Jingong: 45 Years of Chinese Quality from Jinjiang

Most buyers know SANY, XCMG and LiuGong. Far fewer know the Chinese loader maker that has been building machines in Fujian since 1979, that produced China first forklift loader, and that now partners with a Fortune Global 500 company and leads the country electric loader shift. The jingong history and rise is one of the most quietly impressive stories in Chinese construction machinery — and it explains why Jingong loaders now work on five continents.

The jingong history and rise begins in a forging workshop (1979-1993)

In 1979, chairman Ke Zijiang started his first business in Jinjiang, a coastal county in Fujian Province. Seven years later, in 1986, he established the Andong Machinery Forging Plant — the company formal entry into machinery manufacturing. Forging gave Jingong early mastery of the heavy steel components every loader depends on: axles, brackets, buckets and pins.

The breakthrough came in 1993, when Jingong founded the Jinjiang Construction Machinery Factory and rolled its first wheel loader off the line. In the same year, the in-house Dual Variable Assembly — the transmission and torque converter, the two most demanding drivetrain parts — won the Fujian Provincial Famous Quality Product award. Making that critical assembly internally, rather than buying it in, became a lasting source of cost control and reliability.

A modern company, excavators, and China first forklift loader (2004-2017)

Jingong incorporated as Fujian Jingong Machinery Co., Ltd. in 2004, moving to a modern corporate structure. In 2006 the first excavator left the line, expanding the company beyond wheel loaders. Then in 2007 Jingong launched what it says was China first forklift loader — a machine combining wheel loader loading power with forklift lifting function. That niche product later became a national champion: in 2021, the forklift loader was named a China Manufacturing Single Champion Product by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

Scale followed. By 2014 the company had reached an annual production capacity of 1,000 wheel loaders and 5,000 forklift loaders, and its ZL50-class machines consistently ranked among the top ten in Chinese loader sales. In 2017 a new Jiangsu production base came online, the direct predecessor of the new-energy arm that would follow.

The Hyundai partnership: proof of international-standard quality (2018)

In 2018, Jingong signed a global strategic cooperation agreement with Hyundai Construction Equipment of South Korea, a Fortune Global 500 company. For an international brand to pick a Chinese partner for production cooperation, the partner has to meet global quality, process and delivery standards. That single relationship is the strongest external confirmation of the jingong history and rise: this is a factory trusted to build for one of the world best-known construction equipment brands.

Sources: JGM official development history · Fujian Provincial Development and Reform Commission · Jingong Machinery official site

The electric pivot: from diesel loaders to green energy pioneer (2021-2024)

Jingong started its new-energy program in early 2020, launched the first prototype by the end of that year, and began volume production in 2021 — early by Chinese industry standards. The JGM new-energy brand was founded in 2021, and the Jinjiang New Energy Industry Conference that December unveiled a full electric line-up.

What followed reads like a record book: the industry first 6-ton electric loader (2022), the world first 32-ton electric forklift loader (2022), the world first 33-ton unmanned electric road roller (2022), and in 2023 the first battery-swappable loader, a series hybrid loader, and a 12-ton electric wheel excavator. The flagship JGM857E electric loader earned the Fujian First-Set Major Technical Equipment certification in January 2022, and the JGM860E was named one of the industry top ten most-watched products in 2023. Today Jingong is the only new-energy construction machinery OEM invested by State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC), one of China big five power groups — a strategic backer that brings charging, battery-swap and recycling networks into the same ecosystem.

That record is built on five in-house technology pillars — triboelectric (battery-motor-control) system integration, self-developed electronic control with a 121-pin LVCU controller, a dedicated high-speed two-speed electric drive powertrain, automatic battery-swap stations that complete a swap in 5-6 minutes, and an intelligent driving platform already deployed on unmanned loaders, rollers and mining trucks. The jingong history and rise has become a story of software-defined construction machinery as much as steel.

The hidden factory advantage

Here is what most buyers never realize: Jingong is a specialized manufacturer, not a marketing company. It does not carry the advertising budgets or the brand premium of the top-tier names, but it shares the same global supply chain — Weichai and Cummins engines, Rexroth and Kawasaki hydraulics, the same steel grades. The factory produces its own dual variable assemblies, and it has proven itself to Hyundai, one of the most demanding customers in the industry.

The result is honest pricing. A 5-ton Jingong wheel loader such as the JGM757M starts from $37,800+ FOB, and the 3-ton ZL30F class starts from $11,800+, typically 15-25% below equivalent models from the first-tier Chinese brands — for a machine built by the same kind of factory, on the same supply chain. Electric models, including the JGM857ES and JGM816E, carry similar value positioning.

Parts and after-sales: the Jingong advantage

A large installed base and decades of exports mean Jingong parts are never hard to find. As an authorized Jingong dealer, Shanxi Yongle (CMPartsCN) has served loader and excavator owners for more than 20 years, stocking genuine Jingong parts — filters, bucket teeth, cutting edges, hydraulic components and drivetrain parts — in a 2,000 sqm warehouse and shipping worldwide. Need a part today? We quote and dispatch fast, and if you buy a Jingong machine anywhere, parts support stays one email away. For the electric range, we also supply and support JGM857ES, JGM816E and JGM912EV units for export.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Jingong a reliable loader brand?

Yes. Jingong has built construction machinery since 1979, produced its first loader in 1993, and in 2018 became a global strategic production partner of Hyundai Construction Equipment — a level of quality vetting few Chinese factories pass. Its machines are certified to national standards and exported to more than 50 countries.

How does Jingong quality compare with SANY, XCMG and LiuGong?

All four brands operate on the same global component supply chain. The jingong history and rise shows a factory that invested early in in-house drivetrain production and later in new-energy technology, so its machines are comparable to the first-tier brands at a lower price — usually 15-25% below for equivalent specifications.

Is Jingong really an electric loader leader?

By track record, yes. Jingong produced the industry first 6-ton electric loader, the world first 32-ton electric forklift loader and the world first 33-ton unmanned electric roller, and it is the only new-energy construction machinery OEM invested by SPIC, one of China five largest power groups.

Are Jingong parts easy to find outside China?

Generally yes. Jingong exports to more than 50 countries, and independent suppliers such as Shanxi Yongle stock genuine parts for common models and ship worldwide, so lead times are usually days rather than months.

How much does a Jingong wheel loader cost?

A 5-ton JGM757M starts from $37,800+ FOB and a 3-ton ZL30F from $11,800+, with pricing varying by configuration and options such as CE certification. Prices fluctuate with material costs, so always ask for a current quote.

Why does Jingong build the same machines as Hyundai?

Because Hyundai selected Jingong as a global strategic production partner in 2018. Brands routinely source machines and components from specialized Chinese factories; Jingong is one of those factories, which is exactly why you can buy the same quality level without paying the brand premium.

What does Shanxi Yongle offer as the authorized Jingong dealer?

We supply genuine Jingong machines — diesel and electric loaders, forklift loaders and electric excavators — plus genuine parts, fast quotes and export documentation. With a 2,000 sqm warehouse and more than 20 years in the industry, we support Jingong owners in China and overseas. See our July 2026 loader sales analysis for the market context, or email donald@cmpartscn.com for current prices and availability.

Final verdict

From a 1979 forging workshop in Jinjiang to Hyundai production partner and electric loader pioneer, the jingong history and rise is the classic story of Chinese manufacturing done right: deep component capability, patient scaling and early bet on electrification. If you want a loader or electric machine with first-tier quality DNA and honest factory-direct pricing, Jingong deserves a place on your shortlist.

Compare Jingong against the full field in our Top Chinese Wheel Loader Brands 2026 ranking and our electric construction machinery ranking, or email donald@cmpartscn.com for current prices and genuine Jingong parts.