HRH The Duke of York is to officially open the new £40 million JCB Heavy Products factory in Staffordshire later this month, it was announced today.

The Duke, who is also the UK's Special Representative for International Trade and Investment, will visit the plant in Uttoxeter on Wednesday, July 22nd. He will meet a number of shop floor and office employees during a tour of the facility before officially opening the factory at a ceremony watched by the 350-strong JCB Heavy Products' workforce.

As well as the official opening, The Duke will also present JCB Heavy Products with a Queen's Award for Enterprise, which honours a 60 per cent increase in exports of JCB tracked and wheeled excavators.

JCB Chief Executive Officer Matthew Taylor said: "I'm delighted that HRH The Duke of York is to officially open the new JCB Heavy Products factory as it represents one of the biggest single investments in JCB's history and will be pivotal to our growth once the recovery arrives.

"It is one of the world's most modern manufacturing plants and is a factory we are all very proud of. This investment gives us a huge opportunity to take the quality of an already successful tracked and wheeled excavator range to new heights. This is a very exciting phase in the development of JCB's excavator business and we're delighted to have the opportunity to show The Duke of York what this means for JCB and for British manufacturing."

JCB Heavy Products relocated from its site in the centre of Uttoxeter to the new facility next to the A50 and full production of its 25-strong range of tracked and wheeled excavators, weighing from seven to 46 tonnes, began earlier this year. The new 450,000 sq ft plant has the capability to produce 8,000 machines a year.

About JCB

Joseph Cyril Bamford launched the construction and agricultural equipment manufacturing company that bears his initials, in 1945. He began his business in a garage that measured 12 feet by 15 feet.

Today, JCB’s world headquarters is one of the finest engineering factories in Europe. The company that began as a ‘one man band’ now employs over 6,000 people and produces over 250 products – with bases in the UK, the USA, India, Germany and South America.  It also sells a full range of equipment in over 150 countries.

Of course, it’s no use producing unique products if they don’t meet the customers’ needs. In our business, an innovative and efficient machine needs an innovative and efficient support system.

JCB is a truly international business offering local support via a 24 hour parts back-up facility and complete after-sales care. Our high quality, cost efficient machines offer low downtime and real peace of mind.

Great ideas. Brilliant engineering solutions. Superb service. Reliable back-up. They all combine to create a guaranteed JCB worldwide performance standard.