Gradall started producing its famous excavator in the 1940's, during a time in which WWII had created a shortage 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 business referred to as Ferwerda-Werba-Ferwerda faced this particular dilemma first hand. Two brothers, Ray and Koop Ferwerda had moved to the United States from the Netherlands. They were partners in the company which had become one of the major highway contractors in the state of Ohio. The Ferwerdas' started to make an equipment that would save both their business and their livelihoods by inventing a unit which will perform what had previously been manual slope work. This invention was to offset the gap left in the worksite when so many men had joined the army.
The brothers initially created an apparatus that had 2 beams set on a rotating platform, that was fixed on top of a used truck. They utilized a telescopic cylinder to move the beams in and out. This enabled the fixed 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 that enabled the boom to turn 45 degrees in either direction. This new unit could be equipped 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 much work to be completed.
Numerous digging buckets became available on the market not long later. These buckets in sizes ranging from 15 inch, 24 inch, 36 inch and 60 inch buckets. There was also a 47 inch heavy-duty pavement removal bucket that was available too.