BusinessThursday, November 5
John Deere will close its Ottumwa and Clarion plants and move small planter work out of Moline
The Daily Davenport team
If you work at or near Deere's Moline plants, here's what changed Wednesday. John Deere announced plans to close two Iowa plants, Ottumwa Works and the Hagie factory in Clarion, as part of a U.S. restructuring. Deere says the changes would affect about 300 workers at normal production volumes, though plants are running far below that because of the ag downturn.
Deere's restructuring would close two Iowa plants
- 2
- Iowa plants set to close, in Ottumwa and Clarion
- About 300
- workers affected at normal production volumes, Deere says
Sources: Quad Cities Business Journal, KGAN
Closer to home, small planter production will move from John Deere Seeding in Moline to Paton, Iowa, in fiscal 2027. Deere's Deanna Kovar said the impact will be minimal.
“We don't expect it to be a large number of employees. Most of it will be handled through natural attrition so no one is going to receive a notification [that they're] moving as part of that announcement.”
- Support could include transfers, retraining, relocation and severance
- Deere will look for future uses for the Ottumwa and Clarion sites
- UAW contract: the current deal expires in 2027
Deere's production moves run through fiscal 2029
- FY 2027Windrowers to move from Ottumwa Works to Des Moines Works by fiscal year's end.
- FY 2027Small planters to move from Moline to Paton, Iowa.
- FY 2028Round balers planned to move to Ankeny by fiscal year's end.
- FY 2028Hagie STS sprayer production to begin moving from Clarion to Thibodaux, Louisiana.
- FY 2029Manufacturing at the Clarion factory to end by fiscal year's end.
Sources: Quad Cities Business Journal, KGAN, OurQuadCities
Sources: Quad Cities Business Journal, KGAN, OurQuadCities, KWQC