face of fierce global competition.

Sales managing director David Bell said: "There was a long and detailed process to go through to win this business and we are delighted to have been awarded the contract.

"The order was won on the back of three main criteria: the availability of an "off-the-shelf" machine, the service support we can provide and the fact that the JCB Group has its own government and defence unit, which underlined our commitment to this sector."

The machines are based on the company's 4CX backhoe, which can reach speeds of up to 25 mph.

Adapted to the army's specifications, they have been modified to be transportable by air, while the cab is made with special glass and steel to protect the operator from gunfire in hostile environments.

The first machines have already rolled off the production line and are currently being delivered.

JCB is also supplying Copart UK with 42 wheeled loading shovels.

Copart managing director Nigel Paget said: "The deal is an example of two businesses with major US and UK operations supporting British industry."

The new contracts come as a welcome boost for JCB, which has been hit hard by the global downturn in the construction industry.

It has axed around 1,600 workers since last summer.

Staff at three of the firm's factories are still working a four-day week.

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