Jo Bamford to head up JCB Compact Products

Jo Bamford, the son of JCB chairman Sir Anthony Bamford, has been appointed managing director of JCB Compact Products.

From 1 November, 2011, Mr Bamford will take the reins from long-serving JCB executive Chris Spring, who is due to retire in late 2012.

The Compact Products division includes JCB's micro, mini and midi excavators only - machines weighing from 800kg up to 8 tonnes.

Mr Bamford joined JCB in 2002 as a product specialist for the company's skid steer product range based at the North American headquarters in Savannah, Georgia. For the past eight years he has been managing director of JCB Utility Products, which is based in Staffordshire, UK.

Together with his new role as managing director of JCB Compact Products, the company said Mr Bamford would continue to retain responsibility for JCB Utility Products. The combined annual turnover of both businesses is around £150 million (€172 million).

Mr Bamford said, "I am taking over as managing director of JCB Compact Products at a pivotal moment. The business is going from strength to strength and we have some exciting new product innovations coming through in the next couple of years, which will strongly improve our market position. I'm really looking forward to the challenge."

JCB Chairman Sir Anthony Bamford added that his son's experience in developing new products and markets would benefit JCB compact products as the business embarked on its next phase of growth.