JCB Chairman Sir Anthony Bamford today pledged assistance worth $100,000 to help in the rebuilding efforts in the wake of the Chilean earthquake disaster.

He is donating a 3C backhoe loader complete with attachments and spare parts to help with reconstruction efforts in the country’s second city Concepcion which was hit by last weekend’s 8.8-magnitude quake which has killed more than 700 people. About 1.5 million homes were also damaged in the earthquake and initial estimates put the cost of rebuilding at between $15bn and $30bn.

JCB – which has a backhoe factory in Brazil – is supplying the machine through its Chilean dealer Derco, which is also making available free-of-charge a fleet of used machinery for the authorities to use in rebuilding efforts. Derco’s HQ in the Capital Santiago – 270 miles away from Concepcion – have been severely damaged by the quake while their premises in Concepcion appear to be largely unaffected.

Sir Anthony said: “This is one of the most powerful earthquakes on record and it has had a catastrophic effect on Concepcion. I hope in some small part our donation will contribute to the rebuilding effort and help some of those people whose lives have been turned upside down by this disaster.”

The contribution to the aid effort follows a series of other JCB machinery donations in recent years to other parts of the world hit by natural disasters, including the 2008 earthquake in Sichuan Province in China, when six backhoe loaders worth over $600,000 and a team of operators were sent from the company’s factory in Shanghai to help the clear-up effort in the region. JCB also donated machines worth more than £1 million to help in the aftermath of the Asian Tsunami in 2004, with JCB diggers deployed to Thailand, southern India, Sri Lanka and Indonesia.

Earlier this year JCB donated equipment worth $150,000 to help the disaster relief effort in Haiti following the devastating earthquake that killed around 220,000 people.

JCB forklift hits milestone
with production of 7,500th Teletruk

JCB is celebrating a major milestone with its unique JCB Teletruk industrial forklift – the production of the 7,500th machine. The JCB Teletruk was launched to the UK market in 1997 and since then its appeal has widened to include customers across the world, including Brazil, South Africa and the USA. The latest new export dealers to order Teletruks are based in New Zealand and Australia.

The machine, produced at JCB Utility Products, Cheadle, Staffordshire, was launched after almost two years of secret development work and thanks to its telescopic boom, which enables it to reach forwards and place loads, it is much more versatile than traditional masted forklifts.

JCB Industrial General Manager Chris Nowell said: “Manufacturing 7,500 JCB Teletruks is a huge achievement for a unique JCB product which is now found at work around the world. Its appeal has grown because of its ability to do what ordinary forklifts cannot by virtue of its telescopic boom.”

The Teletruk utilises the telescopic boom well-known on larger JCB Loadall telescopic handlers which are used in the construction and agricultural sectors. But this boom design is fitted to a small chassis with a rear counterweight, allowing the machine to lift large loads of up to 3.5 tonnes. The majority of Teletruks produced at the Cheadle factory are four-wheel-drive, another unique feature. Today, Teletruks are used in industries as diverse as waste, agriculture, builders merchants, ports, airports and fish farms.

Read More.....

JCB Donates $150,000 Worth of
Equipment to Haiti Quake Disaster

JCB, the world’s third largest manufacturer of construction equipment, is donating equipment worth $150,000 to help the disaster relief effort in Haiti following the devastating earthquake that is feared to have killed tens of thousands of people.

The gift of two 3CX backhoe loaders is being made by JCB Chairman Sir Anthony Bamford in response to an appeal from relief agencies for foreign aid.

Bamford said: “The scale of the devastation is unimaginable and it’s heart-rending to see the human suffering caused by the disaster. There is clearly a lack of equipment on the island and I hope our gift of JCB machines will help in some small way to alleviate that suffering and in the rebuilding in the aftermath of the earthquake.”

The machines are being made available to the U.S. government and its aid agencies, which are taking a leading role in the relief effort on the Caribbean island. The earthquake, measuring 7.0 on the Richter Scale, has damaged the port and has created a number of logistical challenges hindering supplies entering the nation.

Read More....