According to an Oct. 13 report from SeekingAlpha, Deere is expanding its factory in Thibodaux, La., and adding 70 jobs.
“This investment by Deere & Company demonstrates not only the strength of Louisiana’s manufacturing sector, but the resilience and recovery of the Bayou Region,” Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said in prepared remarks.
The report stated Deere would produce "medium-chassis cotton harvesters to replace models currently built in China." Deere plans to begin building the harvesters in the Thibodaux facility within the next 2 years and have full capacity production by 2025. The Thibodaux facility is currently a design center for sugar harvesting and earth-moving equipment and produces some ag and construction equipment.
The decision to move cotton harvesting equipment isn't Deere's only recent move in the Chinese market. According to SEC filings, Deere had also closed a factory in China in 2020 that produced small ag equipment, then sold the factory for a $27 million pretax gain in 2021.
