John Deere Invests $29M in New Production Line and Equipment

Agricultural, construction, and forestry equipment maker Deere & Co. is injecting $29.8 million into an expansion of its John Deere plant in Thibodaux, LA to accommodate production of medium-chassis cotton harvesting models that are currently manufactured in China. A new production line and equipment will be added during the project.

“The new cotton harvesters present a huge opportunity for John Deere Thibodaux to deliver innovative and technologically advanced solutions to our customers, which will increase their productivity and profitability,” Mike Duplantis, factory manager for John Deere Thibodaux, said in a company release. “This expansion is possible due to the tremendous amount of hard work and resiliency of the Thibodaux team.”

Deere’s location currently operates as a design center for sugar harvesting and earthmoving scraper equipment and as a manufacturing facility for a range of agriculture and construction products. Production of the cotton harvesters is slated to commence within two years and ramp up to full capacity by 2025.

“Thanks to Deere & Co. for its commitment to Lafourche Parish, and congratulations to the skilled workers whose dedication convinced this global manufacturer to expand its footprint in our state,” said Gov. John Bel Edwards in a statement.

An estimated 70 new jobs will be created as a result of the project with an average annual salary of $47,472.