A John Deere Publication
The Smithsonian has an authentic 1837 John Deere steel plow at the National Museum of American History in Washington D.C. A replica is on display at the John Deere Historic Site in Grand Detour, Illinois.
Agriculture April 01, 2026
Building America Since 1837
Nearly 200 years of American machinery manufacturing.
John Deere, an American blacksmith and inventor, founded our company in 1837 in Grand Detour, Illinois. We're proud to have helped build America over the past two centuries by supporting farmers, ranchers, and construction crews—equipping them to feed, clothe, pave, plant, grow, harvest, and build our country from the ground up. Literally.
John Deere is the largest U.S. manufacturer of ag machinery. Our U.S. economic impact is valued at $25 billion through the equipment our employees design and assemble, the supplies we source from American companies, and the impact our employees have on our hometowns.
John Deere also invests in our American workers. Our workforce development and apprenticeship programs provide on-the-job training, mentorship, career opportunities and veteran programs to advance the future of U.S. manufacturing.
Today, nearly 30,000 John Deere employees across over 60 U.S. factory and office locations in over 15 states innovate and deliver equipment solutions for farmers, ranchers, construction crews, landscapers, and more.
And we're investing in the future, too. At Harvester Works in East Moline, Illinois, we invested $149 million to renovate 385,000 square feet, introducing advanced equipment to produce the John Deere X9 combine. We expanded our large sprayer assembly at Des Moines Works in Ankeny, Iowa, by 138,000 square feet with a $40+ million investment, enhancing assembly and testing for John Deere See & Spray™ technology. And in Moline, Illinois, John Deere Seeding invested $60 million to modernize workspaces and visitor experiences and build a new row unit product line.
We look forward to carrying forward our founder's legacy of ingenuity as we continue building—and investing in—America. We were born here, and we're here to stay. ‡
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