The company was founded in 1963 by James Christopher Balls, Jim to all who know him, when he became an owner driver of a JCB 3 machine. Two years later in 1965 he purchased a second machine and employed his first operative.

Over the following years the company grow in size and strength resulting in larger premises being purchased in 1978. Further expansion led to the purchase of the old railway yard at Ambergate in 1983 which is still home to the company. It now boasts purpose built offices and workshops as well as parking for the lorry fleet and vintage plant collection.

From the initial plant hire business that Jim established he started to branch out into contract earthworks of varying size. This in turn resulted in the company expanding into transport and haulage, with the purchase of a low loader to move plant around and tipper lorries to move the muck around. 

By the Late nineties materials recycling was beginning to become established within the industry. This led to the company looking for land on which to establish its own recycling operation. Eventually land was purchased and our recycling facility established at Cotes Park near Alfreton. This now handles over 60,000tn per annum of waste material that is processed into usable aggregates.

Now with a plant and lorry fleet of over 50 machines and a skilled workforce to match JC Balls is the number 1 plant hire and contracting business in the East Midlands.