John Deere Chooses Louisiana Over China
It’s time for your Southeast Regional Ag News. On the Ag Information Network, I’m Haylie Shipp.
Well move over, China! Louisiana is now in the business of John Deere a little bit more so than it previously was.
John Deere announced it is investing $29.8 million to begin manufacturing harvesters in the United States instead of China. Louisiana’s state development agency says the agricultural manufacturer is expanding an already-existing factory in the state and adding another 70 jobs.
“This investment by Deere and Company demonstrates not only the strength of Louisiana’s manufacturing sector but the resilience and recovery of the Bayou Region,” says Louisiana’s Governor John Edwards. Deere will produce medium-chassis cotton harvesters to replace the models currently built in China.
The new jobs will pay an average salary of $47,472 a year and add to Deere’s existing workforce of 311 employees in the state. “The employees at our Louisiana factory have demonstrated remarkable resiliency and commitment to our customers,” says a Deere spokesman, describing how workers restored operations after Hurricane Ida hit Louisiana last year. Deere says it’s investing in the community, the state, and current staff.
