Prince Edward welcomed by children in Rocester

The Earl of Wessex, Prince Edward, visited JCB's world headquarters last week to present the company's telehandler unit a Queen's Award for international trade.

School children from Dove First School and Ryecroft Middle School in Rocester welcomed him before he presented the award to JCB's chief operating officer, Matthew Taylor.

Taylor says JCB's telehandler unit won its first Queen's Award in 1984, seven years after the launch of the JCB Loadall.

"[This] marks a hat-trick of Queen's Awards for this business and honours a 77% growth in overseas sales over three years."

Staffordshire Lord Lieutenant James Hawley congratulated JCB staff for their hard work.

"There are about 30 different Loadall models and these can now be seen in many countries in the world.

"I know when I see these yellow machines when I am abroad, I always feel a sense of pride to think that it has originated in Staffordshire."

JCB claims the Loadall is the world's top-selling telehandler brand. In 2006, JCB built 100,000 telehandlers, possibly the first construction equipment maker to do so.

Nine employees who were with JCB's Loadall Business Unit since its formation were also given mementoes. They were Fred Egerton, Kenny Kirkland, Frank Rowe, Chris Chell, Stuart Sumners, John Muirhead, Eddie Press, Dave Jones and Terry Brain.

Other JCB Group entities to receive Queen's Awards for international trade in 2007 are JCB Compact Products of Cheadle and International Transmissions Ltd of Wrexham.

JCB Group has won 21 Queen's Awards since its first in 1969.