Gradall began making its famous excavator during the 1940's, during a time in which World War II had created a shortage of laborers. This decrease in the labor force brought a huge need 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 relocated to the USA from the Netherlands. They were partners in the company which had become amongst the major highway contractors in Ohio. The Ferwerdas' started to build an equipment that would save both their business and their livelihoods by inventing a unit that would carry out what had before been physical slope work. This creation was to offset the gap left in the workplace when so many men had joined the military.
The initial device 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 allowed the fixed blade at the end of the beams to push or pull dirt.
The Ferwerda brothers improved on their initial design by making a triangular boom to produce more strength. After that, they added a tilt cylinder that enabled the boom to rotate 45 degrees in either direction. This new unit can be equipped 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 done.
Many digging buckets became available on the market not long after. These buckets in sizes varying from 15 inch, 24 inch, 36 inch and 60 inch buckets. There was additionally a 47 inch heavy-duty pavement removal bucket which was offered too.