George Bamford to become JCB joint chairman in October

JCB said George Bamford will become joint chairman alongside his father, Anthony Bamford, from the start of October, marking a leadership change at the family-owned construction and agricultural equipment maker as it reports lower profit, revenue and machine sales for 2025. The appointment places George Bamford alongside his father, who has chaired the company since 1975. JCB announced the move as it outlined investment in facilities in Staffordshire and Texas. The reports do not specify whether the joint chairmanship will bring changes to the company’s strategy or divide responsibilities between the two chairmen. JCB reported pretax profit of £642 million for 2025, compared with £687.3 million in 2024. Turnover fell to £5.7 billion from £5.8 billion, and the company said it sold 113,498 machines, 5.2% fewer than a year earlier. Those figures are company-reported results, and the available information does not include underlying filings or independent verification. Chief executive Graeme Macdonald described 2025 as a more challenging year, citing mixed conditions across markets.