John Deere was founded in 1837 after John Deere a blacksmith for Illinois manufactured a highly polished blade to cut through the thick soil of the eastern USA. The company rapidly expanded and by 1842 they were producing 100 blades per year. John Deere moved to a new factory in Moline in 1848, where they still have their headquarters today. In 1873 John Deere was elected mayor of Moline and served for 2 years and is credited with grand infrastructure projects that included street lighting and sewers.
The Famous leaping deer trademark was registered in 1876 and has been trusted by farmers worldwide ever since. John Deere has been built on quality and innovation throughout the years. The company introduced the Gilpin Sulky Plow in 1875 which trounced the competition in trials held in Paris and is today considered “The King of the Riding Plows”. John Deere entered the tractor market in 1918 with their Water Boy Tractor, which went on to sell 5,634 units in the first year.
During the great depression in the 1930’s the company extended credit for struggling farmers which resulted in stronger brand loyalty amongst the farming community, even with the onset of the great depression John Deere continued to innovate, with the introduction of 2 new tractors the Model A and the Model B which were still produced until 1952. 1937 was a momentous year for the company, not only was it the 100th anniversary but they also achieved over $100 million in sales for the first time in their history.
During the second world war, John Deere contributed greatly to the war effort producing aircraft parts and ammunition. The company also deployed men in the form of the John Deere Battalion which serviced and repaired tanks during the war in Europe.
The company next big leap forward was in the with the introduction of its new 4 and 6 stroke engines which superseded it 2 stroke engine which had been used for over 40 years. The’60s also saw John Deere enter the domestic market with its range of ride on mowers.
Today John Deere is a multinational company which operations in 35 countries around the world with a diverse portfolio of both commercial farming machinery and domestic ride on mowers. The green and yellow John Deere logo are trusted by farmers the world over.
