Continued global growth has seen the British machinery giant, JCB achieve record sales and turnover for 2017.

Figures from the Staffordshire-based agricultural machinery maker revealed sales turnover increased by just shy of 28% last year to £3.35bn against £2.62bn in 2016, while machine sales improved from 66,011 to 75,693.

The market rebound has continued into 2018 too, with JCB production levels on a global basis rising to a record breaking 500 machines per day.

Graeme Macdonald, chief executive of JCB said: “2017 was a very strong year for JCB during which we outpaced the market and set new sales records.

“While the global market grew by over 21% last year, JCB’s sales increased by almost 28%. This growth drove demand across all of JCB’s product ranges, in particular for Loadall telescopic handlers, where we are now investing in increased global production capacity.”

JCB chairman, Lord Bamford added: “Employment levels across our plants are also at record highs and we now employ more than 15,000 people. In the UK alone we have recruited almost 1100 people this year, which is superb news for JCB and great news for British manufacturing.”

The machinery giant has 22 factories around the world, including 11 in the UK, which employs 7600 people.

The company is also investing £50m in a new British plant to manufacture cabs for its machines in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, which will open next year.