Closer Look: Manufacturing in Ankeny, Iowa

How an Iowa Factory is Shaping the Future of U.S. Manufacturing

John Deere Des Moines Works facility in Ankeny, Iowa

Over 75 years ago, our John Deere Des Moines Works facility in Ankeny, Iowa, transformed a 451-acre ordnance plant into a hub of skilled craftsmanship and innovation.

From the start, Des Moines Works has been at the forefront of advanced manufacturing, rolling out game-changing machines and technologies like the 7760 cotton picker, the first nonstop round module builder and sprayers equipped with See & Spray™, an advanced Precision Ag technology that can distinguish weeds from crops, all aimed at boosting farmer productivity and sustainability.

“The pace of change in manufacturing has accelerated significantly over the past decade,” shared Rosalind Fox, factory manager at Des Moines Works. “We continue to push forward and embrace the changes. We’re able to harness the power of data like never before which allows us to improve our products and our work environment. It’s a win for our customers and our employees.”

Some of the latest investments at Des Moines Works include:

Pioneering See & Spray™ technology

See & Spray™ technology marked the debut of “sense and act” technology in John Deere factories and within the agriculture industry. This innovative AI-driven system can interpret its surroundings by sensing environmental conditions and then acting based on that data. Essentially, it uses advanced sensors to gather information and sophisticated algorithms to make precise decisions.

“This technology has completely transformed the way our customers are able to target weeds in their fields. It has reduced herbicide use by 77% on average, reducing farmers’ input costs and negative environmental effects,” explained Fox.

Sprayer assembly facility expansion

The factory’s large sprayer facility underwent a significant transformation in the last year. With a $40+ million investment, Des Moines Works expanded by 138,000 sq ft, significantly enhancing production and testing capabilities for our See & Spray technology. This upgrade has also improved safety, ergonomics, and quality.

“This investment will boost operational efficiency, streamline processes, and support our future product portfolio, ensuring continued excellence for our customers,” Fox emphasized.

Coordinate Measurement Machine Lab

The factory made a $17 million investment in a new 20,000 sq ft state-of-the-art facility for precision measurements. “This lab will allow us to perform industry leading measurements on our machines to ensure we continue to deliver world-class quality equipment to our customers,” Fox stated.

Production employee internship program

The factory also invests in its production employees by helping them gain new skills and potentially move into salaried positions.

“In a quickly evolving manufacturing environment, employee development is critical to ensuring employees are ready to move into new roles. These internships are one way our production employees can learn and apply new skills as they look to potentially move into salaried positions. These internships also provide a robust structure for production employees to share their depth of experience with salaried teams,” Fox shared.

Giving back

“When it comes to giving back to our communities we have a very wide reach,” explained Fox. “We have employees who volunteer their time on local boards such as Big Brothers Big Sisters and Iowa Jobs for America’s Graduates and I’m proud to say we’ve empowered our employees to volunteer over 10K hours and donate nearly $400K in fiscal year 2024,” shared Fox.

“Being a good neighbor is part of our culture at John Deere. We know that strong communities help equip the next generation of innovators and leaders. We’re proud to be a part of that work.”