The well-known Gradall excavator traces its roots back to the beginning of the 1940s. During this time, World War II had caused a shortage of workers as most of the young men went away to war. This decline in the work force brought a huge demand for the delicate work of grading and finishing highway projects.
A Cleveland, Ohio construction company known as Ferwerda-Werba-Ferwerda experienced this particular dilemma first hand. Two brothers, Koop and Ray Ferwerda had relocated to the United States from the Netherlands. They were partners in the firm which had become one of the major highway contractors in the state of Ohio. The Ferwerdas' started to make an equipment that will save both their livelihoods and their business by inventing a unit that would perform what had previously been physical slope work. This creation was to offset the gap left in the workplace when lots of men had joined the army.
The brothers initially created an apparatus that had 2 beams set on a rotating platform, that was attached on top of a used truck. They used a telescopic cylinder to move the beams out and in. This enabled the connected blade at the end of the beams to push or pull dirt.
After a short time, the Ferwerda brothers improved on their initial design. They made a triangular boom to produce more strength. Next, they added a tilt cylinder that allowed the boom to rotate forty-five degrees in either direction. This new unit can be equipped with either a bucket or a blade and the attachment movement was made possible by placing a cylinder at the rear of the boom. This design powered a long push rod and allowed much work to be completed.
Many digging buckets became available on the market not long after. These buckets in sizes ranging from 15 inch, 24 inch, 36 inch and 60 inch buckets. There was additionally a 47 inch heavy-duty pavement removal bucket which was offered as well.