JCB North America is making significant progress on its $500 million manufacturing facility in San Antonio, Texas.
The state-of-the-art facility, located on a 400-acre site, is expected to generate about 1,500 jobs and will serve as a hub for producing JCB’s telehandlers and mobile elevating work platforms.
The project is the single largest investment in the company’s 80-year history, remains on schedule, with hiring set to begin in late-2025.
“We’re pretty confident that we’re on plan and ready to start production next year, so we’re excited about building that product to you,” said David Carver, Operations Director for JCB San Antonio.
In April, JCB announced it will expand the footprint of the facility, bringing the total footprint to 1 million square feet. This expansion reflects JCB’s continued confidence in the market and supports the company’s strategy to increase production closer to customers, which aims to improve delivery times and reduce supply chain risk.
“For the last 50 years, we’ve been proud to manufacture right here in the United States, first in Baltimore, and then in Savannah, and now through this major expansion in San Antonio, we’re taking another bold step forward,” said Richard Fox-Marrs, CEO of JCB North America. “When complete, the site will be the largest JCB facility anywhere in the world.”
JCB selected the San Antonio site as Texas is the single largest construction equipment market in the United States. As well, the new facility will be centrally located to supply the United States with machinery.
“We are geographically diversifying our manufacturing footprint, giving greater resilience and flexibility across all of our North American operations,” Fox-Marrs said.
Construction progress
Since the groundbreaking in June 2024, JCB has made rapid progress on site preparation and infrastructure. The architectural design is being led by RVK, a women-owned firm with a track record in commercial and industrial projects. R&S Excavation Ltd. completed mass grading, and Ella Contracting led utility work.
More than 1 million tons of dirt and 119,000 tons of select fill were moved. As well, nearly 5,900 metres of sewer, water and storm lines have been installed.
With foundational work complete, vertical construction has now begun on the production and office buildings. Texas- based Joeris General Contractors is leading the next phase of development.
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JCB has started hiring key roles in San Antonio and is focused on building a workforce from the local community and veteran populations.
“JCB is deeply committed to the local workforce and creating meaningful career pathways,” Carver said. “Through education partnerships and a focus on veterans, we’re building a team that reflects our values and the community we’re joining.”
Fox-Marrs added the San Antonio site represents a long-term commitment to the North American market. The site includes a demonstration area and ranch to enhance the customer experience as well as the ability to more than triple manufacturing.
“This new facility has been designed for flexibility and growth. It will have the capability to manufacture any JCB product going forward, allowing us to meet custom demand quickly and competitively,” Fox-Marrs said.
