JCB has secured one of its biggest orders of the year after a 900-fleet deal was signed with national builders’ merchant Jewson.
In December 2022, manufacturing company Saint-Gobain agreed the sale of Jewson to building materials company Stark Group for £740 million.
The deal was the culmination of an 18-month withdrawal by Saint-Gobain of all specialist distribution brands throughout the UK, representing revenues of around £560 million.
The French firm said at the time it was part of its ‘continued business optimisation strategy’ to enhance growth and profitability.
The Jewson-JCB order, worth more than £12 million, is understood to be the biggest ever placed by Tool Hire – the rental division of Jewson – in the 20 years since the digger giant first began supplying the company.
Coventry headquartered Jewson entered the micro excavator market in 1995 and first bought JCB machines in 2003 when the company purchased 70 JCB micros.
The new fleet includes 19C-1 E electric mini excavator models and 1TE electric site dumpers.
JCB 8008 micro excavators, JCB 16C-1 mini excavators, 1T site dumpers and VMT160-80 vibratory tandem rollers were also bought by Jewson.
The electric models purchased guarantee zero emissions at the point of use and comparable performance to diesel counterparts, said JCB, each delivering a full day’s typical operation on a single charge.
The machines will be supplied by JCB dealer Gunn JCB.
“The addition of electrically-powered machines demonstrates that Jewson is looking to the future and the opportunities that zero emissions machines present,” said Steve Fox, JCB global major accounts MD.
Jewson business development director, Mark Esling, added: “JCB is a key partner, and we are proud to mark such an important anniversary of working together.”
JCB was founded by Joseph Cyril Bamford in 1945 and today employs more than 7,500 people.
Its subsidiaries include JCB Vibromax, JCB Drivetrain Systems, JCB Earthmovers and more.
Sales turnover at JCB rose from £3.1 billion in 2020 to £4.4 billion in 2021, and profit before tax rose from £130.1 million to £501.6 million. In 2019, it saw global sales of £4.2 billion.
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