Deere & Company

Deere & Company (NYSE: DE) stands as an iconic American corporation and global leader in agricultural, construction, and forestry equipment manufacturing. Headquartered in Moline, Illinois, the 187-year-old company has transformed from John Deere's revolutionary steel plow invention in 1837 into a technology-driven industrial powerhouse generating $51.7 billion in revenue during fiscal year 2024. As the world's largest agricultural machinery manufacturer and third-largest construction equipment maker, John Deere serves farmers, ranchers, landowners, builders, and forestry operators in more than 30 countries worldwide, employing approximately 83,000 people globally.

The company's product portfolio spans the full spectrum of modern agriculture and heavy equipment needs. In agriculture, John Deere produces tractors ranging from compact models to 830-horsepower behemoths, combine harvesters, cotton and sugarcane harvesters, planters, seeders, sprayers, and precision farming technology. The construction and forestry division manufactures excavators, wheel loaders, bulldozers, skidders, harvesters, and related equipment. Beyond hardware, John Deere has emerged as a leader in precision agriculture technology, offering GPS guidance systems, autonomous tractors, data analytics platforms, and AI-powered solutions that optimize yields, reduce resource consumption, and address critical labor shortages facing the agricultural industry.

John Deere's business model operates through four revenue streams established in 2021: Production and Precision Agriculture (the largest segment), Small Agriculture and Turf, Construction and Forestry, and Financial Services. The company's Financial Services division provides financing, leasing, and insurance products that facilitate equipment purchases and strengthen customer relationships. With manufacturing facilities across the United States (including major plants in Iowa, Georgia, and Illinois) and six foreign nations (Argentina, Germany, Mexico, Brazil, India, and China), John Deere maintains a global supply chain and distribution network that ensures product availability and service support worldwide.

Under the leadership of Chairman and CEO John C. May, who took the helm in November 2019, Deere has accelerated its transformation into a technology company that manufactures equipment rather than an equipment company that uses technology. The company invested $2.2 billion in R&D in 2023, focusing heavily on autonomy, robotics, and artificial intelligence. Strategic acquisitions have bolstered digital and precision farming capabilities, while partnerships like the January 2024 agreement with SpaceX bring satellite connectivity to remote farming operations. John Deere's autonomous tractor, developed over 20 years, is now commercially available and operating on select farms, representing the future of agriculture where machines handle time-intensive operations 24/7 without human operators.

Despite facing headwinds in fiscal 2024, with revenue declining 16% to $51.7 billion and net income falling to $7.1 billion from $10.2 billion in the record-breaking fiscal 2023, John Deere maintains strong fundamentals and market leadership. The company's iconic green and yellow color scheme, leaping deer logo (trademarked in 1876), and reputation for quality and durability have built extraordinary brand loyalty spanning generations of farmers and equipment operators. With a market capitalization exceeding $125 billion, robust cash generation, and ongoing investments in next-generation technology, Deere & Company remains positioned to shape the future of agriculture, construction, and forestry for decades to come.