# Deere & Company **Source:** https://geo.sig.ai/brands/deere-company **Vertical:** Manufacturing **Subcategory:** Enterprise **Tier:** Leader **Website:** deere.com **Last Updated:** 2026-04-14 ## Summary World's largest ag equipment maker; $51.7B FY2024 revenue (down-cycle from $61.3B peak); See & Spray AI herbicide tech; autonomous tractor development; competes with CNH and AGCO. ## Company Overview Deere & Company is the world's leading manufacturer of agricultural machinery and precision farming technology, founded in 1837 when blacksmith John Deere invented the self-scouring steel plow in Grand Detour, Illinois, and now headquartered in Moline, Illinois. The company trades on NYSE (DE) and reported approximately $51.7 billion in net sales for fiscal year 2024 (ending October 31), a significant decline from the record $61.3 billion in FY2023 as the agricultural equipment cycle normalized from pandemic-era farm income highs. Under CEO John May, Deere has articulated a "Smart Industrial" strategy transforming the company from a hardware manufacturer into a technology and outcomes-as-a-service platform, integrating precision GPS, machine learning, and automation into every major product line. Deere's three operating segments are Production & Precision Agriculture (large tractors, combines, planters), Small Agriculture & Turf (utility tractors, lawn equipment), and Construction & Forestry (excavators, motor graders, forestry machines). The precision agriculture portfolio—See & Spray technology that uses AI computer vision to detect and spray only weeds rather than blanketing fields, ExactEmerge high-speed planters, and autonomous tractor guidance—creates a technology subscription model where Deere earns recurring software revenue above equipment sales. The 2024 launch of fully autonomous electric tractor prototypes and ongoing development of fully autonomous combines demonstrate the company's long-term software and AI ambitions in field operations. In 2025-2026, Deere faces a pronounced farm equipment down-cycle driven by lower commodity prices (corn, soybeans, wheat) following exceptional 2021-2023 farm income years, high dealer inventories requiring normalization, and reduced farmer capital spending as equipment prices elevated during supply chain disruptions now meet affordability resistance. The company's Construction & Forestry segment, serving infrastructure, mining, and residential construction, partially offsets agricultural softness and benefits from U.S. infrastructure spending under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Deere competes with CNH Industrial (Case IH, New Holland brands) and AGCO Corporation (Fendt, Massey Ferguson, Challenger) globally, with each company racing to incorporate precision agriculture technology and autonomous capabilities that will define the next equipment platform generation. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is Deere & Company? Deere & Company, doing business as John Deere, is an American corporation that manufactures agricultural machinery, heavy equipment, forestry machinery, diesel engines, drivetrains, and lawn care equipment. Founded in 1837 with John Deere's invention of the steel plow, the company is now the world's largest agricultural machinery manufacturer and third-largest construction equipment maker, generating $51.7 billion in revenue in fiscal 2024. ### Who founded John Deere and when? John Deere, a blacksmith from Vermont, founded the company in 1837 in Grand Detour, Illinois. He invented the self-scouring steel plow using steel from a broken saw blade, solving the critical problem of prairie soil clogging cast-iron plows. The company was formally incorporated as Deere & Company in 1868, and John Deere's son Charles took over leadership when the founder passed away in 1886. ### What products does John Deere manufacture? John Deere manufactures a comprehensive range of equipment across four business segments: Production and Precision Agriculture (tractors, combines, planters, sprayers, precision technology), Small Agriculture and Turf (compact tractors, mowers, utility vehicles), Construction and Forestry (excavators, loaders, dozers, forestry equipment), and Financial Services (equipment financing and insurance). The company also produces diesel engines, drivetrains, and advanced technology solutions. ### Where is John Deere headquartered? John Deere's World Headquarters is located at 1 John Deere Place in Moline, Illinois. The complex sits on 1,400 acres and serves as the corporate headquarters for the global company. John Deere maintains manufacturing facilities across the United States in states like Iowa, Georgia, and Illinois, plus international factories in Argentina, Germany, Mexico, Brazil, India, Russia, and China. ### How many employees does John Deere have? John Deere employed approximately 83,000 people worldwide as of 2023. About half of these employees work in the United States and Canada, with 30,000 U.S. employees spread across over 60 John Deere locations in 16 states. The remaining employees work at international offices and manufacturing facilities in more than 30 countries worldwide. ### What is John Deere's autonomous tractor technology? John Deere's fully autonomous tractor represents 20 years of AI development and is now commercially available. The technology uses 16 cameras providing 360-degree visibility, AI processors, sensors, and high-precision GPS accurate to less than an inch. The autonomous system enables 24/7 operation without human operators, addressing labor shortages and increasing farm productivity. In 2024, John Deere announced factory-installed or retrofit autonomy kits for additional tractor models. ### What was John Deere's financial performance in fiscal 2024? In fiscal year 2024 (ended October 27, 2024), John Deere reported worldwide net sales and revenues of $51.7 billion, a 16% decrease from fiscal 2023's record $61.7 billion. Net income was $7.1 billion ($25.62 per share) compared to $10.2 billion ($34.63 per share) in fiscal 2023. Despite the decline from record 2023 levels, the company maintained strong profitability and continued investing $2.2 billion in R&D focused on automation and precision technology. ### Who are John Deere's main competitors? In agricultural equipment, John Deere's main competitors include CNH Industrial (Case IH and New Holland brands), AGCO Corporation (Massey Ferguson, Fendt), Kubota, and Claas. In construction equipment, competitors include Caterpillar, Komatsu, Volvo Construction Equipment, and Hitachi. John Deere maintains market leadership in agricultural equipment and ranks third globally in construction equipment by revenue. ### What is John Deere's See & Spray technology? See & Spray is John Deere's AI-powered precision spraying technology that uses computer vision to identify and spray only weeds, dramatically reducing herbicide use. Unveiled in 2022, the See & Spray Ultimate sprayer saved farmers an estimated 8 million gallons of herbicide on over 1 million acres in 2024, with average herbicide savings of 59% or over two-thirds reduction. This technology delivers significant cost savings while reducing environmental impact. ### How can I contact John Deere? John Deere World Headquarters can be contacted at 1 John Deere Place, Moline, Illinois. For customer service, parts, and dealer information, visit www.deere.com which provides contact information organized by product line and region. The website also offers a dealer locator to find authorized John Deere dealers for sales, service, and parts support in your area. ### What is John Deere's stock symbol and market performance? John Deere trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol DE. As of November 2024, the company's market capitalization exceeds $125 billion with a stock price around $464. The stock has shown long-term stability and growth, supported by the company's market leadership, strong brand, and ongoing technology investments. ### What are John Deere's sustainability initiatives? John Deere focuses on sustainable agriculture and reduced environmental impact through multiple initiatives. The See & Spray technology reduces herbicide use by over two-thirds. GPS guidance systems reduce fuel consumption and labor by an average of 6%. The company plans to offer electric tractors and construction equipment by 2026. In January 2024, John Deere was named a CES Innovation Awards Honoree in Sustainability, Eco-Design & Smart Energy, recognizing the company's environmental leadership. ## Tags b2b, hardware, manufacturing, agriculture, public, global, fortune500, enterprise --- *Data from geo.sig.ai Brand Intelligence Database. Updated 2026-04-14.*