Gradall started making its famous excavator in the 1940's, during a time in which the second World War had created a shortage of workers. This decline in the work force brought a huge need for the delicate work of finishing and grading highway projects.
A Cleveland, Ohio construction business known as Ferwerda-Werba-Ferwerda experienced this particular dilemma first hand. Two brothers, Ray and Koop Ferwerda had relocated to the United States from the Netherlands. They were partners in the firm which had become among the major highway contractors in Ohio. The Ferwerdas' set out to make an equipment that will save both their livelihoods and their business by making a model which would perform what had previously been physical slope work. This creation was to offset the gap left in the worksite when a lot of men had joined the military.
The brothers initially invented a device which had 2 beams set on a rotating platform, which was fixed on top of a second-hand truck. They used a telescopic cylinder to be able to move the beams in and out. This allowed the connected blade at the end of the beams to push or pull dirt.
After a short time, the Ferwerda brothers improved on their first design. They made a triangular boom to create more strength. Then, they added a tilt cylinder that allowed the boom to turn 45 degrees in either direction. This new unit could be outfitted with either a blade or a bucket and the attachment movement was made possible by placing a cylinder at the back of the boom. This design powered a long push rod and allowed much work to be completed.
Not a long time after, many digging buckets became available on the market. These buckets came in 15 inch, 24 inch, 36 inch and 60 inch sizes. There was additionally a 47 inch heavy-duty pavement removal bucket which was also available.