Gradall began making its famous excavator in the 1940's, during a time in which WWII had created a scarcity of laborers. This decrease in the work force brought a huge need for the delicate work of finishing and grading highway projects.
A Cleveland, Ohio construction company referred to as Ferwerda-Werba-Ferwerda faced this particular problem first hand. Two brothers, Koop and Ray Ferwerda had relocated to the United States from the Netherlands. They were partners in the firm that had become amongst the leading highway contractors within Ohio. The Ferwerdas' set out to build a machine which will save their company and their livelihoods by making a unit that will do what had before been physical slope work. This invention was to offset the gap left in the worksite when so many men had joined the army.
The first apparatus these brothers created had 2 beams set on a rotating platform and was attached directly onto the top of a truck. They utilized a telescopic cylinder to move the beams out and in. This enabled the attached blade at the end of the beams to pull or push dirt.
After a short time, the Ferwerda brothers improved on their first design. They made a triangular boom to produce more power. After that, they added a tilt cylinder which enabled the boom to rotate 45 degrees in either direction. This new model could be outfitted 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 a lot of work to be finished.
Numerous digging buckets were introduced to the market not long later. These buckets in sizes varying from 15 inch, 24 inch, 36 inch and 60 inch buckets. There was also a 47 inch heavy-duty pavement removal bucket which was available as well.