Deere says the factory is planning another of what it calls a “temporary inventory adjustment shutdown” from early December through early January, due to reduced demand for ag equipment.

The Ottumwa Works employs “less than 400” employees, who will receive close to their normal pay while the plant is idled, according to United Auto Workers Local 74.

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“We deeply regret the necessity of this action,” said Susanne Veatch, President of Kinze. “This decision was not made lightly, and it is a direct response to current ag market realities.”

Source: | Member since 1970

Linamar Corp., an advanced manufacturing company, also based in Canada, purchased Salford two years ago for $260 million Canadian. Linamar said it was purchasing Salford to add to its agricultural line of equipment. Salford notified workers and Iowa Workforce Development about the planned closure Tuesday. It’s the latest in a series of layoffs sparked by a slowdown in the U.S. agricultural economy. Farm income is forecast to fall 25.5% this year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, largely due to lower prices for corn, soybeans, wheat and other commodities, as well as higher production costs.

Salford also has a U.S. production facility in Cornelia, Georgia, and parts distribution centers in North Dakota and Ohio. Salford makes fertilizer spreaders, cover crop seeders and a range of tillage equipment.

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An email sent to employees Wednesday morning stated in part, “Today, we are announcing that John Deere Waterloo Operations will lay off 345 production employees, effective September 20, 2024. This layoff is indefinite and affects production workers with the least seniority at Waterloo Operations.”

John Deere recently announced layoffs for Dubuque, Davenport and Moline, Ill., as well are previous Waterloo layoffs earlier in the year. 

The company states it is “working to balance the size of its manufacturing workforce with market demand for its products.”

Several industry sources inquired with Ag Equipment Intelligence editors to confirm the chatter of an “extended vacation shutdown” at John Deere’s Waterloo, IA, facilities due to the declining demand picture for ag tractor and combines.

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Factory leadership informed some production workers at the John Deere Des Moines Works campus in Ankeny on Friday that they will be indefinitely laid off in April and May, according to a company statement.

“Each John Deere factory balances the size of its production workforce with the needs of the individual factory to optimize the workforce at each facility,” the statement said.

The Ankeny site, 825 S.W. Irvinedale Drive, has about 1,700 employees, including 1,136 in production and maintenance. Workers at the campus manufacture heavy agricultural equipment, including sprayers and cotton pickers.

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“The Manufacturing 4.0 grant program is doing exactly what we intended – helping businesses grow and compete amid a rapidly changing landscape,” said Gov. Reynolds. “Manufacturers are using these grants to increase productivity, train workers, improve safety, and cut costs. We now have the opportunity to help more manufacturers invest in technology to support their workforce, promote competition, and ensure future growth.”

Iowa’s Manufacturing 4.0 initiative launched a strategic plan in January 2021 to ensure the state’s manufacturers continue to remain globally competitive through the fourth industrial revolution – Industry 4.0 – and its emphasis on automation and smart technology. As a result, the Manufacturing 4.0 Technology Investment Grant program was created. In the first cycle, IEDA granted over $7 million through 202 awards with project investments totaling over $31 million.

The program offers two grant opportunities to prioritize both the equipment and connectivity with the advanced technology for manufacturers with 3-150 employees.

·      The manufacturing innovation equipment grant awards up to $50,000 for the purchase of machinery and specialized equipment to improve operations.

·      The manufacturing industrial internet of things (IIoT) infrastructure investment grant awards up to $25,000 for the purchase of specialized hardware of software in Industry 4.0 technology groups.

Companies can apply for a combined amount of $75,000 between the two grants over the lifetime of the business and a 1:1 match is required. Prior to applying, manufacturers must complete an Industry 4.0 assessment provided by Iowa State University’s Center for Industrial Research and Service (CIRAS) to determine need and readiness.

Applications will open on March 1, 2023, and will be accepted on a rolling basis until funds are allocated. More information on the program can be found .

The derecho wrecked corn and bean fields, toppled trees and crumpled grain bins from South Dakota to Ohio, with winds topping 100 mph in some places. The storm system traveled 770 miles in 14 hours.

Trump’s approval for the declaration arrived less than 24 hours after Gov. Kim Reynolds sent him a request that detailed nearly $4 billion needed to assist with recovery.

The president plans to visit Cedar Rapids this week to survey damage and meet with state and local officials.

“Based on MODIS satellite imagery and storm prediction center preliminary storm reports, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship believes 36 counties in Iowa were hardest hit by the derecho,” the department said Friday. “Within those 36 counties, the storm likely had the greatest impact on 3.57 million acres of corn and 2.5 million acres of soybeans.”

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship estimates hundreds of millions of bushels of commercial grain storage and tens of millions of bushels of on-farm grain storage were lost in the storm.

Sources: DTN, Des Moines Register