John Deere History Timeline - 1837 through 2021
John Deere is one of the world's most recognized tractor brands. Founded over 180 years ago Deere has heavily contributed to the creation of modern agriculture and construction equipment.
The Life of John Deere & A Tradition of Innovation
Mr. John Deere was born in 1804 in Rutland, Vermont. He was a blacksmith who founded what would eventually become Deere & Company. John Deere began his blacksmith apprenticeship in 1821 at the age of 17, and he entered the trade in 1826.
When John Deere moved to Illinois he realized the demand for blacksmithing was higher in Illinois.
Demand for John Deere's self-scouring steel plow rapidly grew because it was innovative and enabled farmers to work their fields more efficiently. Other contemporary plows were made out of cast iron or wood, and they performed poorly in the often soggy Midwestern fields. John Deere realized that using smooth steel from a Scottish steel saw blade was much more efficient and did not get stuck in the mud as easily.
As demand for Deere's plow grew, he moved his shop to Moline, Illinois. Rivers and waterways were critical for industries during the 19th century because water transportation was the cheapest and most efficient mode of moving goods and raw materials. The new riverside location enabled John Deere to procure raw materials and parts faster and cheaper, as well as ship his finished goods to customers.
John Deere's plow was instrumental in enabling the western migration of settlers during the 1800s. The plow enabled farmers to be more efficient and improve production. By 1855, his factory had sold more than 10,000 plows, and it became known as "The Plow that Broke the Plains."
John Deere was a thoughtful man with foresight, drive, and strong ethics and an insitance on making high-quality equipment, and he often chose to take the higher path during business dealings. He once said, "I will never put my name on a product that does not have in it the best that is in me."
Similar to how Henry Ford is credited with inventing the modern-day production line, John Deere realized that stockpiling inventory would help improve sales. At that time blacksmiths tended to operate their business as "made-to-order". John Deere chose to increase his manufacturing rate and stockpile strategic inventory of his products so customers could take delivery of their items when they placed orders.
In 1868 Deere & Company was incorprated and in 1876 he registered the first trademark. It was at this time that the deer bounding over a log logo was born. Over the years the logo has changed some, but it has always kept the prominent deer and name John Deere.
Later in his life, John Deere focused his attention on serving as a community leader and in 1873 he became the second mayor of Moline, Illinois. He also served as President of the National Bank of Moline, a director of the Moline Free Public Library, and was a trustee of the First Congregational Church.
John Deere died at home in 1886 at the age of 82 and was buried at the Riverside Cemetery in Moline, Illinois.
Evolution of Deere & Company
In the beginning Deere & Company provided basic blacksmith products and services. As the John Deere plow became famous and sales accelerated, the Company expanded its line of agricultural implements. As a side note Deere & Company also made non-agricultural items including bicycles, during the late 1890s.
Waterloo Gasoline Engine Company
Under the helm of William Buttersworth (Charles Deere's son-in-law) they started building tractors in 1912. This entry became more pronounced when it purchased the Waterloo Gasoline Engine Company in 1918, which manufactured the Waterloo Boy tractor. They used this name until 1923, when the John Deere Model D was introduced. Today many of the higher horepower tractors are still made in Waterloo.
Wartime Production
During World War II, Deere & Company's President Charles Deere Wiman directed the farm machinery and equipment division of the War Production Board. This organization helped the US government produce critical goods and machinery for the Allies' war effort. Deere & Company expanded its manufacturing to include military tractors, transmissions for the M3 tank, aircraft parts, ammunition, and mobile laundry units.
Construction & Forestry Equipment
In 1956 Deere & Company formed its Industrial Equipment Division (now the Construction & Forestry division) to focus on developing its construction equipment separate from its agriculture equipment. Deere & Company's Construction business has grown to be one of the world's largest through organic growth and acquisitions.
Evolution of the John Deere Logo & Branding
The John Deere logo has featured the well-recognized leaping deer since its origin. Although the logo has changed slightly over the decades, it has always remained similar and identifiable. Any person today can look at the historical logos and recognize it.
In 2000 Deere & Company updated the branding of the current logoby changing the position of the deer to be leaping upward. All prior logos featured the deer pointing downward. The outgoing chairman Hans Becherer said that the "The more modern deer symbolizes strength, energy, movement, and progressiveness.
Best-Selling Tractor In USA
John Deere is the best-selling tractor in the United States. it is estimated John Deere has about 65% of the high-horsepower tractor market.
How John Deere Has Helped Improve The World
Since we all eat farming is a critical industry. Farm productivity has an impact on the economic well-being of all countries. A country can only build if the population is fed and healthy.
About 200 years ago, over 90% of the population worked on farms, and today it is less than 3%. This reduction in this percentage has led to an economic productivity boom. Former farmworkers can create new products that would not have been possible before. The work output from a single farmer driving a high-horsepower John Deere 9R Series Tractor is greater than dozens of farmers without modern machinery.
John Deere's innovation has led to more efficient farm equipment, which improves the overall the global economy. It is estimated that during the past 20 years, over one billion people have been lifted out of poverty by farming productivity improvements. With this logic, John Deere has played an instrumental role in reducing global poverty.
Looking Forward
Deere & Company continues to innovate and invest in research and development - through cycle ups and downs, the Company has stayed committed to its future plans. Deere & Company has recently invested heavily in electrification and autonomous technologies.
It is a safe bet that Deere & Company will continue to innovate and deliver innovative and reliable farm and construction equipment.