John Deere announced plans to open two new US facilities — a distribution center in Hebron, Indiana, and an excavator factory in Kernersville, North Carolina — as part of its commitment to invest $20 billion in domestic manufacturing over the next decade.
The expansion will create more than 300 jobs across both facilities, which are expected to open within the next year.
The Indiana distribution center, where ground has already been broken, will employ approximately 150 workers and enhance parts delivery capabilities for agricultural, turf, construction, forestry and mining equipment customers nationwide. The facility will complement John Deere's primary North American Parts Distribution Center in Milan, Illinois, which has operated since 1973 and employs about 1,200 people.
The $70 million Kernersville factory represents a significant shift in John Deere's manufacturing strategy, bringing excavator production previously handled in Japan to North Carolina. The facility will employ over 150 workers and utilize advanced technologies to produce excavators for the construction market.
The expansion builds on John Deere's nearly 200-year history of US manufacturing and reinforces the company's position as a major employer in the construction equipment sector.
For contractors and equipment operators, the new facilities promise improved parts availability and potentially faster delivery times for excavators and other construction equipment, addressing ongoing supply chain challenges that have affected the industry since the pandemic.
