Digger giant scoops record profit

Digger manufacturer JCB enjoyed its most successful year ever in 2006, recording pre-tax profits of £149m (€221m), the firm announced today.

The privately-owned company, based in Rocester, Staffordshire, also set new records for turnover, machine sales and global market share.

Figures released by JCB, which was founded in 1945 and now has manufacturing bases in the UK, US, Brazil, Germany, India and China, showed that turnover rose to £1.75bn (€2.6bn), up from £1.42 bn (€2.1bn) in 2005

Meanwhile, machine sales jumped to more than 55,000, compared to 45,000 in 2005.

Commenting on the results, JCB chairman Anthony Bamford said: “Last year was undoubtedly the most successful year in JCB’s history.

“We not only benefited from growth in the global construction equipment market but more importantly we have grown faster than the market.”