Gradall began making its famous excavator during the 1940's, during a time in which World War II had caused a scarcity of workers. This decrease in the labor 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 relocated from the Netherlands. They were partners in the company which had become among the leading highway contractors within Ohio. The Ferwerdas' started to make an equipment that will save their company and their livelihoods by making a unit that would do what had previously been physical slope work. This creation 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 connected directly onto the top of a truck. They utilized a telescopic cylinder to be able to move the beams out and in. This enabled the fixed 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 power. After that, they added a tilt cylinder which allowed the boom to turn forty-five degrees in either direction. This new unit can 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 much work to be finished.
Not a long time after, many digging buckets were introduced on the market. These buckets came in 15 inch, 24 inch, 36 inch and 60 inch sizes. There was also a 47 inch heavy-duty pavement removal bucket which was available as well.