The well-known Gradall excavator traces its roots back to the start of the 1940s. During this time, the second World War had caused a scarcity of laborers because nearly all of the young men went away to war. This decline in the work force brought a huge need for the delicate work of finishing and grading highway projects.
Ferwerda-Werba-Ferwerda was a Cleveland, Ohio based construction business that faced this particular problem first hand. Ray and Koop Ferwerda were brothers who had moved from the Netherlands. They were partners in the firm which had become among the major highway contractors in the state of Ohio. The Ferwerdas' started to make a machinery which would save both their livelihoods and their business by inventing a model which would perform what had previously been manual slope work. This creation was to offset the gap left in the workplace when so many men had joined the military.
The brothers initially created an apparatus that had 2 beams set on a rotating platform, that was connected on top of a used truck. They utilized a telescopic cylinder in order to move the beams in and out. This allowed 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 create more strength. Then, they added a tilt cylinder that allowed the boom to turn forty-five degrees in either direction. This new unit can be outfitted with either a blade or a bucket 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 a lot of work to be finished.
Many digging buckets were introduced to 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 that was also offered.