MOLINE, Ill.-In 2012, Deere & Company marks the 175th anniversary of its existence, which began when company founder John Deere successfully manufactured and marketed the self-scouring plow in 1837.
Deere had moved from his home in Vermont to start a small blacksmith shop in Grand Detour, Ill. He later moved the business to Moline, Ill., where the world headquarters is still located. The company was incorporated as Deere & Company in 1868. From the one-man shop at its inception, Deere currently has more than 60,000 employees worldwide.
Recognition of the 175th anniversary began recently when the John Deere Foundation made a $175,000 grant to help fund Feeding America's BackPack Program that provides children nutritious and easy-to-prepare food they need over the course of a weekend. That grant is one of many ways Deere's 175th anniversary will be recognized as the year progresses.
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