The King visits Staffordshire

In Staffordshire, The King began his day celebrating the eightieth anniversary of JCB, meeting employees and apprentices on the factory floor.

Founded in 1945, JCB is the world’s third largest construction equipment company by volume, with twenty-two plants on four continents, and employs 7,500 people in the United Kingdom.

During the visit, His Majesty walked the backhoe loader assembly line, viewing the wheels of the backhoe digger being fitted.

Earlier this year JCB celebrated the production of its one millionth backhoe loader, a machine that was invented by JCB’s founder, the late Joseph Cyril Bamford CBE. The backhoe is claimed to have changed the world, replacing ‘the man with a shovel’.

In the factory, The King had the opportunity to meet apprentices, long serving employees and their families along the route. JCB places a strong emphasis on apprentices, ever since the recruitment of its first apprentices in 1964.

In the company’s Innovation Centre, The King was shown JCB’s recently developed hydrogen-powered machine. JCB is the first construction equipment company to develop a working combustion engine, fuelled by hydrogen, developed by 150 engineers.

As Prince of Wales, The King visited JCB in 1977 and, in 2011, opened the JCB Academy. Earlier this year, JCB was granted a Royal Warrant.

Following this, The King visited Tower Brewery, an independent, family run small brewery which has been in the local area for 24 years.

In 2001, John Mills established the Tower Brewery, continuing the long tradition of brewing in Burton Upon Trent. His Majesty toured the brewery, which hosts events for the local community and learnt more about the process of producing ales.

The building is a renovated water tower, built in the 1870s by Thomas Salt & Co. John Mills converted the building and returned it to its former heritage. He started production on 10th April 2001 and since then has created award winning beers and received a Civic Society Award for the restoration of the building.

During His Majesty's visit, The King opened the brewing steam hatch, which demonstrates the gravity-fed brewing process. Aided by the height of the tower, it uses gravity to feed the Grist Case and supply the water pressure.