A manufacturer of excavating equipment and other heavy duty vehicles announced that it is building a new $49.2 million championship golf course next to its world headquarters in order to boost sales and raise its brand’s global profile.
JCB — formerly known as JC Bamford Excavators Limited — is a British multinational corporation that is the third largest maker of construction, demolition and agricultural equipment. The company is so well-known in Europe that JCB is commonly used as the generic descriptions for mechanical diggers and excavators and is even listed in the Oxford English Dictionary, although it is still a registered trademark.
Consistent with Corporate Image
The unusual step of building a golf course to fits in with the company’s international image, according to JCB Chairman Lord Anthony Bamford, son of the company’s founder, Joseph Cyril Bamford.
“Golf is a truly global sport and is a perfect fit for JCB as a global manufacturer as we look to develop strong relationships with customers and dealers worldwide,” Bamford said. “I’m not a golfer myself but I’m excited by the opportunity it presents us in driving our future plans for business growth.”
To Be Erected Near Existing Factory
The 18-hole course will be built on 240 acres of land just to the south of JCB’s global headquarters and manufacturing plant in Rocester, Staffordshire, UK. Designed by the prestigious firm European Golf Design — which built the Celtic Manor course in Wales in 2010, host of that year’s Ryder Cup — the JCB course will be 7,150 yards long and will have a par of 72.
JCB CEO Graeme Macdonald said the ancient sport of golf captures the corporate identity JCB wants to portray to its customers.
“The golf course will be the biggest marketing tool available to JCB in its history, helping to grow sales and create jobs,” Macdonald said. “If the course were to host a major tournament, the television coverage would certainly put the JCB brand firmly on the world stage. It would also help to raise the profit of Staffordshire and promote the county as a tourist destination to millions of people around the world.”
When the course is completed in 2018, it will have more than 100 permanent employees, including groundskeepers and other service personnel.
Will Include Luxury Hotel
The centerpiece of the course will be the renovation of Woodseat Hall, the 18th Century manor house that currently lies in ruins. When completed, the new version will serve as the course clubhouse and will feature a new luxury spa and a five-star hotel to accommodate JCB clients, executives and other guests from around the world.
The new golf course will be open to JCB’s network of 770 global dealers. It also will be used to build business growth, helping to develop relationships with existing and new customers. Eventually, it will be incorporated into a tourist attraction entitled the JCB Visitor Experience, which currently includes factory tours, a “Story of JCB” exhibition, and demonstrations of the company’s most successful vehicles.
JCB also recently announced that it will invest about $200 million to build two new manufacturing facilities in Staffordshire to accommodate anticipated growth for its products.
Lord Bamford, a staunch supporter and donor to the UK’s Conservative Party, planned to buy Jaguar Cars in August 2006, but backed out of the deal after he learned that the purchase would include the Land Rover brand, which he did not want to buy.