John Deere pledges almost $20 billion over the next decade to modernize U.S. factories, empower local communities, and drive homegrown innovation

9 August 2025

John Deere is investing nearly $20 billion in the US over the next decade. AP

At its second‑quarter 2025 earnings call, agricultural and construction machinery giant John Deere unveiled a bold commitment: investing nearly $20 billion over the next ten years in its U.S. operations. The company says these funds will modernize and expand existing factories, develop new ones, and vault forward in innovation to better serve customers in the agriculture and turf sectors.

This sweeping investment reflects both Deere’s confidence in domestic manufacturing and its determination to deepen its roots across more than 60 U.S. locations employing approximately 30,000 people. The company also supports a network of independent dealerships that add another 50,000 jobs to the economic ecosystem. Remarkably, about 80 percent of its U.S. sales stem from domestically made products, showcasing the strength of its American‑made strategy.

Among the specific projects already in motion is a new excavator factory in Kernersville, North Carolina. In Iowa’s Des Moines facility, a $40 million expansion is under way to build advanced “See & Spray” sprayers that use computer vision and artificial intelligence to target weeds more precisely. In Illinois, a roughly $150 million renovation at its East Moline plant will ramp up production of the high‑capacity X9 combines by nearly 45 percent.

Beyond new facilities, John Deere has already injected $100 million into its U.S. factories in 2025 alone, reinforcing its commitment amid ongoing rumors of production slowdowns that he company has publicly dismissed.

John Deere’s leadership underscores the purpose behind the commitment. Cory Reed, president of the Production & Precision Agriculture division, stated that the investment honors the company’s legacy while emphasizing ingenuity rooted in America. The effort aims to solve real-world challenges by enhancing efficiency, safety, automation, and future‑ready technologies like electrification and autonomous systems.

This announcement lands at a pivotal economic moment. Deere, like many manufacturers, has faced persistent pressures from tariffs and supply chain shifts to softening demand among farmers navigating high interest rates and lean crop returns. By doubling down on U.S. manufacturing, the company signals stability for its workforce and communities while doubling down on long-term resilience.

John Deere’s renewed U.S. strategy reverses any implications of shuttering operations. Rather, it confirms its intention to scale, upgrade, and future‑proof its operations. The move also reinforces its identity as a champion of American manufacturing and rural economic empowerment.

Looking ahead, analysts and industry watchers will monitor how these capital allocations translate into tangible improvements in product innovation, production efficiency, and market responsiveness. Whether it’s digital agritech, green mobility, or precision agriculture, the seeds of that future appear to be planted now.