Deere announces factory workforce adjustments
Headquartered in Moline, Ill., Deere & Company announced on January 23 that it will make workforce adjustments at several factories in Iowa and Illinois. The actions include indefinite layoffs at five locations that build agricultural equipment, as well as an extended inventory adjustment shutdown at another factory. In addition, Deere said it has added new jobs at two locations that build construction and forestry equipment.
Deere said the workforce adjustments reflect the economic forecast included in the company’s November 2014 earnings report as the company continues to align the size of its manufacturing workforce to market demand for products.
The changes will place approximately 910 employees on indefinite layoff from facilities in Iowa and Illinois. Deere said the approximate number of layoffs at each location include 565 total at three locations in Waterloo, Iowa; 300 at the Des Moines Works in Ankeny, Iowa; and 45 employees at Harvester Works in East Moline, Ill.
In addition, approximately 500 employees at Deere’s Seeding and Cylinder facility in Moline will go on an extended inventory adjustment shutdown. That location typically has a seasonal inventory adjustment this time of year. For Seeding and Cylinder employees, the adjustment shutdown is expected to end in late summer.
The layoffs are effective at different dates for each location.They begin in early February, and most are effective in late March. The announcement of the workforce adjustments is in addition to the ones announced in August 2014.
