Gradall started producing its well-known excavator during the 1940's, during a time in which World War II had caused a shortage of workers. This decline in the work force brought a huge need for the delicate work of grading and finishing highway projects.
A Cleveland, Ohio construction company known as Ferwerda-Werba-Ferwerda faced this particular problem first hand. Two brothers, Ray and Koop Ferwerda had moved to the USA from the Netherlands. They were partners in the business that had become one of the major highway contractors in the state of Ohio. The Ferwerdas' set out to build an equipment which would save both their livelihoods and their business by making a model which will carry out what had previously been physical slope work. This creation was to offset the gap left in the worksite when so many men had joined the military.
The brothers first invented a device that had 2 beams set on a rotating platform, which was connected on top of a second-hand truck. They utilized 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.
The Ferwerda brothers improved on their first design by making a triangular boom to create more strength. Next, they added a tilt cylinder that enabled the boom to rotate 45 degrees in either direction. This new model can be equipped 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 done.
Not a long time later, 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 available too.