JCB has presented long-standing customer JC Balls & Sons with a bespoke livery X Series tracked excavator to celebrate the firm’s 60th anniversary.
The milestone also represents 60 years of the two businesses working in partnership after founder Jim Balls established JC Balls & Sons with a JCB 3 backhoe loader in 1963.
At 95-years-old, Jim is still a director of the East Midlands-based plant hirer and contracting business, which specialises in earthmoving and bulk excavation. His sons Kevin and Christopher, Kevin’s children Carly-Ann Balls, Hollie Marriott and Tom Balls and Christopher’s children Jamie Balls and Lisa Freeston also now work in the business.
The family and friends gathered with representatives from JCB and dealer TC Harrison JCB at an anniversary event hosted at JCB Golf & Country Club. At the celebration, JCB handed over JC Balls & Sons’ latest order – a 220X tracked digger. The machine has been decked out with white cab, red bucket and retro sign-writing in a nod to JCB models of the past. It has also been christened ‘Mary’ – Jim Balls’ wife – after whom the company’s first ever JCB excavator was also named.
JC Balls & Sons director Chris Balls said, “Our family businesses have worked closely together for 60 years and we are honoured that JCB and TC Harrison JCB have marked the occasion with this event. Our business has grown and expanded over the last 60 years with their help and support along the way, and long may the partnership continue.
“We are absolutely amazed with this special new machine. Our very first JCB excavator was a JCB 6 with red undercarriage, red bucket and white cab and carried my mother’s name – Mary. So with this styling we’re bringing a little bit of history back.
“We first bought a 220X when it was launched and we have continued to buy them since. The operators love them. They love the comfort and the size of the cab and we’ve had very, very good reliability over the time we’ve had X Series models. We would recommend them to anybody.”
