George Bamford to become joint chairman of JCB

George Bamford will become joint chairman of JCB alongside his father, Lord Anthony Bamford, from the start of October, the company said.

Lord Bamford has been chairman of the Staffordshire-based construction and agricultural equipment manufacturer since 1975. He said the move was part of JCB’s next chapter as it invests in its headquarters in Staffordshire, hydrogen technology and a new factory in Texas.

George Bamford, who founded watch brand Bamford Watch Department, will take on the role as JCB develops its new factory in San Antonio. The site is due to open next month and is expected to create 1,500 jobs over the next five years. JCB said the factory would help it avoid tariff costs affecting UK-made products sold in the US.

JCB is also investing £100 million in the transformation of its UK headquarters, including a £60 million fully automated powder paint plant.

The leadership change was announced as JCB reported lower results for 2025. Turnover fell to £5.7 billion from £5.8 billion a year earlier, while pre-tax profits declined to £642 million from £687.3 million. The company sold 113,498 machines during the year, down 5.2% from 2024.

JCB chief executive Graeme Macdonald said 2025 had been a challenging year, citing mixed market conditions, nil market growth in North America and a 12% contraction in India. He said the company had increased its global market share and expected moderate growth in 2026 despite continuing geopolitical uncertainty.