By Ryan Hanrahan
Less than a week after announcing plans to recall and hire hundreds of employees across the Midwest, Progressive Farmer’s Todd Neeley reported that “John Deere announced plans to close two Iowa manufacturing plants in the next few years and move production to other cities, in a news release from the company on Wednesday.”
“Deere said it will be closing its plant in Ottumwa, Iowa, after moving windrower and round-baler production to Des Moines,” Neeley reported. “In addition, the company said it will end manufacturing at its Hagie plant in Clarion, Iowa, after moving STS sprayer production to Louisiana.”
The Iowa Capital Dispatch’s Cami Koons reported that “a spokesperson with the company said Wednesday that at ‘normal production volumes’ approximately 300 people would be impacted by closures, though he said Deere is currently operating ‘far below normal production volumes due to the downturn in the ag economy.’ ‘Specific employment impacts will depend on future business conditions, production volumes, and staffing needs,’ Dustin Lemmon, the spokesperson, said.”
WQAD’s Mikaela Schlueter reported that “Ottumwa city officials estimated the closure will lead to the loss of approximately 400 jobs, with total payroll loss above $30 million.”
Source : illinois.edu