JCB to invest £100m in Rocester plant overhaul
JCB will spend 100 million pounds upgrading its Rocester factory in Staffordshire to protect 8,000 British jobs. The construction equipment manufacturer plans to install a 60 million pound automated paint system and redesign production lines at the 75-year-old site. Chief Executive Graeme Macdonald stated that the plant layout hinders the company’s ability to meet demand, necessitating complete modernization.
The investment follows workforce reductions last year after global construction markets weakened and tariffs increased costs. Britain fell out of the top 10 manufacturing countries for the first time since industrialization began. JCB will open a 373 million pound Texas facility next year to serve North American customers while Rocester focuses on European markets.
Annual production capacity is expected to reach 200,000 machines, up from 120,000 units, once both plants operate at full strength. Chairman Lord Anthony Bamford said the company remains committed to its British headquarters despite expanding abroad. Macdonald expects construction demand will recover between 2026 and 2027 as businesses finish replacing equipment purchased after the pandemic.
