JCB broke ground on a new $500 million factory in San Antonio, Texas—the biggest investment in the company’s history.

Work is now underway on the 720,000-square-foot factory on the 400-acre site. It will be the company’s second-largest plant, rivaled only by JCB’s world headquarters in Rocester, Staffordshire, England, and create 1,500 new jobs over five years. The factory will make Loadall telescopic handlers and aerial access equipment, with production scheduled to start in 2026. The factory will also be able to expand and build other products in the future. The factory is located at 3744 SE Loop 410 Acc Rd., on the east side of town.

JCB sold its first machine in North America in 1964 and opened its first US manufacturing plant in 2001 in Savannah, Georgia, which employs 1,000 people. The new facility will manufacture machines for customers specifically in North America.

JCB employs 19,000 people globally and has 22 factories, including 11 in the UK, seven in India, and others in Brazil and China. The company will mark its 80th anniversary in 2025.