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Work has begun on a 350,000 sq ft facility for JCB Cab Systems in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, next to two existing JCB plants.
Thanks to manufacturing efficiencies and technologies, moving cab production from Rugeley, also in Staffordshire, to the new plant in Uttoxeter will double production capacity with only a 50% increase in staffing.
The new factory will have capacity to produce around 100,000 cabs a year, compared to around 50,000 at Rugeley. It will include a computer controlled production line, automated painting facility and robotic welding.
JCB chief executive Graeme Macdonald said: “This new factory will be the most advanced and productive cab facility in the world and will bring even greater levels of efficiency to the business. The investment is one of the biggest in the company’s history and underlines our commitment to manufacturing in Britain and in our home county of Staffordshire.”
JCB Cab Systems currently employs more than 400 people at its existing manufacturing site in Rugeley, Staffordshire, where it churns out around 140 cabs per day. The new plant is scheduled to open in the summer of 2019. JCB expects it to create more than 200 additional jobs by 2022.
JCB Cab Systems general manager David Carver said: “While new jobs will be created, moving to the new factory will enable us to double capacity without doubling the workforce thanks to high levels of automation. The whole plant is being designed to improve productivity, reduce waste and provide unprecedented quality levels.”
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