Gradall began producing its well-known excavator during the 1940's, during a time in which World War II had caused a scarcity of workers. This decrease in the work force brought a huge demand 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, Koop and Ray Ferwerda had moved to the United States from the Netherlands. They were partners in the firm that had become amongst the leading highway contractors in the state of Ohio. The Ferwerdas' started to make an equipment which would save their livelihoods and their business by inventing a unit which will do what had before 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 created an apparatus that had 2 beams set on a rotating platform, which was connected on top of a used truck. They used 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.
The Ferwerda brothers improved on their initial design by making a triangular boom to produce more strength. Next, they added a tilt cylinder that enabled the boom to rotate forty-five degrees in either direction. This new unit could be equipped with either a bucket or a blade 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 a lot of work to be done.
Many digging buckets became available on the market not long later. These buckets in sizes varying from 15 inch, 24 inch, 36 inch and 60 inch buckets. There was also a 47 inch heavy-duty pavement removal bucket which was also available.