The Deere Reman plant remanufactures engines, transmissions, axles, hydraulics, engine components, and electronics products to deliver like-new performance at a lower cost, with reduced environmental impact. Reman’s skilled employees use a variety of techniques to bring components back to their original John Deere specifications, or better. For customers, remanufactured products are up to 30% cheaper than new ones, without sacrificing performance or warranty.

The news summary about the facility groundbreaking event also stated that John Deere Reman employs over 500 people and operates out of five different locations in the Springfield area.

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AGCO Corporation provided updates regarding the growth plan for its North American distribution network today. AGCO embarked on an ambitious plan in North America in 2022 to transform and expand its North American dealership network to meet growing farmer demand and ensure comprehensive access and superior customer experiences of its popular brands and services. Recent updates in its North American network include expansions in Missouri and Wisconsin by experienced AGCO dealers Brookfield Tractor, Parallel Ag, McFarlane Manufacturing Company and Vanderloop Equipment.

Dealer territory updates in Missouri and Wisconsin will help provide full access throughout both states to AGCO’s popular brands and services, including those from Fendt, Massey Ferguson and PTx. This expansion is the result of an agreed-upon transition with Ziegler Ag Equipment, which has made the decision to strategically consolidate and remain focused on its services in the Minnesota, Iowa and northwest Missouri markets. 

Existing AGCO dealerships will expand their services to support previous Ziegler Ag Equipment customers in central Missouri and southern Wisconsin. Specifically:

• Brookfield Tractor and Parallel Ag will expand their services in Missouri from locations in Brookfield, Marshall and Montgomery City; and
• McFarlane Manufacturing, Parallel Ag and Vanderloop Equipment will similarly expand services in Wisconsin.

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According to the Missouri Department of Agriculture, the average age of a Missouri farmer is 59.4 years old and less than 5% of all farmers in the state are under 35.

“A lot of them are really passionate to go back to the farm, but like me, they have to get another job and then go back to the farm. So, getting that financial turnover can be difficult,” said 19-year-old Ethan Vanderwert.

Vanderwert comes from six generations of farmers on both sides. He grew up on a farm his whole life and continues to help out at his father’s cattle farm in New Franklin, Missouri.

Unfortunately, a lot of family farms like Vanderwert’s are dying off across the country, because current producers and aspiring farmers are at a standstill: High taxes to sell and high costs to buy are barriers for both parties.

And experts say it is not uncommon for landowners to hold onto land to avoid paying high capital gains taxes.

Because of this, Missouri state lawmakers are hoping to help current producers and young farmers like Vanderwert with the financial barriers to retirement and entry.

House Bill 202, passed into law, authorizes an income tax deduction of up to $500,000 per year for selling a farm to a beginning farmer and up to $25,000 per year from leases or crop share arrangements.

“It incentivizes existing farmers to sell their land to keep property, maybe in the family, but definitely in the country, which we need more of,” said U.S Representative Mark Alford, who serves the 4th Congressional District of Missouri.

Vanderwert says the agriculture industry has already lost a lot of young talent to corporate nine-to-fives, but he hopes by carrying on this family farm, it can be living proof that you can have both.

“I’d encourage them to re-explore their option. The farm is definitely a place that there can be financial stability, there is no better asset than land,” said Vanderwert.

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According to the statewide business group, manufacturing employment has grown 5.7% in Missouri since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Economic recovery varies by location. Joplin and Springfield have seen strong employment growth since 2020, and Kansas City, Jefferson City and Columbia have made a big comeback over the past year. St. Joseph and St. Louis still lag behind.

Ted Abernathy, with Economic Leadership LLC, said Missouri has a lot going for its manufacturing industry.

“For you guys, transportation equipment chemicals, which include biopharmaceuticals and food and beverage, have always been leaders. You are rated as a top 10 lowest cost-of-doing-business state in America, so you have a big advantage there,” he said.

Abernathy said new areas Missouri could expand on are manufacturing in agriculture machinery and products, as well as medical devices.

According to Abernathy, Missouri has high-value and high-skill manufacturing.

“And those are the ones that are growing,” he said. “It’s easy to offshore, low-skill, low-cost manufacturing, but the more complex the manufacturing, whether you’re building cars or biopharmaceuticals or airplanes, those are complicated and demand for them has continued to rise worldwide.”

Abernathy said the state’s refocus on infrastructure has been key.

“You don’t grow manufacturing jobs if you can’t move goods. And so, the focus on manufacturing infrastructure, roads, bridges, ports, airports, all of those things has been really important and they’ll have to be sustained because we’re more sophisticated these days in moving infrastructure,” according to Abernathy.

Abernathy said exposing children and adults to opportunities that manufacturing provides is key because he says America’s biggest challenge is attracting young people to fill those jobs.

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