MOLINE, Ill. — Deere & Company is expanding manufacturing capacity in Waterloo, Iowa, of its large, high- horsepower tractors.
Deere announced Aug. 28 the new initiative will invest approximately $97 million in core areas, such as the Waterloo foundry, engine, and drive train operations.
An addition of an estimated 103,000 square feet will be added to the drive train operation in Waterloo and part of the total investment will be spent on improvements at a John Deere plant in Coffeyville, Kan., where Deere builds transmissions and other drive train components.
Building boom
The project is in addition to the investment of approximately $90 million that Deere had announced in February to increase manufacturing capacity at the Waterloo Operations.
In combination, the projects will increase John Deere’s manufacturing capacity to build high horsepower tractors in Waterloo by about 40 percent and increase capacity for other tractor components and service parts.
The company said both projects are expected to be complete by early 2010.
Tractors built in Waterloo are exported to more than 130 countries.
S. American expansion
The company also announced it will invest approximately $80 million in its agricultural manufacturing and parts distribution operations in Brazil to increase manufacturing capacity for both tractors and combines.
The company said the investments were being made in its combine and planter factory in Horizontina, its tractor factory in Montenegro, and for the development of a new parts distribution center in Campinas.
The investments will allow Deere to increase manufacturing capacity by approximately 35 percent in its Horizontina and Montenegro factories.
The projects also include creation of a parts distribution center.
All projects are expected to be substantially complete in 2009.
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