Gradall began making its well-known excavator during the 1940's, during a time in which the second World War had caused a scarcity of workers. This decrease in the work force brought a huge demand for the delicate work of finishing and grading highway projects.
A Cleveland, Ohio construction company referred to as Ferwerda-Werba-Ferwerda experienced this specific problem first hand. Two brothers, Ray and Koop Ferwerda had moved to the USA from the Netherlands. They were partners in the business which had become amongst the leading highway contractors in the state of Ohio. The Ferwerdas' started to build a machinery that would save both their business and their livelihoods by making a unit which will do what had previously been manual slope work. This creation was to offset the gap left in the workplace when so many men had joined the military.
The brothers initially created an apparatus which had 2 beams set on a rotating platform, which was attached on top of a second-hand 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 push or pull dirt.
After a short time, the Ferwerda brothers improved on their initial design. They made a triangular boom to produce more power. Next, they added a tilt cylinder that enabled the boom to turn forty-five 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 done.
Numerous digging buckets were introduced to the market not long later. These buckets in sizes ranging from 15 inch, 24 inch, 36 inch and 60 inch buckets. There was additionally a 47 inch heavy-duty pavement removal bucket that was available as well.