To celebrate its heritage as the inventor of the original backhoe loader, global construction equipment manufacturer JCB kicked off a demonstration tour of its high-speed military backhoe loader Friday at its North American headquarters in Pooler.
Designed and built by JCB in its Pooler manufacturing facility here, the High Mobility Engineer Excavator — or HMEE — is a fully armored, 16-ton, backhoe loader capable of speeds up to 60 miles per hour.
Friday’s demonstration focused on the HMEE’s speed and and ability to maneuver that make it valuable in battlefield conditions.
At each tour stop, JCB will collect signatures on its “Show Your Support” banner to raise money for the Lone Survivor Foundation, an organization dedicated to the recovery and healing of wounded American service members and their families.
Joining the HMEE on tour will be JCB’s new commercial-purposed 3CX backhoe loader.
“Being selected by the U.S. Military to build a backhoe loader that will stand up to battlefield conditions and get the job done is an honor,” said Thom Peebles, JCB’s vice president of marketing. “Being able to support the Lone Survivor Foundation through our HMEE and New JCB 3CX Road Show is a privilege.
“We are proud to team up with an organization that is working diligently to support service members and their families in their transition back to civilian life.”
The Lone Survivor Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2010 by Marcus Luttrell, author of the 2007 best-selling book “Lone Survivor.
ABOUT JCB
The world’s third largest construction equipment brand, JCB, has 22 plants on four continents and employs more than 10,000 people worldwide. JCB manufactures more than 300 different machines.
Pooler is home to the company’s North American headquarters.