
JCB Marks Major Milestone with One Millionth Backhoe
JCB has celebrated the production of its one millionth Backhoe Loader at JCB HQ.
Arguably one of the company’s most iconic machines, the first ever JCB Backhoe came off the production line in Rocester, Staffordshire way back in 1953. Aptly named the Mark One, this machine brought new innovation to the construction industry with the introduction of hydraulic power.
Just 35 machines were made during the first full year of its production in 1954, with it taking a further 20 years to create the first 50,000. It then took 59 years for the first half million Backhoes to be built, with JCB achieving this feat in 2012. However, it’s taken less than 13 years to reach the epic milestone of one million, resulting in the recent celebrations of all things Backhoe Loader.
The Backhoe is now manufactured in the UK, India and Brazil as it keeps its place as one of the most versatile machines on the market today. In fact, the Backhoe Loader is the 4th most popular machine globally in construction equipment sales, and remains one of JCB’s best-selling machines.
The monumental event honouring the legendary machine saw hundreds of Backhoe Loader employees lining the road outside JCB’s World HQ, joining company chairman Lord Bamford to admire a parade of 16 Backhoes from throughout history. This special procession featured a 1954 Mark One right the way through to a new 2025 3CX model.
Also present during the commemoration was retired JCB employee Ken Harrison, aged 100, who started his career at JCB as a welder in 1952. Ken was part of a team of 29 people and is one of the last known survivors of the production staff that built the first ever JCB backhoes.
Lord Bamford stated: “I am the only person in the business now who can remember the early days when we first started to make backhoes in what was a former cheese factory in Rocester. Looking back at that time, I could never have imagined that we would make one million of these diggers after such humble beginnings.”
The one millionth machine to roll off the production line was a 4CX model, which has been decorated in striking graffiti art by London-based artist Hatch (real name Dave Smith), and was presented to Lord Bamford during the event.