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JCB Factory Tour

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JCB Factory Tour - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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Construction Machinery: What to Expect on a JCB Factory Tour

I’ve been around heavy machinery my whole life, yet I didn’t grow up on a farm. My dad, Dale Anderson, is a mechanic (owner of Anderson’s Garage) and township supervisor in Pennsylvania, which is an elected position. Since the early 1980’s, he’s been serving by performing manual work.

What does it mean to be a township supervisor? Well, he manages back country roads that aren’t maintained by the state or the town boroughs. He spends the winters removing snow and laying cinders so residents can travel the roads. In the summers, he trims brush and trees and spreads layers of brine, or salty water that reduces dust, on dirt roads. I spent my summers riding in dump trucks on bumpy roads to keep him company.

Dale spreading brine on Eulalia township roads (not a JCB vehicle).

When I think of tractors and machines from my childhood, I think about John Deere and Caterpillar branded machines. I learned to “drive” by mowing our yard with an old Wheel Horse tractor.

I’ve never heard of JCB until my parents booked a trip to the United Kingdom to visit. Dale’s sales representative mentioned touring the JCB Factory and scored us VIP tickets since the township recently purchased a backhoe.

So what makes JCB different than its competitors? They’re innovating and making faster and smaller machines that help construction workers be more efficient.

What to Expect on a JCB Tour

1. a family company and professional staff.

As we entered, we were greeted with genuine staff and offered tea or coffee served in JCB branded china. All the staff and most of the other guests wore suits–we were the casual ones. That’s not to say you have to dress in your business best but having closed toe shoes is required.

Les holds an old catalog with a picture of him. He’s the one with the mustache. 

Les is one of the best tour guides I’ve ever had. As if he didn’t see enough from working 40 years at JCB, he stuck around to lead tours He held multiple jobs throughout the company and was a proud family member. Les received waves as we passed making us feel like we were part of something special.

Generations work at JCB. Rocester has JCB schools, where children start at the age of 14 and learn the skills necessary to be innovators and engineers in hopes they return to work for JCB after university. JCB offers apprenticeships to help train their employees with knowledge continually being passed onto the next in line.

2. Tour Kits

Walking along heavy machinery can be dangerous, so they provide a quick training and make the visitors stand out with bright, reflective vests. The audio sets were helpful, even in our group of four, to hear Les while JCB continued their daily routine on the assembly line.

3. A Brief History Video

After introductions and the kits, we finally leave the lobby and head to a dimly lit theatre with red velvet seats. A quick safety video starts before sharing the accolades of the company from Joseph Cyril Bamford’s (JCB) first invention to present day. It ends with Lord Anthony Bamford, Joseph’s son, sharing the company’s values of innovation.

4. The Story of JCB

After the video gets you excited about the accomplishments of the company, Les walks us through the Story of JCB, which is a personalized narrative through a museum showing actual refurbished machines from the early days of welding through present day’s JCB Dieselmax.

Early restored JCB machines.

An early version of the JCB Backhoe Loader.

JCB Dieselmax

You pass by J. Bamford’s office that overlooks the assembly line as Les shares his personal JCB stories.

Dale sits at Joseph C. Bamford’s desk.

5. The JCB Merchandising Store

As with most tours, there’s always branded swag you can buy. Purchase your souvenirs here and have them held for you until you finish the tour.

6. JCB Backhoe Loader Manufacturing Tour

View of the floor from J. Bamford’s office.

Nearing the end of the tour, it was finally time to see how backhoes are assembled. The tour page highlights what is seen while walking the concrete painted floors, “…here you will see the process of how the machine is built from the delivery of the sheet steel, profiling, laser cutting, welding, paint shop, assembly and finally the finished product!” –  Source

Unfortunately, we weren’t able to take pictures, but this was one of my favorite part of the tour. I was most impressed watching laser cut sheets of metal. JCB has the scrap steel sheets melted down to reduce waste and work in a just-in-time production.

As we walk along the assembly line, we see the JCB Backhoe Loaders being assembled from frame to cab and all the fixings. I could have spent the whole day watching the technicians tinker.

7. VIP Only?

As VIP guests, my guess is the below parts of our tours were added customer benefits.

Bonus: Walkthrough of the business offices, where JCB engineers, accounting, finance, sales, etc. are hard at work.

Food: As a regular guest, breakfast or lunch is provided if you choose. I highly recommend paying the price difference as the food was incredible and probably some of the best food we had within the prior week traveling around England.

As much as I didn’t want to work my parent’s vacation around the tour, I have to say I enjoyed the private tour, the food, and learning what it takes to build heavy machinery.

JCB Tour Tickets

It’s not as straight forward of a process as buying tickets online. Go to their website and fill out a request form or if you’re a customer contact your sales representative. The prices are reasonable as the tour lasts roughly 3 to 4 hours. Our tour started around 9:45, and we finished lunch around 13:30.

Where is the JCB Tour?

Getting there: JCB factories are scattered throughout Uttoxeter. Without owning or hiring a car, it may be difficult to get to Rocester. From London, we took the train from Euston to Birmingham and rented a car further out of the city. Visitors taking the tour use a separate entrance than the headquarters building, so navigate to the headquarters, and as you arrive, follow signs to “The Story of JCB”. Buzz the intercom and state the name you gave for the tour. You’ll know you’re in the right place when you see a display of machines creating an archway into the building saying VIP Visitor Centre. I’ll be honest: It was a pain to travel to Rocester for a tour.

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JCB Factory Tour

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Similar Experiences

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JCB FACTORY TOUR (Rocester) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

JCB visitor centre

Contact information, about.......

The JCB worldwide headquarters is at Rocester just eight miles south from Ashbourne. Factory tours are sometimes available - you have to book so check their website for details.

The landscaped grounds with lakes, sculptures and fountains are freely open all the time and are popular with runners and dogwalkers - there is plenty of parking.

Travel from Ashbourne

Take the A52 towards Leek and turn left onto the B5032 at Mayfield (by the bridge over the River Dove) and follow the road to Rocester.

Take the Swift to Rocester and its just a few minutes walk.

Its a scenic 20 mile round trip by bike using quiet back roads via Clifton, Norbury and Roston.

Its too far to walk.

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LEGENDS TOUR ANNOUNCES THE JCB CHAMPIONSHIP FOR 2022

JCB’s Golf and Country Club is set to realise its vision as a major international tour destination when The JCB Championship takes place on the Legends Tour International Schedule from July 29-31, 2022.

JCB’s Golf and Country Club is set to realise its vision as a major international tour destination when The JCB Championship takes place on the Legends Tour International Schedule from July 29-31, 2022. Some of the biggest names in the sport will descend on the course for a star-studded competition at the prestigious Staffordshire club - the brainchild of JCB Chairman Lord Bamford. 

The event will take place in the week after The Senior Open at Gleneagles and will offer a prize fund of €600,000. The JCB Championship will be hosted by Ryder Cup and European Tour legend Darren Clarke and profits will be donated to JCB’s NSPCC Platinum Jubilee Appeal.

When JCB set out to create a world class golf and country club, it was always our ambition to attract an international tour event, so it really is wonderful news that the course has been selected to host such a prominent competition.

Lord Bamford | JCB Chairman

Graeme Macdonald, Chief Executive Officer of JCB, added: “The JCB Golf and Country Club has already successfully hosted the Rose Ladies Series tournament and our inclusion in the Legends Tour’s international schedule really is the next step in fully realising our aspirations for the course. We are thrilled by the news.” Darren Clarke said: “I’m extremely proud to be hosting The JCB Championship. Knowing JCB as a company and having been fortunate enough to visit JCB’s Golf and Country Club, you can be certain that this will be a fantastic event and I’m very much looking forward to it.” Spanning 240 acres of rolling countryside, the JCB Golf and Country Club has been hailed as a masterpiece in contemporary course design since it opened in 2018. It was designed and built using industry-leading technology to create aesthetically appealing tee shots, wide, sweeping fairways and interesting, yet fun, green complexes.  Phil Harrison, Chief Executive of the Legends Tour, said: “We are thrilled to have secured the first international event to be held at JCB Golf and Country Club.  It is truly a world-class venue, and this is an opportunity for us to help showcase it to the world. “We are thankful to the venue, as well as Chubby Chandler and International Sports Management (ISM), for their help in bringing this event to fruition and we are looking forward to working alongside them in the coming months.” ISM has a rich history of promoting tournaments and past events include the British Masters, Turkish Airlines Open and the Aphrodite Hills Cyprus Open.  ISM Chief Executive Officer Chubby Chandler said: “As a member of The JCB Golf and Country Club I’m very proud that ISM is involved in what is sure to be a memorable tournament.  Darren is also excited to be involved and is sure to bring a few friends to the JCB Championship with him. We have some great plans for the tournament and, befitting JCB and its incredible venue, we’re looking forward to helping produce something unique and very special.” The JCB Championship will take place from July 29-31, 2022. The full 2022 Legends Tour International Schedule will be revealed later this year. 

JCB Factory Tour with Lunch. Click here to select dates

JCB FACTORY TOUR WITH LUNCH

Select date and time

• Monday May 13 10:00 AM
• Monday May 20 10:00 AM
• Monday June 10 10:00 AM
• Monday June 17 10:00 AM
• Monday June 24 10:00 AM
• More options

JCB Visitor Centre

Refund Policy

About this event.

An amazing opportunity to venture behind the scenes of JCB’s world famous diggers; this unique tour includes historical information, little-known facts, exciting insights and gets you up close to the JCB manufacturing process.

Your visit will begin with welcome refreshments, and a short presentation in the JCB Theatre showing our corporate brand video on the global manufacturing facilities and products. You will then be invited by one of our Tour Guides to attend a personal tour of the ‘’Story of JCB’’ exhibition with time to visit the JCB shop.

The tour will then take you to the assembly line of the world-famous Backhoe Loader machine; here you will see the process of how the machine is built from the delivery of the sheet steel, profiling, laser cutting, welding, paint shop, assembly and finally the finished product!

When booking one of our fantastic lunch tour packages, you’ll experience a unique dining experience in our VIP Hospitality Suite with seasonal dishes created by our Executive Head Chef, Alastair Rowe, using the organic produce sourced from our sister farm, ‘Daylesford Organic’.

• Pre booking is essential
• Minimum age is 15
• Sensible shoes should be worn – you will not be permitted onto the tour in open toe or heeled footwear
• Tours with Lunch are only available on Monday 10:00
• Tours without lunch are only available Monday at 13:00 or Friday at 09:30

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Sponsored Post

The new momentum cito e+ dares you to leave the car at home [video].

All the cool suburbanites are already taking their kids to school, loading up at the farmers’ market, and making deliveries on clever and capable cargo e-bikes, but the new Momentum Cito E+ from Giant raises the cargo bike bar even higher — and makes leaving the car at home easier than ever.

Momentum is a new brand of “lifestyle” e-bikes from Giant Group designed to deliver premium features to customers while still hitting that $3,000-4,000 market “sweet spot.” Their latest bike, the all-new for 2024 Cito E+ utility bike, does just that, coming to market with a premium battery, Bluetooth technology, a suite of high-end safety features, and a $3,200 starting price .

Premium battery

Getting the most out of your e-bike often means getting the most out of your battery — and Momentum absolutely gets that. The Cito E+ ships with a 780 Watt-hour Panasonic battery pack with 22700 cells that have been optimized for e-bike use.

Compared to other ebike batteries with similar power ratings, the Momentum’s Panasonic battery promises to be lighter and more durable, with superior IPX7 weather protection, thermal regulation, and other safety features built-in (in fact, Panasonic was the first e-bike supplier to score a UL safety rating for its batteries ).

The battery is easily removable for charging at home or in an office, but it can be charged while it’s in the bike, too. Either way, charging won’t take long — from 0 to 80% of charge (approx. 60 miles) of range is available in 3.5 hours, while a full (75 mile) charge takes less than 5 hours.

Connected cargo bike

As our test rider highlights in the video (above), the Momentum Cito E+ uses a proprietary battery management system, or BMS, to monitor the battery pack for maximum efficiency and reliability down to the individual cell level.

The BMS uses Bluetooth connectivity to transfer battery health data, state of charge, and other important information straight to the RideControl app, which enables the bike’s owner to get an in-depth look at the overall state of their e-bike and provides valuable diagnostic data to both the technicians tasked with servicing the bike and Giant themselves, to help develop even better e-bikes in the future.

That connection to Giant Group is a huge potential benefit to Momentum Cito E+ buyers, by the way, as it gives them access to support from more than 1,200 brick and mortar Giant dealers across the US alone (above).

That’s a serious advantage that online-only bike brands simply can’t match.

Safety first … and maybe second, too

Momentum’s commitment to safety doesn’t stop at the battery. The Cito E+ features confidence-inspiring 4 piston hydraulic disc brakes and a heavy duty suspension for predictable handling even under heavy loads — important if you have to suddenly haul the bike down from its electronically assisted 28 mph top speed with precious kids and cargo on the back.

LED head and taillights with a lever-activated taillight ensure Cito E+ riders will be seen, too, helping you stay safer after hours.

Accessories and add-ons

Momentum’s Cito E+ offers a comprehensive selection of accessories to help optimize it for each rider’s unique use case — whether that’s hauling up to 132 lbs. of cargo on the rear rack and 33 lbs. on the optional front basket (shown, above), or adding 2 Thule Yepp Maxi seats and getting the little ones to school five times a week.

You can find out more about the Momentum Cito E+ and the brand’s available accessories by clicking here .

Momentum Cito E+ gallery

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

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