Manufacturer Marks 80 Years with an Extra Day Off for 19,000 Employees
- Recognising the outstanding contribution of employees who have helped build one of Britain’s greatest manufacturing success stories.
More than 19,000 staff at 22 plants worldwide will enjoy the additional day off on Friday, October 24,marking eight decades since the company was founded in rural Staffordshire. In the UK, over 8,000 employees based at JCB’s factories in Staffordshire, Derbyshire and Wrexham will benefit from the gesture, turning the anniversary into a long weekend for the digger maker’s team.
Founded on October 23, 1945, by Joseph Cyril Bamford CBE, JCB began life in a small lock-up garage in Uttoxeter— the same day his son, Anthony Bamford, was born. Today, under Lord Bamford’s leadership, JCB has grown into a world-class manufacturer producing over 350 different machines, from iconic yellow diggers to high-speed Fastrac tractors, used by farmers across the UK and around the world.
“JCB would be nowhere if it wasn’t for the efforts of our employees around the world,” said Lord Bamford. “This extra day’s holiday is a small token of my family’s gratitude as we celebrate our 80th birthday.”
JCB’s agricultural machinery remains a mainstay on British farms, with its products designed and built in the UK and supported by a strong national dealer network. Beyond the machinery itself, the firm continues to play a vital role in rural employment and engineering skills development, helping sustain jobs and innovation in the heart of the British countryside.
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