New contract gives digger firm hope for the future

JCB has fought off fierce competition to win a multi-million pound contract as the company begins to look to a brighter future.

It is hoped the deal to supply 42 of its wheeled loading shovels to one of the UK's leading scrap car auctioneers will signal a turn around in fortunes for the Rocester-based digger-maker following hundreds of job cuts.

The first of the JCB 416HT shovels have now rolled off the production line at Earthmovers, in Cheadle, for customer Copart UK.

They have gone into service unloading and handling vehicles which are brought in for storage prior to sale via an online auction.

GMB Union convener Gordon Richardson said: "A contract for 42 machines is just a drop in the ocean but it is a positive that fresh orders are coming back.

"We can't rule out for definite any further redundancies but with a few more deals like this one, we will all be able to relax a bit more.

"It is fair to say things are starting to look a little brighter."

More than 1,600 workers have been laid off from JCB in the past 12 months. The majority of employees returned to full-time working in last month.

The order – supplied through Leicestershire-based dealer Watling JCB – was placed after operators voiced a preference for the JCB machines.

Sales managing director David Bell said: "We are delighted to have won such a sizeable and prestigious order from Copart UK, particularly as we secured it against some very tough competition.

"It speaks volumes for the quality of JCB's wheeled loaders that the operators preferred our machines.

"They were also impressed with the machines' fuel efficiency, which in the current climate plays an increasingly important role for businesses."

Copart will deploy the 42 wheeled loading shovels – the exact cost of which has not been revealed – at its 12 facilities across the UK.

Managing director Nigel Paget said: "JCB won this business against stiff competition because of the functionality and suitability of the chosen loaders, their build quality and prompt lead in time and the after sales service.

"The deal is a great example of two businesses with major U.S. and UK operations working to support British industry."

Copart, which was founded in 1982, manages vehicle remarketing for 171 businesses in the automotive and insurance sectors, handling everything from motorbikes and cars to tractors and coaches.

Once a vehicle has been deemed a total loss, Copart collects it, transfers it to one of its facilities and takes digital images in readiness for an online auction.