Gradall began making its well-known excavator during the 1940's, during a time wherein World War II had caused a shortage of workers. 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 faced this specific problem first hand. Two brothers, Koop and Ray Ferwerda had relocated to the USA from the Netherlands. They were partners in the business which had become one of the leading highway contractors in the state of Ohio. The Ferwerdas' set out to make a machine which will save both their business and their livelihoods by inventing a model that would carry out what had previously been manual slope work. This creation was to offset the gap left in the worksite when so many men had joined the military.
The first apparatus these brothers invented had 2 beams set on a rotating platform and was connected directly onto the top of a truck. They used a telescopic cylinder to move the beams out and in. This allowed the attached blade at the end of the beams to pull or push dirt.
After a short time, the Ferwerda brothers improved on their first design. They made a triangular boom to create more strength. Next, they added a tilt cylinder that enabled the boom to rotate forty-five 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 a lot of work to be completed.
Not a long time after, numerous digging buckets became available on the market. These buckets came in 15 inch, 24 inch, 36 inch and 60 inch sizes. There was also a 47 inch heavy-duty pavement removal bucket that was also available.