Excavator production starts at JCB Brazilian factory

The first machine has rolled off JCB's new excavator production line in Brazil. The JS200LC 20 tonne tracked excavator was bought by Jorcal Engenharia E Construções, a company based in Sao Paulo state.

The sale of the first Brazilian-made tracked excavator follows an investment in the new production facility next to the JCB's existing backhoe loader factory in the city of Sorocaba.

The ceremony to mark the production of the first excavator in Brazil was attended by Vitor Lippi, the Mayor of Sorocaba, David Bell, JCB's chief corporate development officer and Carlos Hernández, regional director for JCB in Latin America.

Mr Hernández said, "The Latin American region is undergoing strong growth this year and our decision to constantly invest in the expansion of production capability will help us achieve our objective of maintaining business growth and increasing our market share in the region."

Construction of the new Brazilian excavator factory took seven months and includes a new training area. JCB has also doubled its backhoe loader production capacity in Brazil to help meet demand for machines in the region.