"The Story of JCB", has been developed to chart the company's links to industry back to the 1820s.

JCB has officially opened a multi-million pound customer attraction at its world headquarters in Rocester, which has been designed to generate new business worldwide.

The permanent exhibition, The Story of JCB, has been developed to chart the company's links to industry back to the 1820s.

JCB chairman Sir Anthony Bamford is proud of the GBP5 million (USD8.1 million) customer experience centre and says it will play a pivotal role in winning new business, especially in emerging markets.

"This is an extremely exciting development. It is the first time that the history of our company and my family's roots in manufacturing has been told in the form of a permanent exhibition.

"We are an innovative company and our success over the past 66 years has been driven by innovation and that is at the very core of 'The Story of JCB'. It is a showcase of our unique story and something we can all be very proud of," Bamford says.

He points out that the exhibition is also a powerful selling tool because it will help customers understand JCB's business and appreciate its heritage and pedigree.

The exhibition covers 2,500 sqm (27,000 sqft.) of floor space and includes 14 zones, which take the visitor on a journey through time, starting in the 1820s, when the Bamford family were blacksmiths in Uttoxeter, through to the present day and JCB's current range.

It includes a section highlighting the engineering prowess of Bamfords Ltd, the firm of agricultural engineers based in Uttoxeter, whose director Henry Bamford famously sacked his nephew, Joseph Cyril Bamford, by sending him a note that "his services would no longer be required".

Bamford's subsequent success and the global growth of the company under the stewardship of his son Sir Anthony, chairman for almost 36 years, are also highlighted.

The area occupied by The Story of JCB exhibition previously housed the JCB Design Centre and Production Drawing Office from 1970 until the early 1980s, when product-specific business units were introduced and designers and draughtsmen relocated.

The VIPs given a tour of the new exhibition included the Boot family that has a combined service to JCB of over 400 years. The tradition of working for JCB was started by the late Bill Boot in 1949, and now extends to the fourth generation of his family. Eight of his sons worked for JCB, including retired employees Bob and Ron Boot, who attended the preview last month. They were joined by Bill's grandson, Gary, who works at the world headquarters and Bill's great-grandson, Leigh, who works at the world parts centre in Uttoxeter.