JCB Archives - Times Echo and Life

April 2, 2021

Jumping for job joy after gaining permanent contracts

Husband-and-wife agency employees Julie and Sean McReynolds are jumping for joy - after being handed permanent JCB contracts. The couple, from Alton, both gave up permanent jobs with other employers to take up agency positions with JCB in 2018 – Julie at the World HQ in Rocester and Sean at JCB Earthmovers in Cheadle.

New machine built to tackle potholes

A digger giant has unveiled a brand new machine to tackle a national scourge - potholes. JCB has launched the PotholePro - a machine that can repair a pothole in less than eight minutes – reportedly four times quicker than standard methods and at half the cost of current solutions.

TV star comes face-to-face with ‘famous’ digger

A small screen star has been getting a close-up view of one of the most famous JCB diggers in the world during filming for an ITV programme about an infamous robbery attempt. Presenter and investigative journalist Ross Kemp visited JCB’s Staffordshire base during the making of a programme to mark the 20th anniversary of a thwarted attempt to steal millions of pounds worth of diamonds from the Millennium Dome.

Digger focus for Matthew’s children’s book

A Moorlands man has conquered dyslexia and penned a children's book. Matthew Wroe has conquered his dyslexia and swapped numbers for words by writing a book in aid of his favourite charities. The intrepid accountant, who is Assistant Financial Controller at JCB, has raised more than £25,000 for good causes over the last decade by taking part in endurance events – even climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.

Factory workers sent home to self isolate

Twenty factory workers have been sent home to self-isolate after one of their colleagues tested positive for Covid-19. The colleagues, who work at JCB's Rocester site, were sent home last Friday (August 28).

Charity appeal in memory of JCB worker

Colleagues of a motorcyclist killed in a collision earlier this month have paid tribute to the much-loved father-of-one by raising funds for charity in his memory. Shaun Warren, aged 53 of Newcastle, died on Friday, August 7 when his motorcycle was involved in a collision on Parkhouse Road, Chesterton, Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Shop floor workers saved but salaried staff still up for redundancy

Shop floor jobs at a major employer in Staffordshire, which has factories in the Cheadle and Uttoxeter areas, have been saved. On May 15, JCB announced that almost 1,500 jobs across its UK factories were set to be axed. These included 950 jobs at risk of redundancy, and around 500 Guidant agency employees who were going to be ‘released’ from the digger giant. The announcement came from the company after “demand for its machines fell by half as a result of the Covid-19 crisis.”

Almost 1,500 jobs to be axed at digger giant JCB

JCB has announced today (Friday, May 15) that up to 950 jobs are at risk of redundancy at its UK plants after “demand for its machines fell by half as a result of the Covid-19 crisis.” The company revealed that it has written to UK employees today to advise that up to 950 staff roles are under threat at its ten plants in Staffordshire, Derbyshire and Wrexham and that a 45-day consultation period will begin on Monday (May 18). Around 500 Guidant agency employees, who work at JCB’s UK sites, are also being “released” from the business.

Safety measures announced as JCB production resumes

A major manufacturing company announced this week a partial re-starting of production at five of its UK factories as a comprehensive package of safety measures is rolled out to protect employees in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. British production lines at JCB fell silent on March 18 and the vast majority of the company’s 6,500 UK employees have been furloughed since April.

Dancing diggers to take centre stage at carnival

JCB’s world-famous Dancing Diggers will take a birthday bow at a Moorlands community event this summer as the company marks its 75th anniversary. Widely regarded as a 'down-to-earth version' of the Red Arrows, the legendary JCB Dancing Diggers will take centre stage in the main show arena at Cheadle Carnival on Saturday, July 4. There, the mechanical monsters will perform intricate and spectacular ‘choreographed’ routines with an elegance and split-second precision that belies their heavyweight construction. The World’s Fastest Tractor – a modified version of the famous Fastrac made in Cheadle – will also be on show. The tractor secured the title with a speed of 135.191 mph driven by motorbike racer and lorry mechanic Guy Martin at the wheel. Also lining up alongside the tractor will be the JCB GT - the world’s fastest backhoe loader with a top speed of around 120mph. JCB is also supporting the carnival with a £3,000 donation by sponsoring the main stage.

PM visits JCB factory – and so do climate protestors

PRIME Minister, Boris Johnson, smashed through a wall of polystyrene bricks at a JCB factory as part of his election campaign last week. The PM took to the wheel of a Union Jack branded JCB backhoe loader in a symbolic gesture meant to illustrate his determination to break the Brexit deadlock ahead of voters heading to the polls last Thursday. But the stunt didn't go entirely to plan as protestors with Extinction Rebellion targeted the Conservative 'battle bus' while the PM visited JCB.

Top apprentice awards for JCB employees

A JCB Design Engineer is the toast of the UK today after winning a national apprentice award. Louise Meredith, aged 21, scooped the title of Higher or Degree Apprentice of the Year at the finals of the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) Awards in London recently just weeks after winning the regional final. Louise, a Design Engineer in the Loadall division at JCB World Headquarters, in Rocester, said: “I’m passionate about apprenticeships and undertaking a degree/higher apprenticeship has been a fantastic way to start my career, so to win this national award is just amazing.

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