JCB ready to expand Power Products division

JCB Power Products – the JCB division that sells generators and lighting towers - said it is poised for a major expansion of its distribution network over the coming five years, with the number of dealers expected to increase from the current 60 to nearer 240.

Jonathan Garnham, who took up the post of director and general manager of the business in January this year, said the experience gained by the existing dealers over the past six years - Power Products was launched in 2006 – could now be used to encourage other JCB dealers to take on the generators and lighting towers.

“We’ve learned about what is required to be a successful dealer in Power Products”, said Mr Garnham, who has worked at JCB for 13 years, “Globally, our dealers who have taken part have had their eyes opened to the opportunity.”

JCB’s 750 construction equipment dealers worldwide are the natural target for the Power Products division, but it will also consider third party dealers who are specialists in power generation.

The Power products division has not yet marketed its products in North America, but Mr Garnham said the aim would be to have a presence their within five years, although there are no firm plans.

As the company plans its expansion it is also growing its product range, with new LED lighting towers being launched as well as improvements to its range of generators, which are now using new digital controllers.

JCB uses its own four-cylinder engines in around 15-20% of its gensets, in the 60 to 140 kVA range, but it intends to use the recently announced six-cylinder engine by the third quarter of next year, taking the JCB-powered genset range up to around 200 kVA. The full generator line comprises 114 models from 8 to 2700 kVA.

JCB sources its gensets and towers from a third party supplier, believed to be Himoinsa of Spain, although this is not confirmed by JCB. JCB said the products are built to its technical brief and specifications.

See the July-August issue of IRN for more on the latest JCB Power Products division.