The announcement noted the company’s decision to close the manufacturing plant and consolidate the activity into a new plant — currently under construction in Bergen, NY. — “comes as a result of the downturn in the agricultural market, rising operational costs, and the aging infastructure to the plant.”

Oxbo is committed to supporting affected employees during the transition through severance packages and other resources. The Clear Lake facility will cease manufacturing operations when booked orders are complete, which is estimated to happen in June 2025.

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In the announcement, the company cited ongoing economic challenges in the agricultural sector.

The January layoffs, which impact 53 of its 550 employees in Williamsburg, come after nearly 200 employees were laid of there in August 2024.

“Kinze has a fantastic workforce and this was an incredibly difficult decision,” said Susanne Veatch, President of Kinze. “Unfortunately, the continued downturn in the agricultural market necessitated this workforce adjustment.”

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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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In a statement, AGCO emphasized the need to reduce costs and create efficiencies to remain competitive while continuing to support farmers. The recent layoffs will affect fewer than 70 employees.

“Aligning our workforce and production schedules to meet current demand can be difficult for our team, and we will continue to take steps to minimize employee impact while meeting farmer needs. AGCO is proud to be part of the Hesston community, where our employees build the world-class equipment that help farmers feed the world. ”

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At an event held in western Pennsylvania, Trump said he would also slap automakers with similar tariffs and is using tariffs as a central part of his economic plan should he win the Nov. 5 election. While the strategy is designed to protect American jobs from foreign competition, economists warn that such measures could increase inflation.

Deere announced plans earlier this year to lay off more than 800 workers in Illinois and Iowa. “Moline, Illinois-based Deere said in a statement it is committed to U.S. manufacturing with $2 billion invested in domestic plants since 2019.”

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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.”

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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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The restructuring is expected to yield annual savings of up to $125 million by 2025. The changes respond to weakening agriculture demand and reduced net farm income, leading to production cuts and reevaluating additional cost-saving opportunities. AGCO shares fell 4% following the announcement.

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Deere & Co. noted in a news release that the layoffs are due to reduced demand for products at the Illinois and Iowa plants as industry sales are expected to further decline in the back half of fiscal year 2024.

The latest job cuts push the total count of Deere employees notified of layoffs to more than 1,200 in the past year in Illinois and Iowa. Meanwhile, the company reportedly plans to boost production in Mexico.

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