North America’s first-ever construction-themed adventure park will open its doors to the public, Saturday, June 14, 2014. Diggerland USA covers 14 acres of centrally-located land in Camden County (West Berlin), NJ and offers visitors the opportunity to operate heavy machinery from JCB in a safe, family-friendly environment.
JCB to Provide Machines for New Construction Theme Park
“We’re excited to play a role in the development of this unique theme park,” said Thom Peebles, vice president of marketing for JCB North America. “Diggerland USA will provide a whole new group of children and families with the opportunity to gain hands-on experience with heavy equipment in a safe, fun atmosphere. This type of park plays a dual role in both entertaining and educating children who may someday want to turn their experience here into life-long careers in the construction industry.”
After the Diggerland USA gates open at 10:00 AM on Saturday, June 14, visitors will have access to 23 on-site attractions, most of which are comprised of modified JCB heavy construction equipment. The rides have been engineered to allow parents and children to safely dig, drive and ride familiar, real-sized construction equipment.
The decision to build the unique park was made by the owners and senior management of the neighboring indoor and outdoor water park, Sahara Sam’s Oasis, who leveraged the blueprint set forth by the four Diggerland parks in the United Kingdom. “The opportunity to take the concept of a construction theme park and make it our own was very exciting for us,” said Ilya Girlya, CEO of Sahara Sam’s and Diggerland USA.
The Girlya family owns and operates SAMBE General Contracting, which is overseeing the construction of Diggerland USA. “My family has a very personal connection to the project, just as we did with Sahara Sam’s five years ago,” Girlya said. “Construction has been in my family for many years so it was a natural fit for us to build a construction theme park.”
Plans for Diggerland USA were officially unveiled in January. Since then, the park has seen significant progress, particularly this month. Local residents driving down Cooper Road can now see the black-and-yellow Diggerland USA sign with attractions and indoor facilities spanning the landscape behind it.
More notably, however, were the ride equipment deliveries received over the past two weeks that ensure the final touches to the park are completed in time for the grand opening in 40 days.
“Six months ago we returned from the United Kingdom and concurred that this was a project that would be a huge success,” said Chris Peters, director of PR and marketing. “The pace at which this park has come together is unheard of. It’s been a remarkable experience working with this team, our partners in the UK, and a 5-star global equipment manufacturer like JCB.”
