JCB buys Vibromax

JCB has announced the purchase of German compaction equipment manufacturer Vibromax for an undisclosed sum.

The company and its products will be branded as JCB Vibromax and all 170 employees, predominantly based at its Leipzig facility, will be retained.

John Patterson, JCB managing director and CEO said: “This is only the second time JCB has acquired another manufacturer. Our growth has historically been organic, but the Vibromax products are extremely complimentary to our existing line-up.”

Vibromax has been manufacturing compaction equipment for more than 60 years. The full product range consists of single drum soil compactors, vibratory tandem rollers, trench rollers and light equipment such as tampers and plates.

The acquisition is expected to be completed by early September, subject to regulatory approvals.

“The first JCB Vibromax machines will therefore be in the UK by the end of the year,” commented Patterson.

It is estimated that Vibromax had approximately 4% of the worldwide compaction equipment market and Patterson said the company hoped to get this up to 10% in the short-term.

JCB has also acquired the Vibromax dealer network and this according to Patterson will enhance JCB’s distribution network in Germany.

In 2004, JCB manufactured 37,000 machines globally. It forecasts that this year more than 40,000 units will be made, excluding any Vibromax machines, making JCB the world’s fourth largest construction equipment manufacturer, based on production numbers.