Multi-million dollar victory for JCB

Heavy equipment manufacturer JCB has kick-started the new year with a bang by landing one of the biggest single order in its 71-year history – a multi-million dollar deal to supply the United States Army with a massive fleet of forklifts.

The U.S Army has assigned JCB to supply it with 1600 light-capability rough terrain forklifts for deployment on tasks around the world including loading and unloading aircraft and shipping containers.

For the order, JCB has specifically designed the military spec 527-58M forklift based on its range of commercial Loadall telescopic handlers, which is celebrating 40 years in production this year.

The largest single deal in JCB’s history also came from the U.S Army in 2005 when a USD $206 million (approximately $A275 million) order was placed to produce hundreds of high-speed military versions of JCB’s backhoe loader.

The machine, named the High Mobility Engineer Excavator (HMEE), is capable of speeds of up to 96 km/h and went on to be sold to allied forces around the world, including the UK, Sweden, Germany, Australia and New Zealand.

Like the HMEE, the 527-58M forklifts will be produced at JCB’s North American Headquarters in Savannah, Georgia. They will be powered by the 84hp JCB DieselMax engine produced at JCB Power Systems in Derbyshire, UK.

The 527-58M features a width of 2m and a height of 1.98m, making it ideal for work in confined spaces. It has a travel speed of 33 km/h, a lift capacity of over 2.26 tonnes and a lift height of 5.8m. In addition, the unit has been marinised to meet operational needs during wading and fording.

JCB North America President, Arjun Mirdha, says the company is thrilled to be chosen again by the U.S Army for its heavy equipment needs.

"Over the past three decades, JCB has supplied more than 4,000 machines to armed forces in 57 countries, and we have acquired a deep understanding of how the Army uses equipment and the unique features needed," he says.

According to JCB North America’s Vice President of Product Support and Government & Defence, Chris Giorgianni, the company offers more than 300 commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) solutions for the military.

"The 527-58M is designed to minimise military operational costs with a two-year service warranty and extended service intervals with parts available from distribution centres in JCB’s worldwide network, making it faster and more efficient for the U.S. Army to maintain and service the new forklifts."