On the evening of Thursday, Oct. 14, more than 250 customers and dealers arrived at JCB’s North American Headquarters in Savannah, GA, to kick off the manufacturer’s 2004 Savannah Summit, which opened up the following morning.

JCB representatives started off the day with two big company announcements: the arrival of the the Compact and Utility Division in North America as well as the manufacturing of two models of the Robot skid steer loaders at the Savannah plant.

During the morning’s presentation, Gordon Henderson, JCB’s vice president of sales, said, “JCB is a total package of products and services.”

His statement was proven true with the introduction of the new JCB mini-CX backhoe loader; the 524-50 and 527 Loadall telescopic handlers; the 8080 ZTS Midi zero-tailswing excavator; and the JCB 722 articulated truck.

After the presentation, JCB offered tours of the manufacturing facility –– and a demonstration of the machines at work at a nearby quarry, where the complete JCB construction equipment line was demonstrated by product managers as well as the product demonstration team. Soon after, guests got to join in and operate the machines for themselves.

The 2004 JCB Savannah Summit wrapped up Friday night with a Gala Dinner at the privately owned Jepson Hangar, which sits adjacent to the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport. Inside the hangar, JCB displayed a pair of vintage P51 aircraft and live music filled the air, as guests chowed down on a large dinner spread and enjoyed a huge serving of southern hospitality.

During dinner, JCB held two drawings: one with eight grand prizes of a trip to the United Kingdom to tour JCB’s main facility (and to do a bit of sightseeing).

The second was a raffle for a JCB Micro, in which $3,250 was raised in benefit of the Dig Deep For Children charity. Dig Deep For Children was founded by Lady Bamford to aid underprivileged children in the world. Mark Dunsford, of Dunsford Landscaping, took home the Micro.

All in all, the event was a success. “Savannah Summit had the same feeling to it as if the Bamford family had invited guests to their home –– great conversations, exchanges of views, some machines sold, but above all, friends were made,” said Henderson. “It was a wonderful occasion.”

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