Deere & Company laying off more than 550 in Waterloo

MOLINE, Ill. — A continuing decline in farm equipment sales will idle more than 900 employees of Deere & Co. in Iowa and Illinois over the next two months, including 565 in Waterloo.

Moline, Ill.-based Deere on Friday termed the actions 'workforce adjustments,' including indefinite layoffs at five locations that build agricultural equipment. In addition to the Waterloo employees at three locations, Deere said 300 will be idled at the Des Moines Works in Ankeny and 45 at Harvester Works in East Moline, Ill.

The layoffs will begin in early February and most will be effective in late March.

The latest Deere furloughs come after the Waterloo plant laid off 460 employees in October, primarily in two areas — tractor cab assembly operations (about 240) and drivetrain operations (about 195).

Deere manufactures medium and large row crop tractors, cab assemblies, marine and industrial diesel engines, drivetrain components, wheel assemblies, gray and ductile iron castings, and tractor parts and components in Waterloo.

Ag equipment unit sales, December 2013 and December 2014