Double award for JCB Power Systems
JCB’s record-breaking engine producer receives Queen’s Awards for innovation and international trade
JCB Power Systems, the business which makes and sells the record-breaking JCB engine, have been honoured for innovation and sales success.
JCB Power Systems produced the engine which powered the JCB Dieselmax car to a world diesel land speed record of 350.092 miles/h on the Bonneville Salt Flats in the US on 23 August 2006.
Exactly 10 years later, the company – which is based at Dove Valley Park, Foston, in Derbyshire – was presented with two Queen’s Awards: one for innovation and a second for international trade.
The Awards were presented by HM Lord Lieutenant of Derbyshire, William Tucker. In total JCB have now won 30 Queen’s Awards – a UK record – since securing their first in 1969.
Mr Tucker said: ‘It has been a great privilege to present JCB Power Systems with their two Queen’s Awards on behalf of Her Majesty The Queen. Winning two Awards in the same year is almost unique and a quite magnificent achievement. It is a wonderful acknowledgement of everything JCB have achieved at Dove Valley Park.’
JCB group director of engines Alan Tolley (centre of photo) said: ‘Today is a milestone day for the whole JCB Group, but in particular for JCB Power Systems because these awards are the first ever to be won by this business.
‘These Queen’s Awards are testament to the quality and innovation that goes into manufacturing the JCB engine and are an enormous tribute to every employee involved in their design and manufacture. It’s also remarkable to reflect that, on the tenth anniversary of JCB Dieselmax car’s success, the world record set that day still remains unbroken.’
Since production started in 2004, JCB have made around 375,000 engines at their plants in Derbyshire and India.
JCB Power Systems’ award for innovation is for the development of the Ecomax engine family. Fitted with a novel combustion system using new technology and sophisticated computer control to meet new global emissions legislation, the innovative feature cuts fuel consumption by 10% and eliminates the need for after-treatment.
JCB originally began producing engines in 2004 to power their own machines and today more than 70% of all the company’s products are fitted with the JCB engine.
Such has been the success of the engine, however, that other companies around the world now buy it for their products and overseas third party sales grew by more than 325% between 2012 and 2014 – earning JCB Power Systems the second Queen’s Award, this time for International Trade.
External sales have grown rapidly and last year almost a quarter of the engines produced by JCB were for external customers. These engines are working in a wide variety of different machines and in environments ranging from harsh desert to extreme arctic conditions.
