JCB Germany has announced the biggest single investment ever in its business with plans to build a new, $40 million headquarters. Celebrating 50 years of trading in the German market, the new facility in Cologne will double the size of the company’s existing Cologne headquarters.
Work on the new premises will begin later this year and the company expects to open its new facility in 2014 as JCB marks the 50th anniversary of its founding in 1965.
“Germany is Europe’s biggest single construction equipment market and the fifth largest in the world,” said JCB chairman Lord Bamford. “JCB continues to make good progress in Germany with both construction and agricultural machinery sales. We have big ambitions to grow our business globally over the next few years, and Germany will play an important role in delivering that growth. The time is now right to invest heavily in this vitally important market.”
“This is fantastic news for the German market and JCB’s customers,” added Frank Zander, JCB Germany managing director. “It will enable us to take the sales and service support we offer in Germany to completely new levels and help ensure we grow the business.”
The new German headquarters will cover nearly 550,000 square feet. The location provides excellent access to the center of Cologne and the city’s airport. It will incorporate modern office space as well as training and workshop facilities for JCB Germany’s network of construction and agricultural dealers. The new facility will host customer visits and include a showroom displaying new JCB models.
JCB manufactures more than 300 different machines and has 22 plants on four continents.
