JCB is honoured for innovation and export sales growth with three Queen’s Awards for Enterprise.
Winning its first Queen’s Awards is JCB Power Systems, producer of the engine which powered the JCB Dieselmax streamliner to a world diesel land speed record of 350.092mph on the Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah, USA, a decade ago – a record which has never been broken.
The company, based in Foston, Derbyshire wins the Queen’s Award for Innovation for the development of its Ecomax engine family.
Fitted with a combustion system using new technology and computer control to meet new global emissions legislation, the feature cuts fuel consumption by 10% and eliminates the need for after-treatment.
JCB originally began producing engines in 2004 to power its own machines and today more than 70% of all the company’s products are fitted with the JCB engine.
The success of the engine means that other companies around the world now buy it and overseas sales grew by more than 325% between 2012 and 2014 – earning JCB Power Systems a second Queen’s Award, this time for International Trade.
Completing the Queen’s Awards hat-trick for the JCB Group is Cheadle, Staffordshire-based JCB Compact Products, manufacturer of compact construction equipment including micro, mini and midi excavators.
In the face of fierce global competition, overseas sales of JCB Compact Products’ machines grew by 25% from 2013 to 2015 – earning the business a Queen’s Award for International Trade.
The three accolades mean that JCB cements its position as the UK record holder of Queen’s Awards – winning a total of 30 since its first in 1969.
JCB Chairman Lord Bamford said today: "Product innovation is what drives JCB’s success, so we are particularly thrilled that the JCB engine has won a Queen’s Award for Innovation.
"In the 12 years since manufacturing began, JCB has produced more than 350,000 of its own engines, secured a diesel land speed record and developed a great British business which employs more than 250 people, so winning Queen’s Awards marking our achievements is the icing on the cake.
"For JCB Compact Products to win a Queen’s Award for increasing exports is a tremendous achievement because the company operates in a fiercely competitive market, particularly in the mini excavator sector where there are more than 30 different global manufacturers."
