Overview
- Work begins immediately at Rocester on a £60 million fully automated powder paint plant alongside new machining, friction welding and cylinder boring equipment.
- JCB says the programme will help safeguard more than 8,000 UK roles within a global workforce of about 19,000.
- The UK upgrade sits alongside international growth, including a $500 million San Antonio factory scheduled to start production in 2026.
- Chief executive Graeme Macdonald warned that UK employer tax rises and higher energy bills, plus US levies of a 10% base tariff and an additional 25% on steel content, are squeezing margins.
- Oxford Economics estimates JCB contributes £2.8 billion to UK GDP, pays £739 million in taxes and supports over 41,000 jobs across the wider economy.